Drilling dog holes (by hand?)

[msparker]

I'm most of the way through building a small workbench for (mostly) hand tool projects in our spare room.

One of the last items is drilling a bunch of dog holes. I don't have the right drills for this so need to get something and am looking for some advice:

1) buy a brace and auger bits - I like this idea (gyms are closed!) but have no idea how to seek out bits in good working condition, perhaps a wanted add here? Any trusted used tool merchants?
2) buy a Forster bit in the right size - I don't have a drill guide and worry about straightness. Also the Axminster ones I have have cut very slowly and some have blued after very little use dispite drilling very slowly to try to keep them cool (maybe better quality bits would give a different experience)
3) I've seen mixed reviews of the armeg wood beaver bits... Seems like they might pull my arm off but might work well and are cheap and easy to get hold of

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[samhay]

I recommend star-m auger bits for this.
Designed to work in a battery drill, but can work ok in a brace too.
https://www.workshopheaven.com/star-m-japanese-f-type-bit-singles.html

 

[Awac]

I love my brace and bits, especially when drilling large holes or where control is required, but I also like my hand drill. If you are going to drill a lot of dog holes have you thought about a portable drill guide? Here are some generic photos downloaded from the internet. You can pay £15-£100, depends how much you think you might use it. If you still want the brace and bit route, go on ebay, buy some, learn to sharpen the bits. Use a square piece of wood next to your bit to judge drilling straight.

You get two types.

One that angles.

One that does not,

 

[billw]

My initial thought was to use a brace and auger bit, there's not really a lot of working parts that can go wrong in that solution either. Can take a nice slow approach too.

Drill guides aren't expensive and obviously have repeat use benefit, especially when you're as hopeless at drilling anything at 90 degrees as me, I have one from Banggood on its way, think it was about £20.

Or I might be loaning out my Parf MkII once I've finished using it in the short term.

 

[toolsntat]

I had great success in drilling vertical pilot holes ready to be enlarged with this the other day.
Cheers Andy

 

[Cabinetman]

Obviously it depends what sort of kit you’re going to be

using, for my holdfasts (gramercy) I needed a 19 mm hole and for holdfasts it isn’t hypercritical to the nth degree that it is vertical, I bought one of these from Screwfix Erbauer and used my big plug-in drill with a side handle – that’s important to save breaking your wrist, straight through 3 inch beech. Ian

 

[msparker]

Thanks for the comments. That star M bit from WH looks like it could be a good option. Sounds like there is general approval for the bit and brace route as well. I might post a wanted ad here and see if somebody has a set of auger bits... I slightly worry about getting something like that off eBay where you have no idea what state it's in

 

[msparker]

Update: unable to quickly source a brace and bit and with workshop heaven for the Star M bit closed up until the new year, I thought id try a woodbeaver 19mm auger bit and used it today.

I have to say I was blown away by how good it was! The holes aren't quite as clean as a Forstner bit, nor 100% vertical in all cases, but it's soooo fast and surprisingly controllable. I used it in a cordless drill on the lower speed and with the side handle on. But I also tried it with the impact driver and found it to be a good option, it doesn't try to torque you around in the same way. I also liked how it would lose its pull power as the snail emerged at the back side giving you an easy stop point to then flip over and finish from the other side avoiding breakout. Overall I'm very happy with the bit and would buy more sizes in the future. Just need to do 3 more holes on the back edge and put a little champfer on the holes and I'm more or less done with my mini workbench (no idea how I'm going to do that as I dont have a router but will work something out!).

Design is based on a Pask Makes vid I found on YouTube and I made it with hand tools only with the exception of the drill.

 

[thetyreman]

I was amazed at how clean the holes are with the star-M bits, I think it's the best bit I've ever used, so much so that I've wanted an entire set since getting the 19mm one that came with my simon james holdfasts.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

. I also liked how it would lose its pull power as the snail emerged at the back side giving you an easy stop point to then flip over and finish from the other side avoiding breakout.

Often it pays when drilling in from the underside to run the drill backwards until a decent line is scribed - it saves tearing that side out. Wood Beavers are brilliant but can be a bit aggresive.

