I saw that Brownell's sells a piloted tool for this. Problem with me is that I do not have drills larger than 1/2".
What do you Use to Drill out Holes for Pillars?
- Thread starter centershot
- Start date
The tool you want is called a "spot facer"....the pilot is interchangeable. You order the outside diameter of the tool to be the same as the pillar plus some clearance for the glue and you order the pilot the same size as the holes in the stock now. Many tool suppliers have spot facers...MSC or Enco have them. I would suggest google for the best price. These tools can be expensive if it's approved for use on the space shuttle or you should be able to find one that is reasonable. Might be Chinese, but as long as it is made out of high speed steel it will last a long time and work just fine on wood. They are really designed to be used on a mill and are primarily used in the aircraft industry, but that don't stop you from chucking one in a hand drill and having at your stock. Drill press is better if you can level up the stock. Good luck.
Edit: sorry, I forgot to say that the shafts come in different sizes. many of the ones I have/have seen have the dual size shaft....it reduces down on the end to like 1/4" but the main part is 1/2". Shaft size kind of matches how big in diameter it cuts on the O.D. Also, the shaft is typically a little bigger than it seems like it would need to be because it is drilled thru for the pilot. If you break a pilot you can use a small piece of metal rod or bar to drive the pilot stem out. Otherwise you would have to toss the cutter.
Edit: sorry, I forgot to say that the shafts come in different sizes. many of the ones I have/have seen have the dual size shaft....it reduces down on the end to like 1/4" but the main part is 1/2". Shaft size kind of matches how big in diameter it cuts on the O.D. Also, the shaft is typically a little bigger than it seems like it would need to be because it is drilled thru for the pilot. If you break a pilot you can use a small piece of metal rod or bar to drive the pilot stem out. Otherwise you would have to toss the cutter.
Blackthorn
Silver $$ Contributor
The pillars I use are 9/16" OD so I use a 9/16" Forsner drill bit. I buy them from Woodcraft. They have a 3/8" shank. Allows me to use either a hand held drill or my drill press.
Forsner bit here too. layout of pillars is critical too! best to use a jig.
Can you use a Forsner bit on a pre drilled hole? Do you have to first plug the existing hole with a dowel? I would think they are like using a spade bit.
No, in that they have a cutting edge that's most of the circumference of the bit they'll cut a far cleaner hole than a spade bit. Problem is when enlarging a hole already there there's nothing for the pilot to get a grip on to keep the bit centered until that outside edge gets fully into the workpiece.
In a drill press, with stock held firmly in a fixture that allows the stock to be positioned with the axis of the hole you want to enlarge on the same axis as the press's spindle, a Forstner bit should work just fine. Just go slow with the spindle feed until the bit's cutting edges are fully into the stock material.
I'd pick a bit dia. 1/16" over that of the pillar material I'd expect to use, so that there's 1/32" space available (more or less) around the pillar when in position.
Piloted counterbore -- 9/16" for a 1/2" pillar, with a 1/4" pilot to fit the hole in the stock. Works fine with a cordless hand drill. MSC carries them.
Last edited:
Piloted counterbore -- 9/16 for a 1/2" pillar, with a 1/4" pilot to fit the hole in the stock. Works fine with a cordless hand drill. MSC carries them.
Nice, but a bit too pricey for a one shot deal.
Blackthorn
Silver $$ Contributor
You can use a forsner to drill prexisting holes. Unlike a spade bit it will not catch on the wood. You do not have to plug the hole. It will cut right through..
Best bet is to use a drill press..
Plus I they are fairly inexpensive..
Blackthorn
Silver $$ Contributor
They are generally less than $20
If you really think you'll only use the piloted counterbore once, you can always re-sell it and recoup most of your money. I thought I was only going to use mine once, but between me and my shooting buddies it has been used dozens of times now.
I bore halfway through from each direction (top and bottom of the stock) to prevent tearout. Works like a champ with zero setup time.
Deleted old_dood
I've got a 5/8" piloted counterbore that I bought years ago to pillarbed some 40X's using Score Hi pillars. It's a 1/2" shaft with a pilot that measures about .28". If you can use it send me a pm.
Last edited by a moderator:
Blackthorn
Silver $$ Contributor
Best advise you can get right there!!
JaoeyP
Silver $$ Contributor
This is what I did recently. Worked great. Stock ended up bedded very nicely.
Even better if you have a magnetic Machinists vice or can C-clamp the Machinist vice to the drill table
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.