# Help finding Centering drill jig for round profile



## ehakio (Nov 1, 2015)

Hello,

If anyone has great idea how to make or where to buy jig for centering drill to end of round profile. 

Theres lot of applications to center drill to side of profile but I havent found any to center to the end of profile. 

Here is picture what im trying to create. 









Or if anyone has some other great idea to efficiently center the drill to the end of profile. Problem is also that these profiles are about 3m long.
I have tried to create jig with cnc but the diameter of profile is not always the same, there are 0,5-1mm difference between different profiles so jig isn't tight. 

Any ideas?


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=43205&cat=1,330,49237&ap=1


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## sweet willy (Jul 17, 2013)

I have one of these that I've used for the last 5 or 6 years. Works perfect every time for any stock under 5" or 6".
http://www.rockler.com/stock-center-finder


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*or make one*

I always used something like this:









or this:


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

There are a lot of different ways to mark the center of round stock however when it comes down to drilling the hole that gets difficult. I believe I would try mounting a wooden corner block to a doweling jig.


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## Tman1 (Jan 14, 2013)

Take a 2x4 and cut a slot in it. 

Then clamp it to your drill press table with the slot hanging off the edge of the table and your table rotated so that the slot is also roughly centered under the drill press. 

Next drill a hole through the 2x4 the diameter of the dowel you are putting the hole into. 

Put the dowel in the hole and clamp it in place. (The slot you cut earlier is what makes this work.

Now drill your perfectly centered hole. 

If pictures would be helpful, let me know and I can try to post them tonight.


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## ehakio (Nov 1, 2015)

Thanks for all the replies!

Yeah the problem is not finding the center of the stock but drilling to it so that its fast to produce. Ill need to make some jig myself because i think that theres not much options at the market. Maybe its just too weird need so nobody hasn't made a jig for this.
Now i have used jig made from MDF but its not good because the hole isn't tight for the drill after few drills.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*a few questions....*

What's the diameter of the pieces?

Will a pipe cap slide over the end without any play.?
If so, drill a hole in the center of the pipe cap and use that as a "jig".

What are you using to drill the holes... a drill press? If so, you can make a "V" type jig that mounts to the table with the V running vertically, so that each piece will "self center" and locate at the same point, once you set it up. Then there is no need to mark each piece.

If the pieces are all identically the same diameter, then a machine shop can make a slide on jig like the pipe cap for mass production numbers. Obviously, a lathe with a large center bore would be the best method, but too slow for production. 

A self locating jig and a drill press will be the fastest and easiest:


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I guess it depends on the diameter of the dowels, if they would pass through one of my automatic 3 jaw lathe chucks I would just fasten that to my drill press table in position so variation in diameter would not matter.


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## mtnwalton (Oct 12, 2013)

If you need accuracy in locating a center and don't have a machinist's wiggler, you can use a needle embedded in putty. Attached to the chuck, it will give you the exact center of the quill. Run on low speeds and run it true with your finger. An old machinist showed me this early in my apprenticeship. 

Of course your work will need to be clamped appropriately.


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## ehakio (Nov 1, 2015)

Hey,

Thanks for the great replies. I think im going to make something out of automatic lathe chuck. In my mind it seems like it works with different size profiles nicely. 

Now im drilling these with hand drill because the profiles needs to be on the table because of their length(3-4m).


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

ehakio said:


> Hey,
> 
> Thanks for the great replies. I think im going to make something out of automatic lathe chuck. In my mind it seems like it works with different size profiles nicely.
> 
> Now im drilling these with hand drill because the profiles needs to be on the table because of their length(3-4m).


I have an automatic 3 jaw chuck mounted on an L base that I use as a vise on my drill press or milling machine, so it works either vertically or horizontal. Once the chuck is centered to the bit any size round stock will be drilled dead center when used vertically.


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