 

[billw]

View attachment 99881

I'm currently building a mini bench and love that vice, having trouble finding one that I'm actually happy with - where did you get it from?

 

[msparker]

I'm currently building a mini bench and love that vice, having trouble finding one that I'm actually happy with - where did you get it from?

Its the large German made one (no more specifics than that) from dieter Schmidt fine tools. Is probably overkill size wise and a bit extravagant but it feels rock solid! Very little racking and has a really corse thread so moves very quickly which is useful when it's not quick release

 

[Jameshow]

Update: unable to quickly source a brace and bit and with workshop heaven for the Star M bit closed up until the new year, I thought id try a woodbeaver 19mm auger bit and used it today.

I have to say I was blown away by how good it was! The holes aren't quite as clean as a Forstner bit, nor 100% vertical in all cases, but it's soooo fast and surprisingly controllable. I used it in a cordless drill on the lower speed and with the side handle on. But I also tried it with the impact driver and found it to be a good option, it doesn't try to torque you around in the same way. I also liked how it would lose its pull power as the snail emerged at the back side giving you an easy stop point to then flip over and finish from the other side avoiding breakout. Overall I'm very happy with the bit and would buy more sizes in the future. Just need to do 3 more holes on the back edge and put a little champfer on the holes and I'm more or less done with my mini workbench (no idea how I'm going to do that as I dont have a router but will work something out!).

Design is based on a Pask Makes vid I found on YouTube and I made it with hand tools only with the exception of the drill.

View attachment 99881

Fantastic work bench.

Improvement on the workmate?

Where is the vice from?

Cheers James

 

[Phil Pascoe]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Awac]

Thanks for the comments. That star M bit from WH looks like it could be a good option. Sounds like there is general approval for the bit and brace route as well. I might post a wanted ad here and see if somebody has a set of auger bits... I slightly worry about getting something like that off eBay where you have no idea what state it's in

I was reading a pdf I had downloaded and came across this and thought of your post!

 

[msparker]

Fantastic work bench.

Improvement on the workmate?

Where is the vice from?

Cheers James

Vise is the large German made one from dieter Schmidt fine tools.

Vs workmate it's early days (drilled dog holes today and haven't fully finished yet) but...
+ Work holding is much much better, I hate clamping with the workmate
+ The back extends out on rails (it's a Pask Makes design) which gives you something like 90cm total clamping length between dogs which is a lot more than a workmate
+ Feels really solid and has some heft
- The thing you put it on has to be stable if you want to push it hard (e.g. hand planing), the desk I'm using isn't especially. I think I might screw it to the wall to solve this
- Harder to shift around in your room (you still need a good surface somewhere)
+/- it raises the work about 15cm. Good for dovetailing, bad for planing

I'm planning to use both the bench and the workmate in my very very modest spare bedroom workshop so can take advantage of the pros and cons of both. I don't think it's a full replacement

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi glad that drillbit did the trick, you say you want to chamfer the top of the holes a bit and thinking of using your router, I think that might be a bit much personally, I would just go round with a bit of sandpaper to take the sharpness of it. Ian

 

[msparker]

Hi glad that drillbit did the trick, you say you want to chamfer the top of the holes a bit and thinking of using your router, I think that might be a bit much personally, I would just go round with a bit of sandpaper to take the sharpness of it. Ian

Yeah thanks for the tip, it worked well! I don't have a router (working with hand tools for the most part as I'm just in the spare room of our flat) but think it would work well. Given I don't have one I have indeed just broken the edge with some sandpaper

 

[Jacob]

Obviously it depends what sort of kit you’re going to be View attachment 99604using, for my holdfasts (gramercy) I needed a 19 mm hole and for holdfasts it isn’t hypercritical to the nth degree that it is vertical, I bought one of these from Screwfix Erbauer and used my big plug-in drill with a side handle – that’s important to save breaking your wrist, straight through 3 inch beech. Ian

I've tried these and they blast through like a bullet - if the drill is powerful enough!
But auger bits are much more controllable and precise. Not that directional precision matters for dog holes anyway

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hi glad that drillbit did the trick, you say you want to chamfer the top of the holes a bit and thinking of using your router, I think that might be a bit much personal

I used a 3mm radius cutter, it was perfect for the job.