problem drilling holes

axisus

I have a problem with drilling holes. The pillar drill that I use is not big enough (space from drill to pillar) - I can't drill bridge holes accurately in a body blank as I can't get the wood far enough over. Is there any way to get a hole that is 90˚ to the body any other way? 

octatonic

Get a bigger pillar drill.

I've done it by hand from time to time- using a square or a spirit level to get it at 90 degrees.

It is never right.

axisus

I thought someone was going to say that. Too expensive unfortunately

octatonic

Where are you based?

I am in Oxfordshire- you can come use mine.

axisus

A most kind offer! I think too far for the occasional hole though as I am in Bedfordshire. 

Ironically, we have a very good industrial size pillar drill where I work. I had a good pal here for 25 years who used to let me use the stuff if I wanted to, but he retired a few months ago and the new regime doesn't like non-works staff in their area. All their kit gets very little use these days.

Skodadad

I'm very new to this so excuse me if being stupid but would a plunge router do the job?

octatonic

Only if you want to drill a 1/4 or 1/2" hole. Routers don't have resizeable chucks like drills do.

ICBM

You need a drill stand.

http://www.diy-extra.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/drill-stand-300x294.jpg

WezV

What type of bridge are you doing. There are all kinds of ways around it which can give as good, if not better results than a bigger drill.

As an example, just using a pillar drill doesn't stop the drill bit wandering on string through holes, but drilling in a different way with a few simple jigs can.

The simplest solution will be to drill the hole in a smaller bit of wood thats at least 1" thick using the pillar drill you have, then use this as a guide for hand drilling the holes in the body

lustycourtier

axisus said:

A most kind offer! I think too far for the occasional hole though as I am in Bedfordshire. 

 

  Quoted for the truth...

ICBM

WezV said:

The simplest solution will be to drill the hole in a smaller bit of wood thats at least 1" thick using the pillar drill you have, then use this as a guide for hand drilling the holes in the body

Ah! I didn't think of that. Presumably if you used aluminium or even steel it would give even more stability.

Like you would not try to drill through-body string holes all in one go from one side either - Fender tried that originally too, and old Teles with uneven string ferrules are common. The best way is to mark accurately on both sides, drill halfway in from each side with a slightly smaller bit than the final hole, then open it out to the full diameter with the larger drill, which will follow both holes and even out any misalignment.

GuitarMonkey

This looks like a clever solution but I'm sceptical...


http://www.core77.com/posts/40096/A-Laser-Gizmo-That-Helps-You-Drill-Straight?utm_content=buffer9769a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

WezV

GuitarMonkey said:

This looks like a clever solution but I'm sceptical...


http://www.core77.com/posts/40096/A-Laser-Gizmo-That-Helps-You-Drill-Straight?utm_content=buffer9769a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

probably about as accurate as using a mirror on the work surface.   its a helpful guide, but not great when the drill is being a pain

ICBM said:

WezV said:

The simplest solution will be to drill the hole in a smaller bit of wood thats at least 1" thick using the pillar drill you have, then use this as a guide for hand drilling the holes in the body

Ah! I didn't think of that. Presumably if you used aluminium or even steel it would give even more stability.

Like you would not try to drill through-body string holes all in one go from one side either - Fender tried that originally too, and old Teles with uneven string ferrules are common. The best way is to mark accurately on both sides, drill halfway in from each side with a slightly smaller bit than the final hole, then open it out to the full diameter with the larger drill, which will follow both holes and even out any misalignment.

yeah, but i find a bit of maple is a pretty good drill guide

I showed how i do string through and ferrule holes in this thread - because i got a big drill and it still doesn't have enough clearance for more than the outer holes

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/18377/finished-wezv-tele-build/p4

axisus

GuitarMonkey said:

This looks like a clever solution but I'm sceptical...


http://www.core77.com/posts/40096/A-Laser-Gizmo-That-Helps-You-Drill-Straight?utm_content=buffer9769a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I think that the problem with that is that it tells you when you have gone wrong, rather than actually assist in doing it right!

Sambostar

I have exact same problem and can't really justify or store even a cheap pillar drill.  Making steel colleted jigs (Ie a block of hardwood with a circular tube pressed inside them) works vaguely for hand drills if you clamp everything down.  Wood blocks don't work on their own.

Cheap radial drills are not accurate.  Decent throated pillar drills and radial drills expensive.  I saw a guy use some steel handrail sections to modify a Siverline type pillar drill pillar so it had a S bend in it to take larger stock - you can get the bits from FHBrundell or another metal shop.  You just have to adjust your table until it's at 90 degrees.

Another idea might be a cheap drill stand (Cheap £15 'Plunge Power' Handle type) and assemble it so the stand is on top instead of below the drill chuck collet and mount it to something like an RSJ that won't move, then get something equally unmovable and heavy underneath and clamp your work to that and experiment until you get it set up at 90 degrees.  It would take some pissing about to the get the table at the right angle, but eventually I reckon it could work or you could make a metal or wooden frame for it with the fixed table below

Another trick for drilling accurate through body string holes is to mount a sheet of ply on the table, drill it and that will be your drill centring hole.  Then mount your work on top and drill a hole halfway in, flip your work, insert a pin into the hole in the ply, mount your hole in your work that you have just drilled on that and drill the other side.

You won't get the 1/10th mm accuracy with a hand drill, it just won't happen as the bit will follow the grain.

Sambostar

One of these = £15.  Mount base on top instead o underneath and mount drill collet lower down pillar.  Make a solid open fronted box cabinet for it to mount to the inside top, something resembling kitchen cabinet carcassing, then clamp your work to the bottom and you'll probably need another bracket in there somewhere for stability and use an MDF jig with the six holes already drilled as suggested as security.

WezV

Nobody would ever build a guitar if they listened to all you guys.

You make I all sound so complicated and/or expensive

Thankfully I already had my method documented with pics clearly showing the precision results that are possible with simple/cheap methods.

Its not the size of your tool that counts, its how you use it

Too much "you don't want to do it like that", not enough proven results?

WezV

And whatever method you choose, test on scrap

usedtobe

Thought about a top loader?

Corvus

You can buy drillbit guides (randomish link showing some) but I use a block of ally sometimes. The ally does slowly get eaten by the bits, but it's easy to drill another when needed.
With pillock drills you have to check run-out of the quill and that the bit really is 90 deg degrees to the table (chuck a bit of known straight rod). The less expensive ones aren't nearly as precise as you might expect.
Use decent bits, let the drill go at the speed it likes, don't push too hard, helps prevent wandering.

WezV

I find that even decent bits in a decent pillar drill can wander when you get down to the small sizes.

I worked in a school for about 10 years and had access to some very impressive, well serviced, minimally used pillar drills. Proper old sturdy ones that you just cant buy these days. Drilling string through holes from one side was still inaccurate even on the right tool. not much, but it doesn't take much misalignment in these holes to look really shit.

The last 5 years I have had to cope without them. I have a floor standing pillar drill and 2 bench drills but none have the throat depth needed for this task.

I am actually happier with the results I get now