Saturday, October 30, 2010

Wood Shop Tip of the Day

Shop Tip of the Day

Hinge swings into action when holes require spacing
Drilling a series of accurately spaced holes can be grueling. Even a small misalignment becomes a glaring error in a row.Line up those holes smartly with a simple spacing jig for your drill press. Attach a fence (thicker than the material you'll be drilling) to the wooden auxiliary table of your drill press. Drill out the end hinge hole on the long arm of a T-hinge to accept a machine screw the diameter of the hole you'll be drilling.Now, secure the hinge to the fence top so the distance from the fence to the screw equals the distance from the edge of the board to the hole location. Clamp the jig to the drill-press table so the distance from the bit to the screw is the same as the space between the holes, and the distance from the bit to the fence equals the distance from the edge of the board to the hole.With the jig in place, measure, mark, and drill the first hole. Now, slide the workpiece along the fence. The screw will fall into the hole to stop the board in position for the next hole. Repeat to drill the rest of the holes.--Ed Abrams, Greenville, N.Y.

jigs are the best!

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