Replies

1. 
   allenb | May 10, 2007 03:25am | #1

   I Haven't quite got it yet but I am envisioning a jig  and a plunge router.  I drill with my router quite a bit.  Shelf pin holes and stuff like that.  You can't go very deep but if you only need standard sizes it works real well.  Upcut spiral bits.

   Good luck,

2. 
   dherzig | May 10, 2007 04:09am | #2

   Dowel centers (for $5) work fine. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=859&filter=dowel%20centers

3. 
   joinerswork | May 10, 2007 04:55am | #3

   willy,

   Dowel centers will work, as suggested.  You can also make a jig for drilling matching holes simply by laying out and drilling on a drill press, a block of hardwood (maple or similar) that is the thickness of your top, to clamp in place on the table edge and guide your drill bit into the edge of the top.  After drilling the guide block, screwing and/or gluing a scrap of 1/4" plywood projecting from one side of the block will allow you to clamp/index off the show side of the surface.  Square the layout line for drilling the hole around and down the face of the guide block.  Use this to mate to a hash mark on the top to locate the hole where you want it.

   If you want to be real traditional, use the same technique to drill two or three holes in a line on the top's edge, to locate a mortise.  Chop out between the holes and insert a short "loose tenon", say 3/16- 1/4" thick x 3/4-1" wide, projecting 1/2" or so.  Tenon stock can be made in sticks a foot or so long, the edges rounded over and each end slightly tapered, then cut to length.  Insert the untapered end into the mortise and glue.  The projecting tapered end will self align into its mating mortise when the tops are closed.

   A good way to insure that the hashmarks line up from one top to the other, or to the leaves, is to measure and layout one top, then align the various mating pieces and transfer the marks across the join, rather than measuring and laying out each join separately, which can introduce slight discrepancies into the picture.

   Ray

1. 
   byhammerandhand | May 10, 2007 05:00am | #4

   This is one application where the Shopsmith horizontal boring mode really shines. Perhaps your drill press table will configure to a similar arrangement or create a right angle tall fence to do the same. Reference the fence to the table leaf top surface.

4. 
   blewcrowe | May 10, 2007 02:42pm | #5

   I recently did a table with a cuppla leaves.

   I cut slots in the ends of the main table and slots on the interior end of the end piece. Then with the leaf pieces, I made them extra long and created tenons on them to match up with the slots (mortises, if you will). Simple concept. Not as easy to explain.