Centered dot

[Wmcullen]

I came up with a simple, new way to drill holes into my blanks for decorative "dots" so that they are precisely centered.
Using a drill press and a custom 3d printed "brace" (file attached if anyone is interested)...
I clamped the brace to my drill press bed and drilled a 7mm hole. It does not need to be precisely centered.

I changed out the bit in my drill to a 1/4" bit and lift the blank up high enough to drill through one side of the blank.
Because the blank is held against the brace, this next hole I drill will line up exactly with the center hole.

I glue a "plug" into the decorative hole, turn, and sigh happily that everything lines up perfectly.

- Cullen

 

[duncsuss]

I like it but I'm a bit puzzled: it looks like you have 2 completely different jigs, the second one has a platform to support the horizontal blank, whereas the first one doesn't have that platform.

What am I missing?

 

[Wmcullen]

That's right. I printed a small platform that fits in the crook of the jig and boost the blank up high enough for the drill to reach it without having to move the bed and throw off the accuracy. Otherwise the blank would sit too low for my drill press to reach.

 

[duncsuss]

Got it - a two-parter