Tip #22
Horizontal Boring In Woodworking (continued)
Click here for a printer friendly
version of Tip - Pg. 1-3, Pg 4-6, Pg. 7-9

Boring For Dowels

Dowels are often used to reinforce various types of joints. They even sometimes substitute for the mortise and tenon joint. A more routine application is reinforcement with dowels when narrow boards are joined edge-to-edge to form wide workpieces. The combination of worktable surface, rip fence, and depth control makes the hole-boring operation purely mechanical. The edge distance of the holes is established by table height. The holes do not have to be exactly centered, but must be in line with each other. Mark the bad surface of each piece and be sure it faces up when you bore.

Figure 11-9. Construction details of the hole-spacing guide. The text tells how to accurately determine dimension "A". Click on image for larger view.

Hole spacing can be controlled automatically if you make the hole-spacing guide that is shown in Figure 11-9. The important part of the construction is getting the guide pin holes exactly on the bit's horizontal centerline. To determine dimension "A", assemble the guide and secure it to the way tubes. Then, with a bit secured in the chuck, advance the quill so the point of the bit will mark the guide. Use a square to mark this point across the guide and, on this line, bore the holes for the guide pin.

Figure 11-10. If you use a hole-spacing guide, you can do accurate work without needing layout. After you bore each hole, engage the pin. This positions the workpiece for the next hole. Spacing is determined by placing the guide pin in the appropriate hole in the guide.

When you use the guide, the guide pin engages the last hole that was bored and so positions the workpiece for the next hole (Figure 11-10). Hole spacing is variable because of the set of holes in the guide and, since the guide pin has a 3/8" diameter bushing at one end (Figure 11-11), you can bore either 1/4"or 3/8" holes. By making an assortment of guide pins, you can set up the guide for boring holes of whatever diameter you wish.

Figure 11-11. Since the guide pin has a bushing of 3/8" diameter at one end, you can bore either 1/4" or 1/2" holes. You can make an assortment of pins for various hole sizes if you wish.

Figure 11-12. When the workpiece is extra-long, use a clamp to secure it to the table.

Boring Dowel Holes in Miters- Miter joints are often strengthened with dowels. The important factor is for the holes to enter at right angles to the cutline. The miter gauge holds the workpiece at the correct angle; the rip fence, with a spacer attached, is set to suit the length of the workpiece. The miter gauge safety grip holds the workpiece securely in position as the hole is bored. When the workpiece is extra-long, use the miter gauge to hold it at the correct angle and a clamp to secure it to the table (Figure 11-12).

Continue to Forming a Pegged Joint
Back to Boring At An Angle