Drilling Center of a Dowel

[evilbadger]

I have seen on a few threads that people are finding it challenging to drill center of a dowel. The easiest way of course is to use a lathe but a lot of people don't have a lathe. So what is the solution? Let your drill press do the work for you. All you need are some clamps, wood, forstner bit for your dowel size and the bit to drill whatever size hole you want.

Start by checking your drill press table for square. Even if you only move it up and down the weight of the table pulls it down out of square front to back. I chuck a dial indicator up and check the table that way.

For drilling center of a dowel take a piece of wood and using a forstner bit for the size dowel you are using and drill a hole. Next use a saw and cut into one side of hole.This is to clamp the dowel and keep it from spinning. I use the table saw to cut the slot. (See Photos)

Next take a couple blocks of wood to make a "fence" so the forstner bit lines up in the hole. (See Photos) Clamp fence to table.

Now insert dowel in hole and clamp to fence so the saw cut pinches dowel. Chuck whatever size bit you need and drill. (See Photos)

It really is not that hard to do. Thickness of wood with hole in it should correspond to length of dowel you want to drill.

Hope this helps you guys out.

Tim

[HAMMER]

Thanks. You make it seem simple enough. I'll have to try it out.

[rjr]

Tim
Great tip, thanks for the information and pictures really help.

[wood-n-things]

You are always spot on...thanks for the tip.

[georgewoodie]

evilbadger:

Great tip. I will be very pleased to use this system.

Many thanks,

Woodie

[KtownScroller]

Nice tutorial Tim!

[Sally]

Boy - this method is neat. I'm going to copy this too. Thanks, Tim.

[evilbadger]

No questions so I guess the instructions are clear enough.

Enjoy!!!
Tim

[jim_mex]

Nice tip Tim! - thanks

[nzmerlin]

Yeah Tim they look and sound clear enough just have to make one now, time, where can I buy some time.

Merlin