How to drill a straight line!!

Iggy · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:49 am

Ok.. I have had no success with drilling a straight line through any lenght of material over 1" thick. I am not sure if its my vision or my tools.. but I've missed the mark more often than I've hit it!

I have one more LONG hole to drill.. for my bow eye... which is about 5" thick as it has to pass through the width of my stem.

I need some tips... because other than 'eyeballing' I have no clue how to ensure I get a hole that starts at the front of my bow and ends up smack-dab in the middle of my 1 1/2" stem without drilling it 2 or 3 times!

How do you 'pros' line up these kinds of cuts, and how do you keep them bang on. With all those inboard shaft's being drilled.. there has to be a way I can do it sucessfully the first time.

ttownshaw · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:05 am

I used the string method. Tape a string some distance back along the center line...let's say 6' or so. I hold the other end of the string with the drill and eyeball the bit, drill, and string are all in the same line. Holding steading you can then move to a square to make your hole perpendicular to the surface as well. This worked well for me when I drilled the bow eye. All other holes I drilled by eyeball alone.

Iggy · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:28 pm

String is a great eye-dea... get it... get it!

Seriously, I think a string and an extra set of eyes (spotter) to help be line it up and keep it lined up is a good way to go!

Thanks!

Caber-Feidh · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:53 pm

I ghetto rigged a cheap laser pointer to the top of one of my cordless drills using a block of wood three hose clamps and a liberal application of duct tape.

The secret was getting aligned, and calibrating the distance ( the thickness of the block of wood) above the Chuck centerline.

It's still easy to drill a really really crooked hole, but it sure does make visualizing just how crooked it's going to be much easier.

Bill Edmundson · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:36 pm

I'm glad to see others have this problem. I'm going to try drilling a block on the drill press. then use that to start the hole square. Of coarse, I haven't faired my stem yet. After planking I drill from the inside out.

Bill

upspirate · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:25 pm

I thought of that Bill,however,I'd rather have the bolts come through to the inside off center,than the outside.

I pre-drilled a block on the drill press to fit my bow and ski eyes,and will hold them against the bow with angle aluminum bent to shape to drill proper at the bow, and take the angle pieces off to drill the transom.

I have free-handed in the past,and it works out OK,it just may not (and hasn't) come through perfect on the inside,but looks fine on the outside.

We free handed it when I was building professionally.

Bill Edmundson · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:54 pm

I was thinking way ahead! On the runabout I drilled after I was on the trailer and I used a U-bolt. It was a Pain... Right now I have a nice square face on the stem and stern post to work from. I can drill now then after planking, clean the hole back out.

I hope. :wink:

Bill

gdcarpenter · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:42 pm

1) Predrill on drill press if at all possible

2) Clamp framing squares or similar objects to the side of the stem to help guide your 'eye'

3) Start with a SMALL drill bit, if you are off there's less of a mishole to disguise later.

rbrandenstein · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:20 pm

I had trouble with this as well. I even used a drill press to pre-drill the holes in the stem for the carriage bolts and they didn't come though exactly on center.
I think the normal drill bits can wander, especially in plywood that isn't a uniform density.
When I drilled for my boweye, I used a brad point drill bit. This was easier to start on the tip of the faired stem and also was easier to control direction.
An alternative which I read about, but didn't try, is to drill about halfway with a smaller bit from both directions so the two holes meet. Then, using the final size bit, drill all the way through. The pre-drilled holes should guide the way.

pamelalynne1 · **Joined:** Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:55 pm **Posts:** 361

Just a thought. There are dowel drilling guides available, at reasonable prices. I just brought one up on Eagle America website that sets on a 90 degree corner. You can check your stem angle with a variable angle square and , if necessary cut a couple of wedges for each side to bring it to 90 degrees. Then just set the guide with the wedges against the stem and drill. The product includes a variety of bushing sizes. Most likely there are other options with dowel guides.

sschefer · **Posted:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:01 pm

Go here, get one of these. Simple and cheap. I use mine a lot for just the kind of stuff you're trying to do.

http://www.bing.com/shopping/general-to ... &FORM=HURE

leakcheck · **Posted:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 9:59 pm

I have one of those things that Steve has, don't think I ever used it, but I got it for helping with the TugBoat. Then, I let the plumber come out in me and I just started drilling holes when I needed too. I guess after thirty years of so you can drill a straight hole when you want or one with 1/4" pitch through a 4x4. I have made so many houses look like swiss cheese, that's how I learned! :roll:

(can't see it from MY house!)

Steve

The cheap way to do it would be to take a 2/4 on edge, pre-drill with a drill press as a guide hole and then mount it as a guide to whatever you are drilling. I actually saw a battery operated drill the other day with a built in level too!!!

adi21 · **Joined:** Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:31 pm **Posts:** 1

Thanks for share great ideas!!!

DaveLott · **Posted:** Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:08 am

upspirate wrote:

,I'd rather have the bolts come through to the inside off center,than the outside.

.

I held off drilling my bow eye until after I got my cutwater completed. I drilled from the inside and missed the mark coming out which caused me to have to refill the hole and do a repair job on the cutwater. After I installed the bow eye permanently in the cutwater, I had a guide hole to keep me on line. It worked perfectly drilling from the outside in.

My suggestion is anything that guides the drill bit square onto the stem works, ie, bow eye, guide block, etc. It does not have be far off the stem but it must be square.

To be honest, I wish I had thought of the string trick when I did my first bore.

Rational Root · **Posted:** Thu Sep 08, 2011 7:40 am

If you have a flat surface which at an odd angle, your eyes can deceive you.

Get a Cube of Wood, with as near as perfect 90 degree angles.

Tape it with a corner just beside your intended hole.

It's easy to keep the drill bit lined up to the corner edge of the cube.

D

Glen-L.com

How to drill a straight line!!

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