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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on July 5, 2019 at 3:39am

i have seen some drills that have a bubble like on a spirit level. keep the bubble in the little circle and you are drilling a vertical hole...

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 6, 2019 at 6:32am

^^^This^^^

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 7, 2019 at 10:48am

Now that you an drill a straight hole here's something I've learned that's useful. Make yourself a drill guid for the hole size you need. 

First make a square out of a pice of scrap wood. Mark it to drill a center hole. Now measure out the size of that square piece of wood to center it above the hole you need to drill. Secure the guid down. Carefully drill your hold use the guid to hold your bit straight. 

I've also seen people use an inside corner to guid a drill. Glue two pieces of wood together to make a 90' inside corner. Then secure this to your work surface so the inside corner is positioned to guid your drill bit to the center of your hole. 

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 7, 2019 at 7:39pm

That corner piece as a guide is a great idea.

There's a drill size guide floating around on the net. For every size screw/bolt it will give you the pilot hole size and the through hole size.

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on July 8, 2019 at 9:59am

Good eye deer.

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Permalink Reply by Poorness Studios on July 9, 2019 at 3:09am

I may be stating the obvious here but I've found my vertical holes are more vertical if the object I'm drilling is down by my feet. If I try to drill something at waist level I end up being crooked 9 times out of 10. But there's something about getting my body over what I'm drilling that helps me keep it at 90 degrees. For what that's worth...

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on July 9, 2019 at 3:19am

• Makes sense to do it that way Poorness. Your way you can see all four directions as opposed to seeing only two at waist level.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on July 9, 2019 at 8:46am

Hi, so the answer is saw the legs off your bench.........or get a drill press, or one of those light duty drill press that you clamp your portable drill into. There's more uses for a proper drill press than just drilling a straight hole, a very useful addition to the workshop, I find.

Taff

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Permalink Reply by KOOL DOG HOOCH on July 14, 2019 at 12:01am

LOL Taff, I prefer wearing stilts. This is what I use, found in the black hole known as "storage" and cleaned it up. BTW I know the collar is on the wrong side, I didn't feel like taking it apart for a picture. I also have one for my dremel

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Permalink Reply by Fantacone Box Works on July 13, 2019 at 5:24pm

Ditto Taff.. a work buddy gave me this bench/powerdrill mounted press. I have seen these at estate sales for a couple dollars. Great cheap option. Great for holes and tuners

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on July 14, 2019 at 8:08am

You can also use them to press in frets or inserts for post type bridges and stoptail pieces.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on July 14, 2019 at 1:27pm

Hi Paul, yes, here's a pic of my fret press. There was a fair bit of modification needed on this one to get the downward pressure I needed, But it works fine.

It does not however have enough reach to get it to push bridge and tailpiece posts into a solid body though. I have to use my big drill press for that.

Taff

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