I need to make several long holes through the middle of a 4×4 post and be fairly accurate. The posts are anywhere from 18″ to 36″ long. Does anyone have a good method of doing so? The bits and posts are too long for my drill press and freehanding them isn’t very accurate.
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Replies
Have you considered ripping the posts in half, routing a groove in each half, and then gluing it back together?
One approach would be to cut a short section of scrap post and accurately drill in using the drill press. This scrap then could be placed on the post and used as a guide for free hand drilling, to start the hole.
If you have a lathe or access to one, I've often read of people using a hollow (cone?) end to drill through the mounted stock.
With both methods, I would think there is a chance the drill would follow the grain and wander. If you needed a very accurate through hole, such as for inserting a pipe through the post, you could split the post on a tablesaw or band saw, rout matching slots, and then glue the post back together. More work, but perhaps more accurate.
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