# Drilling holes



## django (Jul 18, 2011)

Hi everyone. I recently destroyed a solid mahogany guitar body by drilling the neck holes wonky then snapping the drill inside of it. So I asked around and got advised to buy a router, as it was a great tool for drilling holes straight. Now I have one but it wont accept any small drill bits. I get the feeling I will not be-able to drill screw holes perfectly straight with this. Is there a way ? thanks


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

I don't know who advised you to buy a router. Whilst some drill bits are available with an 8mm shank to match the collet size, they are for specific jobs.
You'd be better getting hold of a drill press and making a table for it. Drill presses are usually engineering orientated, with little circular tables. Make yourself a long one. It need be no more than a piece of 19mm plywood around 600mm x 300mm bolted to the existing table, although with a bit more effort you can produce a more deluxe version from the many designs on the web. The purpose is to support your workpiece better.

That should serve you better.

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I use the router for drilling holes all the time,you just need a drill chuck that you can use in your router..you must have a VS control device on your router,see below

Router Forums - View Single Post - keyless chuck


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django said:


> Hi everyone. I recently destroyed a solid mahogany guitar body by drilling the neck holes wonky then snapping the drill inside of it. So I asked around and got advised to buy a router, as it was a great tool for drilling holes straight. Now I have one but it wont accept any small drill bits. I get the feeling I will not be-able to drill screw holes perfectly straight with this. Is there a way ? thanks


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

Welcome


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Django,

Variable speed routers, on low speed, typically only go down to about 8,000 rpms, several times faster than a drill. Conventional chucks are not designed, nor should they be used, at router speeds, as they may be unsafe.

I (and I speak for Rick, owner of RouterForums.com) recommend that you do NOT mount a conventional drill chuck in your router and fire it up, even with a VS control device as it will still spin way beyond the rating of the collet.

Unless you can find a collet rated for the speed of your router (possible, but unlikely for a reasonable price), I strongly recommend against it.

I do not question that others here may have done so and came through unscathed but people run red lights and come through unscathed as well.

BJ, surely you remember Rick coming on here, telling you it was unsafe and warning you about making exactly this recommendation to people last year?

Jim


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## Mark (Aug 4, 2004)

BigJimAK said:


> Django,
> 
> Variable speed routers, on low speed, typically only go down to about 8,000 rpms, several times faster than a drill. Conventional chucks are not designed, nor should they be used, at router speeds, as they may be unsafe.
> 
> ...


Very good post here. It definitely isn't safe to use a drill chuck in a router.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Jim

It's true that most drill chucks are not rated at high speed (8K or more ) but with a speed control box you can get the speed down to 1500 rpms and that makes it safe to use and I have done that and have done that many times with no errors..(used 1/16" diam.and smaller on the plunge router without any error)

If you take a hard look at the drill chuck all the parts in a steel case so to speak so no way it can come apart and flip parts out at low or high speed..i.e. Dremel motor that runs at 30,000 rpm's. plus..with a low end grade drill chuck..on a flex cable on top of that..

I'm not saying it's for everyone but the plunge router is a great drill setup if if's done right..and the router can be used in many ways..i.e for a router lathe...

It's funny you said something about Rick R. that's where I got the tip from..where he use it for a drill...on a show a time or two..  I just pushed to the next step by installing a drill chuck to hold the small drill bits and the odd size bits.


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BigJimAK said:


> Django,
> 
> Variable speed routers, on low speed, typically only go down to about 8,000 rpms, several times faster than a drill. Conventional chucks are not designed, nor should they be used, at router speeds, as they may be unsafe.
> 
> ...


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

I'm with ya there, BJ... and intend to use a 1/2" plunging bit and a jig in a plunge router to drill 3/4"v dog-holes in my new benchtop as soon as I get the skirts and vises installed. A router is the best possible solution for this because its whole mechanism is set up to hold the bit exactly 90* to the surface.

Likewise, if both (1) your router VS control and router will start and operated at not more than about 1500 rpm and (2) you had a way of knowing it wouldn't exceed that speed then it should be OK. 

I've no question that you have the experience and equipment to measure the speed and ensure that the speed remains down there but few here do, so it's not a good solution for us mere mortals.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Jim

O yes I use a digital readout device to tell me what the speed is when I set it up.

I should note I have a plunge base for Dremel and I can turn the speed way down on it (100 rpm) and use it for small bits from time to time but I just like the mass (foot print) of the bigger routers for the jobs.

