Replies

1. 
   GaryW | Aug 10, 2006 06:57pm | #1

   Try a barefoot auger, which doesn't have a center point that follows the soft wood between annual rings. These are standard augers like these:  http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/item.asp?PIN=19727&, or these ship augers:  http://www.amazon.com/b/104-5254286-7190329?ie=UTF8&node=552410. You make them barefoot by grinding off the point. If you need a drill smaller than 1/4-inch, try grinding off the point on a brad point twist drill.

   You'll have to start the hole with a standard drill bit (forstner, auger, or twist), and then change to the barefoot auger. You can power the bit with either a brace or powered hand drill.

   I once drilled a 53-in-long propellor shaft hole through the end grain in a boat's keel timber. It was 2-inches diameter and the bit exited within 1/8-inch of my target center point. For this long hole, I spent nearly a day building a track for the drill motor and had an extension welded to the auger.

   Gary W

   gwwoodworking.com

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   Edited 8/10/2006 12:01 pm by GaryW

   
   

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   Edited 8/10/2006 12:05 pm by GaryW

1. 
   ErnieConover | Aug 11, 2006 02:10pm | #2

   Gary W has hit the mark (hopefully center punced just where you want to drill the hole) and there is not much I can add. The barefoot auger is the device you need. You can make one in a pinch by grinding the point off a standard twist drill making it square on the end. I cut them off in an abrasive cutoff saw. It is better if you put just a bit of clearance on the two cutting edges by grinding the back in a standard bench grinder. Run with lots of speed and clear the drill often. Fixturing the part accurately negates the need for a starting hole.With best regards,Ernie Conover

   Edited 8/11/2006 7:12 am ET by ErnieConover