The workbench plans I’m using call for square dog holes, but I’m thinking that because all of the new bench accessories seem to be for round holes, I’d go that route. But that would mean I’d have to drill the through 3/4″ holes, 3 3/4″ deep.
The longest Forstner bits I can find are 3 1/2″ in total length, and brad points don’t seem to come in 3/4″. I want the holes to be smooth and clean so I’ve kind of ruled out spade bits. Has anyone had any experience boring holes like this (in hard wood like Birch) with auger bits? Any other options?
Replies
For one reason or another, I use ships augers on almost every job and they've always worked well. My necessity for using them is usually the lengths available, and like spades, extensions are available. Unlike a spade though, augers are self drilling.
Don
Spade bits can make a clean hole IF they are sharp and IF you can use a drill press to do the drilling. Anyway you could do this before the top is laid? Or, how about undersizing then using a reamer??
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
PlaneWood
I'm trying to evaluate if buying or making a workbench top makes sense strickly from the economic viewpoint. Can you share the cost, type and dimensions of the wood? Thanks
Making a workbench top is a labor of love. You can buy tops, whole benches or just prefabricated butcherblock slabs cheaper than you can make them yourself. Fitting them out with vises and legs are additional expense.
No one should be discouraged from making a top who wants to, but it shouldn't be undertaken because it seems like it will save money.
From a strictly economic viewpoint, it doesen't make sense, but such decisions are never made from such a viewpoint as the ensuing messages will prove.
Rich
I haven't really given much thought to the cost. I happen to have a pretty good supply of clear, dry, rough sawn birch (would have preferred maple or beech but birch will do) that I plan to use. Can't even remember how much I paid for it, but I can say that if I had to buy finished lumber to construct a bench, I guess I'd have to re-think it.
I too gave a lot of thought to purchasing a slab vs building one, only because it's going to be the trickiest part of the project. But the slab in the plans I'm using (loosely) is only 12 1/2" by 5' which will be manageable for me. The apron, dog block etc make the work surface considerably wider.
It was featured in Woodsmith #50 - European-style maple workbench, but I see that the plans are also now available through PlansNOW:
http://www.plansnow.com/eurobench.html is the basic bench
http://www.plansnow.com/wrkbenchcab.html includes the cabinets for it.
WS #50 has both.
Martin,
That is really quite lovely. I started to study the various designs and options to better understand the issues. Rich is quite correct, they are a labor of love, however, when i read Bob's benches he says everybody has four over the course of a life time ...so maybe its as your knowledge grows your love deepens and your needs change. At any rate, I'm swiftly approaching the reality that power tools can only get you close..and you need a good bench to complete the job.
However, like your issue with the three and three quarter hole, how much investment in one time use tools can the budget afford. So I'm trying to figure out the total cost of doing it from scratch...the total cost. I do enjoy making my own shop tables and stuff, but, something as thick as the workbench ...that is in a class i know nothing about..so far.
Martin,
I also used round holes in my bench top. The top is 3 1/4" thick maple. I used a magnetic base drill press on a large steel plate I borrowed from work. I started the hole with a forstener bit to get a clean top, and finished with an auger bit. I backed up the bottom of the holes by clamping a 2x4 on the bottom of the top to prevent tearout.
Good Luck!
TDF
Tom:
Good call and thanks for the idea. You may have just provided the answer to a project I got on the burner. I never thought of that. My BIL (ha..) has access from the machine shop at Delta Airlines where he's a shop foreman. Fortunately I don't have the same problems with BIL as he has all the metal tools and I let him work in my WW shop. I got a win-win situation..
Have a good evening..
sarge..jt
Martin:
I have a Craftsman drill guide I bought back in the 70's I use to drill bench-top holes. You took the chuck off and attached to the drill. It is actually quite sturdy and accurate. What I do is drill a small pilot hole all the way through the table with the guide attached. Has to be done after table top is flat. Then you attach a Forstner and go to max depth on the top side. Carefully turn it over and drill back to meet hole from that side. Caution: You have to have a set-up of some kind to insure the hole stays at 90* to the surface of table.
I don't know if any kind of guide is still available any more. I saw one several years ago and looked it over. Forgot the brand, but I felt it had to much play and wobble to be precise. Just a thought...
Good Luck..
sarge..jt
Sarge,
That Craftsman drill guide (was) is great. Craftsman still sells one, but it's not as good. The uprights attach to the base through an angle adjusment arc via plastic grommets! This allows the uprights to flex from their intended position. Much inferior to the original which I once had, no longer do, and wish I did. If the grommets were made of steel it would be fine.
Another brand, widely available has a plastic base that allows the uprights to flex wildly. Also the sliding arms don't slide smoothly. It is adjustable, but there are no detents at 90 degrees to allow returning confidently to vertical. Terrible design.
Rich
Rich:
Thanks fro the info. I still got that thing attached to a Craftsman drill. I only use it for special projects like mentioned or drilling through pipe. Remember, it had those little v's on top of the base. Clamp on a pipe and a peice of cake. It will remain in my personal tool hall of fame. Ha..
sarge..jt
Sarge,
Wanna sell it?
Just kidding. I don't have a drill press right now. It's on the budget for October - November. Then I'll machine a couple of metal grommets for this current Craftsman drill guide and I think it will be a good tool.
One thing your guide does that current ones don't - it is self centering for stock that can fit between the posts by pushing the posts down through the base. Nice feature.
Rich
Edited 9/4/2002 10:33:01 PM ET by Rich Rose
Rich:
You remember exactly. Craftsman was pretty good stuff back then. I can't remember, but I think it only cost $8 or $9.
In lieu of stealing this thread so poster can get some more ideas, I'll hush. I don't want to get started on the old days b-4 this modern communication. Does bring back old memories though!
sarge..jt
I have 2 of those original Craftsman drill guides, one I bought new, the other I found at a garage sale several years ago. They are great for those jobs that can't be done on a drill press. I will be needing to drill dog holes sometime in the next month or two and will definately be using one of the guides to do so.
I agree with the idea of drilling a small pilot hole through the surfaced benchtop, them using a Forstner as deep as it will go from the top, then finishing from the flip side, which needs to be level and parallel to the top surface if the holes are to meet correctly.
I had the same problem when I bored my workbench. My solution was to use an extension on my Forstner. I did have the advantage of having a metal lath to make the extension.
BJ
I just saw in a wade garret catalog tonight a Forstner bit set with extensions for 4 1/2 and 8 1/2 depths. The full set was 80 some dollars.
Don
You can use the forstner for as deep as it will go and then finish with the spade bit. And with the spade you only have to go deep enough for the point to go through, then you can finish with the forstner. Of course, that's a lot of drilling and bit changing. With a brace and auger you can drill as deep as 6 inches or so; I've seen some augers as long as 18 inches.
Thanks everyone for your responses and ideas. I have done some additional research since my initial post, and discovered that a Canadian cutting tool manufacturer (Royce//Ayr) does offer multi-spur bits that are 6" in length. Trouble is, the price is $60.50 CDN for the HSS one, and almost $200 for the carbide tipped one.
I'm starting to see where BG was going with his post about cost and investing in single use tools. Guess I'll go the combination Forstner and auger or spade bit route and get on with it.
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