# Adjustable Shelf Hole Template



## SkyKing (Mar 2, 2006)

I'm creating a template to created 1/4 inch holes for adjustable shelves on some bookcases that I'm building. I use a plunge router and am planning to use a 1/2" guide in 1/2 holes in the template w/a 1/4" spiral bit for the shelf guides. I'm planning to make the template from 3/4 plywood and in such a way that I can line up the bottom with the dados in the side of the case, clamp and drill w/ the router. Anyone have any other suggestions to avoid disaster????


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

As long as you can reference the jig off the same place (bottom,shelf,top-whatever) there shouldn't be any problem.

Regards

Jerry


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## Gilbear (Dec 13, 2005)

Assume you're talking about for dowels or shelf pins to adjust shelf height?
Using 3/4" plywood for the template seems a little like overkill - I'd tend to use 1/4" or 1/2" myself - and I also normaly use a drill with a stop on the bit rather than the router - not that there should be a problem using 3/4" or the router instead. It's just a little simpler to handle in my opinion.
Ditto to Jerry's comment - that's the MAIN thing.


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## rprice54 (Jan 1, 2006)

I've got a similar jig that I use. Make sure the holes are the same distance from either edge (ie in the middle) or you'll have to flip it over to do the other side. Once you have the jig clamped to the piece this is a very fast/easy/accurate setup. I had to use 3/4 ply with my 5/8 guide since it is almost that tall.

with a drill you have to worry about being perfectly perpendicular every time, even with a stop. set the plunge stop on your router and forget about it.


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## reikimaster (Sep 29, 2005)

Depending on what you're using for the shelf support pins, you may want to reconsider the 1/4" hole size. If you're making your own shelf support pins then this isn't an issue, but if you're buying them, make sure your hole size is dimensioned for the pins. May sound obvious, but I know someone who did this and HAD to make all his own support pins.


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## Gilbear (Dec 13, 2005)

rprice54 said:


> with a drill you have to worry about being perfectly perpendicular every time, even with a stop. set the plunge stop on your router and forget about it.


I don't want to belabor this or sound like sour grapes either, and if one is sloppy with a drill - or any tool for that matter - the results will be sloppy, but this post got me wondering why I've done so many of these, including hidden pegs that slide in a groove in the shelf edge, using a drill without any problem at all (which is why I suggested it as an option - I certainly would never mean to steer someone in the wrong direction), so I sat down and did the math -
If a person using a drill was out of plumb by even 3 degrees (which takes a litttle bit of doing unless you're just being plain old careless or your jig is made sloppy to begin with - remember, your jig is contributing to staying plumb as well - the stop contributes nothing to staying plumb, only depth) for a peg that protrudes 3/8", they would be off by a total of 2/100's of an inch and that's assuming that all of the error is in one, and only one, direction - I'm not so sure that I could even register my jig placement from set-up to set-up to that kind of accuracy, at least not with MY tired old eyeballs!
If more comfortable or confident with a router, then by ALL MEANS, use it - besides, that's what this forum is all about - and maybe there IS less to worry about with the router. But (and stone me for heresy - my wife will thank you), I do believe a drill is still a viable and simple option for that operation and in fact is probably more talked about and illustrated in plans using adjustable shelves (not that that makes it the best or only option, but it must mean something). At least it's worked for me.
Please, no offense intended Rprice54 - you made me think and practice my trigonometry as well!!


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## rprice54 (Jan 1, 2006)

no offense taken... and I'm sure you can get good holes with a drill. For me it seems easier and faster (once you've made the jig- making the jig a 'hole' 'nother story  ) to clamp the jig down and just walk the router down the jig.

I did a tall bookshelf with a friend (actually 2 bookshelves) with ~24 different shelf positions which was 96 holes per unit- only had one router and jig and so he worked with a drill and I used my jig- guess who got done quicker? granted I did not have a bushing for my drill so he spent an excessive amout of time trying not to drill through...

re:shelf pin hole size- I totally agree about checking hole size- but most of the shelf pins I've seen out there are 1/4... talk about painful drilling the wrong size


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## Gilbear (Dec 13, 2005)

Yikes, that's a lot of holes in one case!! Ya know what's kind of funny for me, is that I've made all these adjustable shelves in our bookcases, but once they're set, I can think of only one time when we've actually adjusted them - silly me!!!
Was I understanding correctly, that the drill guy wasn't using a jig either? THAT would have taken me years - you were probably eating lunch while he was finishing one set!! Don't think I'd even try it without one. I'm just not that good!!


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## rprice54 (Jan 1, 2006)

he had a jig- a 2" piece of scrap that we drilled at even spaces and then clamped to the piece- the main issue there was controlling the depth.

I told him we should only do ~3 positions per shelf but he wanted the full amount of options so we drilled every 2"... I need to ask him how much he's adjuested them so far...


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

I'd think a drill press would be the better way to go for multiple holes.
Just my $0.02 worth.


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## Gilbear (Dec 13, 2005)

I suppose that's another option but might be rough with the example raised here - there's a million ways to skin a cat (hmmm, why not a dog or a ferrett?) - but depending on size and number of holes, size of your press table, etc, seems like it could get pretty unweildy.


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## DonB (Mar 20, 2006)

I saw a home renovation video once where a guy was making some built-ins, and I kept rewinding to a part where it looked like he had a big machine with multiple drill bits - he would put the piece of wood up to it, and the bits would come out and drill a whole bunch of holes at once. I couldn't figure out what it was, or how it worked because it was a quick video shot then onto something else, but it looked like a machine to drill about 6 holes at once. Then I suppose you'd move the board a specific distance, drill 6 more, etc. till you're done. Anyone make any sense of this? It seemed relevant given this discussion - is that a hard-core cabinet-makers machine?


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## reible (Sep 10, 2004)

The term gang drilling is often used for that and they are often found in machine shops.... if you think that in neat you should see turret lathes and screw machines or even gang saws.

Ed


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## DonB (Mar 20, 2006)

I was flipping channels once and came across what turned out to be Mr. Rogers. The clip that caught my attention was a shop that made the horses for merry-go-rounds. It slowly carved 4 or 5 "heads" at a time, all being controlled by a template head at the end of the line. Little cutters moved in unison across the wood blanks as the machine operator moved a controller over the contours of the "template" head. Then people would finish carving and painting, and attach to the body. It was really cool. If only I could think of a use for one of those machines, I would buy one and make a whole bunch of identical, um, _things_


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