Boring
This category currently consists of topics posted to the old 32mm site. They were all written quite a few years ago.
Delta Boring Machine
There are a number of 13 spindle, entry level, machines on the market. The Delta, at approx. $1,000 without bits, is the least expensive I have seen. These machines are a huge step from any of the manual/jig systems and are well suited to the small shop. Here is a picture of the stock delta machine and one of the Ritter.
Here is a bigger picture of how I have set up my Delta. As you can see it has a much bigger table than on the stock machine. Working with 8 and even 10 ft goods is infinitely easier. I don't know if you can see the crank but the boring machine moves relative to the table. This works out very nice. It is easy and accurate. The fence is 1 1/4 square aluminum with a 1/4" slot cut in it. It can use the stops that come with the boring machine. I also use some simple block stops that fit the track as extra OEM stops run about $75 and I haven't had the time to come up with something better. I am finding I really only need a few setups and would like to leave the stops where they are.
Someone asked how I setup the machine to move relative to the table. When I made the cabinet I made some extra pieces the same width as the box. The top of the box has no cross members instead one of the extra pieces is a permanently mounted shelf a few inches down from the top. On top of this shelf sits a sandwich made from the other extra pieces. The machine is mounted to the sandwich. The sandwich contains a couple of square nuts trapped nice and tight along with a hole for a threaded rod. The front of the threaded rod has the threads ground off and passes through a piece of angle iron that is mounted to the permanently mounted shelf. The rod has a collar on each side of the angle iron. I had someone weld the crank to the rod. Turn the crank and the sandwich/machine is pulled forward or pushed back. There were some logistics to allow the full range of travel (0-6"?). There is a bit of slop in the crank but the weight of the machine and friction keep it in place. I would probably like it better if it had a slot in the shelf and something like a carriage bolt trapped in the sandwich passing through the slot with a knob on the other end to clamp the sandwich to the shelf. The machine has a ruler that was used by the small table that came with the machine. I set up a cursor, mounted to the counter top, over the ruler on the machine. The result is similar to the cursor/ruler of the Biesemeyer fence.
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Endbore Jig
I've tried a number of ways to drill holes in the end of cross panels (e.g. Shopsmith and dowel jig) and ended up designing my own jig . The second image gives another perspective of the jig.
The body is 3/4" architectural channel milled so that the channel is 19.5mm to fit over the typical 19.4mm melamine panel. The channel is drilled with 1/2" holes 32mm apart. The holes accept special bushings that come with any desired inside diameter. These are high quality bushings used in metalworking applications. They have ridges around the perimeter as well as a clamp ring to hold them in place. The MDF stop blocks are located with 5mm sleeves and clamped in place with M4 pan head screws into the sleeves.
The smaller jig is set up with stops at 22.5mm for drilling nailer and toe kick rails (19mm X panels and system holes as construction holes). Depending on what I am making I use 5, 7, and 8mm end holes. With this jig it is easy to swap bushings for the job at hand.
I like the channel idea but it is not real flexible if using melamine and plywood as melamine is a bit over 3/4" and plywood is under. Its not very elegant but you can add masking tape to the inside of the channel to narrow the opening. One thought is to use angle stock, instead of channel, with the bushings centered 9.5mm from the inside corner of the L.
[ page | comments (2) - Thursday, 04-Mar-2010 | top ]
Manual Drill Jigs
There are a number of drill jigs you can buy or make. There is a lot of variety and some will be better suited to drilling construction and/or system holes than others... more
[ page | comments (2) - Wednesday, 17-Sep-2008 | top ]