difficulty drill large dowel holes in hard maple
Mike in Mystic
Well, I've been having a very tough time drilling dowel holes in the side
rails for the hard maple bed I'm making. These are 3/4" diameter, and need
to be ~8" deep. The reason for these is to give the screws for the
fasteners on the end of the rails to have some cross-grain to drill into and
provide solid holding power.
At any rate, I couldn't find a 3/4" auger bit in high speed steel, which is
what I wanted to do this job, so I picked up a high carbon steel bit
instead. I also got a drill guide so I could be sure to center the holes
and drill straight. I practiced on a piece of 2 x 8 pine, and it worked
like a champ. When I set up to do the first hole in the maple rail as soon
as the flute of the bit hit the wood the bit stopped dead and the drill
tried to throw me across the room. I admittedly am not using the best tool,
a variable speed hand drill (corded), but that's the best I can do as my
drill press is a POS.
I expected the maple to be tough on the bit, but since I only have 4 holes
to drill I thought I would make it. I didn't expect the bit to not cut AT
ALL.
If anyone knows a better approach to this, I'd appreciate it greatly. and
if anyone knows where I could get a long 3/4" auger bit designed to work in
very hard wood, that would be good info, too.
Also, does anyone know exactly how risky it would be to just mount the
fasteners without the dowels? this is probably my last resort, but this bed
is starting to drive me nuts as I have a lot of other projects that are
getting time sensitive.
Thanks for the help,
Mike
Roy Smith
> When I set up to do the first hole in the maple rail as soon
> as the flute of the bit hit the wood the bit stopped dead and the drill
> tried to throw me across the room. I admittedly am not using the best tool,
> a variable speed hand drill (corded), but that's the best I can do as my
> drill press is a POS.
Your problem is that you're using the wrong tool. It's not surprising
that your hand drill, try as it might, didn't have enough power to throw
you across the room. Get one of those big 1/2" drills the construction
guys use. It'll have plenty of power to launch you from one end of your
shop to the other the next time the bit stops dead.
Seriously, drilling an 8" deep, 3/4" diameter hole in hard maple just
doesn't sound like a job for a hand drill. I would be inclined to go
one of two ways:
1) A good solid drill press, at the slowest speed possible, with the
workpiece securely clamped to the table, and backing the bit out
frequently to clear chips and make sure it doesn't overheat. Pay
attention to the "securely clamped" part. If you thought getting
launched by a hand drill was fun, wait until you see what happens when a
drillpress starts to spin a big heavy workpiece.
2) A hand brace and a lot of patience.
Bay Area Dave
Now is the perfect time to let SWMBO know that to complete the project
you HAVE to get a new 16" DP! <g> Unless SHE wants to figure out how
you are gonna drill those holes...
dave
George
sort of hardware through some end grain, gripping the crossgrain dowel?
If so, why not just follow the old procedure of boring through laterally and
screwing into inserted dowels? You can use a nice Forstner, bore almost to
the point where the center point would exit the outside face, and nobody
would ever see them. Screws top and bottom on your hardware? Two holes.
"Mike in Mystic" <michael...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:UFwva.5404$Xk3.126...@newssvr10.news.prodigy.com...
Mike in Mystic
That is a very interesting idea and I hadn't thought of that. I guess I'm
not that familiar with these old techniques. The plan I'm using, or drawing
actually, just showed the dowel being inserted from the bottom up through
the rail. Clearly, your solution would give me the cross-grain I need. I
might have to use smaller dowels (which might be a good thing, actually). I
do have some good Forstner bits on order that should arrive tomorrow or
tuesday. I'll have to think about this.
Thanks for the idea,
Mike
"George" <someon...@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:Uhyva.660$Iy1.6...@kent.svc.tds.net...
Mike in Mystic
I actually have been thinking about that all day, but my wife's "ornery"
level is on an exponential rise the further she get's along in the
pregnancy. I don't think she'd react too well if I told her I need to shell
out another $400. I've already spent too much $ covertly that if I ever get
caught my death might become an urban legand.
Headline: "Irresponsible spender found resawn via 14" bandsaw and then
ripped and crosscut into 1/2" planks on Unisaw by deranged pregnant wife."
Just this last week I bit the bullet and ordered one of Steve Knight's
coffin smoothing planes and his shoulder plane set, as well as a mid-level
low-angle block plane (the Veritas from Lee Valley). I was trying to trim
some tenons with the POS $15 plane I have and I just couldn't stand it
anymore.
The drill press is becoming a much higher priority as these projects move
along, though. Something I never appreciated before, that's for sure.
Mike
"Bay Area Dave" <da...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:3EBEA921...@nospam.com...
Mike in Mystic
Well, I agree, the hand drill isn't the right tool at all. I just was
trying to get by with what I had. I was going to try the drill press, but
it is only a 9" benchtop and the slowest speed it has is 1720 rpm. Still,
would be better than the hand drill, I know. I do have a hand brace, so
maybe that's what I'll have to do. The spindle travel on the drill press is
only 2 inches, and the bed rail is 10.5" wide, 1.25" thick and 75" long hard
maple, so it is kind of tough to get it square on the drill press. Maybe
the neander route is the best way for this job. I just wish I had some
high-speed steel auger bits.
Mike
"Roy Smith" <r...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:roy-A4FA52.1...@reader1.panix.com...
Fairway Ray
3/4 is alot of material to remove in one bite.
Ray
"Mike in Mystic" <michael...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:UFwva.5404$Xk3.126...@newssvr10.news.prodigy.com...
CW
hold an edge longer when it gets hot. You should never get it that hot
anyway. They don't cut any differently.
"Mike in Mystic" <michael...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:4VAva.5445$Lr6.127...@newssvr10.news.prodigy.com...
> Hi Roy,
Mike in Mystic
important when using a large bit like this in very hard wood like the maple
I'm using. But, you're right, it doesn't make much difference if I couldn't
even get the hole started.
"CW" <clinton...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:eSHva.819526$F1.103928@sccrnsc04...
George
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=941-287
Or the full Monte, captured dowels.
http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/showdetl.cfm?offerings_id=367&objectgroup_id=72&catid=22&DID=6
"Mike in Mystic" <michael...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:ENAva.5443$Zl6.127...@newssvr10.news.prodigy.com...
Conan the Librarian
> I do have a hand brace, so
> maybe that's what I'll have to do.
That's your best bet. I drilled a 15" deep hole in endgrain
mesquite using my MF Holdall brace and a new Irwin ship's auger, and
it was amazingly easy. Just use a bit of paraffin or beeswax to
lubricate the bit and back it out a couple of times to let it cool
down. Those bits have a pretty aggressive lead-screw on them, so it's
important to get them started straight, but after that, the bit will
do the work for you if you let it.
Chuck Vance
Bigpole
that you can take your bed rails to and drill them there?
Ted
"Mike in Mystic" <michael...@snet.net> wrote in message news:<UFwva.5404$Xk3.126...@newssvr10.news.prodigy.com>...