Why is there not a cheap version of this?

[Rorschach]

This strikes me as an ideal tool for a cheap chinese knockoff, especially considering the price of the original is eye watering for what it is.
Why can't I find something similar that is affordable? :roll: :lol:

 

[Inspector]

Try Aliexpress and search V bit drill guide. Vary the search a little for variations. Most of them seem to be metric but finding fractional bushings or making them should be possible.
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?ca ... _new_app=y

Pete

 

[Rorschach]

Try Aliexpress and search V bit drill guide. Vary the search a little for variations. Most of them seem to be metric but finding fractional bushings or making them should be possible.
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?ca ... _new_app=y

Pete

Yeah I found some like that, bit limited on their sizes unfortunately, most only seem to do 5 sizes or so. Still seem expensive too, probably because they have multiple parts. The gator one is super simple, one piece of metal with a bunch of holes in it. I bought a multi part high quality router circle jig for 1/3rd of the price of a small steel block of holes.

 

[transatlantic]

When you say eye watering, how much did you see it for? I've seen it for around £30 to £40, which isn't that much if it's accurate and well built.

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-too ... nds+dk7777

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+v-drill-g ... 5mm+DK7017

https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-too ... ands+1362m

 

[Inspector]

Even less from eBay including shipping from the USA but that doesn't include any import fees Her Majesty might want.

You can hope a Chinese company makes a knockoff for the price of a pint or two but would it have the same quality? If we loose the ability to make even the smallest things in the Western World who among us will be able to afford even the knockoffs? Sorry that one nudges politics. :wink:

 

[Rorschach]

I had seen it close to £50 once you included all the fees etc. Seemed a lot of money to me.

I am sure it is very well made but something you use with hand drill is never going to be super accurate so it is probably over engineered for it's intended purpose.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting to pick one up for a fiver, but £15 or so seemed reasonable to me. That Rutlands one is more what I would expect, just needs some more holes.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

For sake of disclosure, I own a powder metal part fabricating plant. From looking at that part, I believe it is made from powdered metal. Tooling for a part like that, would cost in the range of $15,000 to $20,000 American. To make that part, would cost about $2.50, including heat treating to 60 to 62 HRc, with each through hole's tolerance +/- .0015".

I've seen similar knock-offs of that tool far, far cheaper, and not having handled one, I have no idea of the through hole tolerancing-one would not want a lot of slop in drill guides. All in all, this would be an easy tool to make (for a manufacturer, like me).

 

[Inspector]

Tony if you made a thousand you would still have $22.50 each not including your overhead and wages, any profit which you would deserve, shipping, marketing etc. Even 10,000 units would still cost $4.50 each in materials. As a businessman would it make sense for you on what would be a low volume seller?

I have a mill so If I wanted one I could make my own for the sizes I needed, obviously for a lot more money though.

Pete

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

The risk is the uncertainty of tying up capital on speculation of future sales and potentially someone else entering the market with something cheaper.

Honestly, I have often thought about making items such as this, but have never gone beyond that. Our market is in car parts, and 80% of new cars, have parts in them we make.

 

[ED65]

I don't know these, are they guides to ensure a hole is drilled square in a dowel or other cylindrical piece? There are multiple other ways to accomplish that goal (not merely to the tolerances needed for woodwork) so really who even needs a cheap one?

The simplest guide I know of is made from two pieces of wood with bevelled edges (one length sawn in half) glued together offset to leave a step the bit rides in, excess length giving room to get a clamp on the jig. Perhaps a two-minute job to make one if you have a table saw and glue it together with superglue, maybe 10 minutes using only hand tools.

 

[transatlantic]

I don't know these, are they guides to ensure a hole is drilled square in a dowel or other cylindrical piece? There are multiple other ways to accomplish that goal (not merely to the tolerances needed for woodwork) so really who even needs a cheap one?

The simplest guide I know of is made from two pieces of wood with bevelled edges (one length sawn in half) glued together offset to leave a step the bit rides in, excess length giving room to get a clamp on the jig. Perhaps a two-minute job to make one if you have a table saw and glue it together with superglue, maybe 10 minutes using only hand tools.

I think the problem with those is that they wear. I gave up on wooden dowel jigs for that reason and moved to bushings

 

[Rorschach]

I don't know these, are they guides to ensure a hole is drilled square in a dowel or other cylindrical piece? There are multiple other ways to accomplish that goal (not merely to the tolerances needed for woodwork) so really who even needs a cheap one?

The simplest guide I know of is made from two pieces of wood with bevelled edges (one length sawn in half) glued together offset to leave a step the bit rides in, excess length giving room to get a clamp on the jig. Perhaps a two-minute job to make one if you have a table saw and glue it together with superglue, maybe 10 minutes using only hand tools.

Yes you are correct and I can, and have, make up a jig to do the job. But the jigs are for one size, and they don't last very long.
A tool like this will last for years and can be used outside of the workshop for drilling and tapping holes. I quite often need to drill a perpendicular hole using a cordless drill, a tool like this would be a very handy addition to my tool bag.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

What I suspect to be the material and process used could easily result in HRc 62 for the jig.

 

[ED65]

I think the problem with those is that they wear.

Yeah that is in the nature of an all-wood jig. With the type I described the wear is slow though, but if desired one could be faced with steel using corner brackets, for an additional cost of about 20p and maybe five minutes' extra workshop time. This may not be enough for a heavy pro user because brackets like this are only mild steel but good enough for the home workshop certainly, would probably last indefinitely with occasional use given how long the wood-only ones last.

 

[Rorschach]

I think the problem with those is that they wear.

Yeah that is in the nature of an all-wood jig. With the type I described the wear is slow though, but if desired one could be faced with steel using corner brackets, for an additional cost of about 20p and maybe five minutes' extra workshop time. This may not be enough for a heavy pro user because brackets like this are only mild steel but good enough for the home workshop certainly, would probably last indefinitely with occasional use given how long the wood-only ones last.

Probably would last a decent amount of time with steel faces but probably not as accurate as the jig I mention. For my needs I would be doing a lot of tapping too and the jig you describe is not so good for that.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

Why don't you build a jig per sizes you need, combining wood, with a drill bushing? Drill bushings readily available (at least here in the states, for about $3 -$5.00 American). I believe Lee Valley offers drill bushings.

 

[John Brown]

I have one, if you press the button it switches between imperial and metric.