Thread: Crap for crap.

Josh,

Swing by if you can.

I might be able to salvage the 'hole issue' with my drill press, and some washer/collars that will compensate for larger holes (or, um, well mistakes )

C utz

Windcalmer, love your drawings and I got it... no clue how to exlain it to others, but I got it.

If you can make the holes a bit wider, then it won't matter that they are not 100% perpendicular to the scales.

My pivot holes are usually 2mm, and I use 1/16" rods.
This means that I always have .4 mm to spare.

I always drill the holes by hand, and haven't had any problems so far because the margin allows me to push the pins through, even if the holes are not 100% along the correct axis.

Windcalmer, I think I got it now. You actually explained both parts very well. A more experienced person just would have already understood the second part and not needed another sweet drawing like I did. I will try tonight to make a jig of my own, and if that goes awry I think I will take you up on the very helpful offer.

Chris, I will definitely swing by some time to see if we can repair my little...embellishment. Also, I got the tools and wood to try making a fresh set from scratch. I think I'll try to do that and come by sometime next week or weekend with both sets, if that works for you. I'm sure attempting a second set will yield more questions/mistakes that I can get advice on - cram more learning into one visit.

I've got one of these, but I'm not sure it goes small enough (or short enough). You might be able to adapt it. While looking for it I also found this which looks like it might work, but is, of course, more expensive and bigger.

The second option actually resembles the dremel drill press in price and appearance. The first option is pretty intriguing - basically a manufactured version of Windcalmer's jig. If it went down to 1/16 I'd be real excited. Certainly another option to consider if I can't whip up a jig that meets the fine architectural specifications above. (I'm just teasing! The pictures are great.)

One of my drill motors has a round bubble level on the back. Makes it easy to see when you're perpendicular. Of course, the scales need to be still flat and on a level work surface.
If you put in a 3/8 or 1/2 bit, and managed to get a nice perpendicular hole drilled in a chunk of 2x4 using the technique above, then you could glue a small level on the back of the drill motor in the right spot.

Originally Posted by fritz

One of my drill motors has a round bubble level on the back. Makes it easy to see when you're perpendicular. Of course, the scales need to be still flat and on a level work surface.
If you put in a 3/8 or 1/2 bit, and managed to get a nice perpendicular hole drilled in a chunk of 2x4 using the technique above, then you could glue a small level on the back of the drill motor in the right spot.

I actually tried to hold my small level on the drill as I drilled. I think a lot of my problems came from actually holding the scales. I don't have a real workbench so they were in a small vacuum base vice. That's what I like about the jig idea, it looks like it would aim me straight and also provide a backstop to drill into - all while holding the scales pretty well. I will probably use the level-on-the-drill idea as yet another check to ensure I'm drilling a good hole in the jig.

Some days I really hate having to go to work. The job isn't bad, but I want to try this thing out right now!

The first pic below is what I'm talking about. If you want to add one to your drill motor, you have to be sure it's "calibrated" before you glue it on.
The second picture is a thing I got at Sears many years ago. If you already have a drill motor, these things are a lot cheaper than a full-blown drill press.

I'll eventually get the dremel drill press, I think. It's pretty cheap and I already have the dremel. One of the constraints I'm working in is that I promised SWMBO that I wouldn't buy anything new unless it was with money I'd made selling some custom handled razors. I've got 2 or 3 that I will eventually have ready for sale - hopefully those will finance a dremel drill press and maybe a jeweler's anvil.

The 2x4 required for making a jig is one of those things that's so cheap (and more importanly cheap looking!) that it won't hit the radar.