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BigJimAK said:


> I'm with ya there, BJ... and intend to use a 1/2" plunging bit and a jig in a plunge router to drill 3/4"v dog-holes in my new benchtop as soon as I get the skirts and vises installed. A router is the best possible solution for this because its whole mechanism is set up to hold the bit exactly 90* to the surface.
> 
> Likewise, if both (1) your router VS control and router will start and operated at not more than about 1500 rpm and (2) you had a way of knowing it wouldn't exceed that speed then it should be OK.
> 
> I've no question that you have the experience and equipment to measure the speed and ensure that the speed remains down there but few here do, so it's not a good solution for us mere mortals.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

django said:


> Hi everyone. I recently destroyed a solid mahogany guitar body by drilling the neck holes wonky then snapping the drill inside of it. So I asked around and got advised to buy a router, as it was a great tool for drilling holes straight. Now I have one but it wont accept any small drill bits. I get the feeling I will not be-able to drill screw holes perfectly straight with this. Is there a way ? thanks


Hi and welcome to the forum

I have to say I'm in complete agreement with Peter's comments about what a router can and can't do well. A drill press would probably be the best solution to your problem.

However, now you've got a router and a "cream-crackered" guitar what can be done? Routers _can_ drill holes with plunge cut straight bits, but the collets are designed for use with specific cutter shank sizes - in the UK that means 1/4in, 8mm and 1/2in except for a few industrial machines - and only a few drill bits come with shanks in thoses sizes, none of them rated for use at router speeds. Also, not all straight router bits permit plunging cuts, so check before purchase. The depth of "drilling" is obviously limited to the length of flute of the cutter, so it's a lot more limited than the depth range you'll get with a twist drill. For example if you want to drill a 6mm diameter hole then you'll probably be able to get a hole depth of 25 to 30mm. With 3mm that decreases to 11 or 12mm. See here for some typical 1/4in shank cutters. The smaller the bit diameter the more delicate the cutter. So the question now becomes what sizes and depths of hole do you require? Another question you might ask is how do you centre a router bit to drill precisely where I want it to? One method is to equip your baseplate with a clear sub-base etched with alignment cross hairs. There's a good example in Bill Hylton's book "Router Magic" if you can get hold of a copy (there's also this on the web)

The other problem is that you've snapped off a drill bit in the body of the guitar. This may be solveable. Try to dig round the end of the snapped off drill bit with a small chisel or Stanley knife so that there's enough of it visible to get a grip with a good pair of pliers. It may then be possible to remove the drill bit by effectively "unscrewing" it (anti-clockwise twisting) using a pair of pliers. Once it is out the hole can be redrilled using your new router and a plunge bit sufficiently big to remove any damaged fibres (possibly 10mm?). The hole is then plugged by glueing in a piece of dowel made from a matching piece of mahogany and flush trimming with a sharp plane when the glue has set. If you don't know how to turn a mahogany dowel I might be able to assist as you're also in the UK. PM me if you need help on this. Whether or not it's worthwhile depends on whether or not it will be seen. I suspect the repair won't be seen (is it where the neck is bolted ont the body?) in which case a stock size hardwood dowel could be used to do the repair

Regards

Phil


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

For drilling holes with a router bit the router is a perfect solution. There are many drill adapters which will give perfect alignment with a drill like the Portalign drill adapter. Sears sold this item and you can find them at yard sales, on craigslist and Ebay for $10-20.


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## The Warthog (Nov 29, 2010)

I have a drill press that I bought used at a good price. One day I will get around to building a table for it, but in the meantime it is a very useful woodworking tool. If you have a friend with a drill press, get a piece of 2x4 hardwood and get him to drill different sized holes around the edges. This will serve as a guide for making 90º holes in your work until you get a drill press.


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## django (Jul 18, 2011)

thanks all, one question, what's a VS control device lol....what's VS stand for ?


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Router Speed Control

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django said:


> thanks all, one question, what's a VS control device lol....what's VS stand for ?


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

django said:


> thanks all, one question, what's a VS control device lol....what's VS stand for ?


Not readily available for 230 volt routers in europe. In any case a lot of routers sold over here are either variable speed or have a VS model

Regards

Phil


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

When I need to drill holes accurately on pieces that can't be put on a drill press I take the bit and drill through a wooden block on a drill press and use that to at least start the hole. If the drill press is plumb the hole in the wooden block will be plumb. I have used this method many times and it is very accurate. Lee Valley even sells drill bushings so that a block can be used for many holes without wearing out. 
Jim, I used this method with a long brad point bit through a piece of 4x4 to drill the holes for my bench dogs. I drilled the first 1/4" without the guide to locate the holes and then used the guide to bore out the majority of the rest. Much simpler than trying to use a router.


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