# Need help to bore a hole in a long dowel



## bbutterfield (Feb 2, 2012)

I have to bore a perfectly straight hole in the center of a 3/4" dowel that is almost 4 feet long. My first two efforts were miserable failures. The hole just isn't straight enough. Any ideas? I have a basic shop, but no drill press (not that it would allow a 4 foot long dowel to be worked on if I had one). I can't be the first to have tackled this and I am not too proud to ask for help. Brad in Richmond.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

You got me. What's it for?


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Mount a router with the correct diameter straight bit cutter that you want your hole to be. Nail two cleats side by side of dowel like a channel. Center router at end centered and clamp it down nail another board on top of cleats like a tunnel that's snug around dowel. Then just push dowel forward into bit. You didn't say how deep you needed hole

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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

He said 4 feet.....Hopefully not that long. 
Maybe a ships auger bit. But I don't know if they come that small.


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Dominick said:


> He said 4 feet.....Hopefully not that long.
> Maybe a ships auger bit. But I don't know if they come that small. :thinking:


He said the Dowel was 4'not the depth of hole. Gotta pay attention lol

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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

MastersHand said:


> He said the Dowel was 4'not the depth of hole. Gotta pay attention lol
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


He doesn't even say how deep of a hole he wants. I'm just going by his post saying its 4' gotta pay attention. Lol


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## MastersHand (Nov 28, 2010)

Dominick said:


> He doesn't even say how deep of a hole he wants. I'm just going by his post saying its 4' gotta pay attention. Lol


The Dowel is 4'. He did not say the depth of hole is my point. Who's on first

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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

MastersHand said:


> The Dowel is 4'. He did not say the depth of hole is my point. _*Who's on first*_
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


I don't give a damn... :laughing: I loved that bit when I was growing up. Surprised a young man knows about it.

I'm thinking that some kind of device to hold the drill is needed along with something to keep the dowel in line with the bit.. Then slowly push the dowel against it.


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## Lancer33 (Dec 9, 2011)

Best bet would be a lathe.


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## RetiredLE (Jan 20, 2011)

If the hole is not too deep I would try using a hole saw similar as to what is shown in the attached photo that is just a bit wider than the diameter of the dowel rod. The dowel rod will center itself inside the hole saw and the drill bit will drill the hole. You want the dowel to seat snugly inside the bore of the hole saw - but not so tight as to where it will bind. You may have to grind off the teeth on the hole saw to prevent it from gouging the exterior of the dowel however.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

"Deep hole" or "Gundrilling" is a deep subject(ha)....the equip to do so is,more often than not....inhouse or purpose built for specific applications.Their engineering...heck,just describing the opperations are IMO,a touch out of the scope of a internet forum.


But,thats deephole....if you're just havin problems with the cntring part on say a 1/4" hole,1 or so inches deep...try this:

With a 3/4" speedbore(spade)bit....drill a hole in a block of hdwd(Maple or any nice tightgrained wood...not Oak).Say a 2" thick block....4"x4".Drill the hole 'bout half or three quarters the way through.Then using speedbores "pilot" or leade as a guide....chase the hole the rest of the way through with,whatever sized drill thats suits,through the 2" direction.In the example above it was a 1/4" drill.

I'd check the fit on a cpl test pcs before setting up the final fixture/jig.IOWs....you need to test how those dowels fit in that 3/4" speedbore hole.You "may" have to grind just a cpl .001's off this bits edges to get a good working clearance on dowels......check a bunch of dowels as their diam is in question here as well.


Now,just shove a dowel in.....and with appropriate drill(1/4" or whatever)run it in the end.The above is just one way.....can think of 1/2 dz or so.A lathe with an appropriate "through hole" would be right spiffy?Good luck,BW


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## HandToolGuy (Dec 10, 2011)

Maybe the answer is to drill the hole first and the build the dowel around it? Don't laugh yet: I just saw an article about using a jig and a handplane to turn a square piece of wood into a dowel.


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## Pauley (Jan 21, 2012)

One it could be done would be to use a bandsaw and cut the dowel in half... Length-wise, the with a router table rout a groove in both halves, then glue together.... Perfect straight hole in a four foot dowel...

Author: The Other Casualty Of War


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

HandToolGuy said:


> Maybe the answer is to drill the hole first and the build the dowel around it? Don't laugh yet: I just saw an article about using a jig and a handplane to turn a square piece of wood into a dowel.


Now thats funny :laughing:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Pauley said:


> One it could be done would be to use a bandsaw and cut the dowel in half... Length-wise, the with a router table rout a groove in both halves, then glue together.... Perfect straight hole in a four foot dowel...
> 
> Author: The Other Casualty Of War


Now that's even funnier :laughing:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

MastersHand said:


> The Dowel is 4'. He did not say the depth of hole is my point. Who's on first
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wood Forum


I guess we will never know :laughing: until the OP comes back with a reply. 
And Also I'm on first. Lol


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

Pauley said:


> One it could be done would be to use a bandsaw and cut the dowel in half... Length-wise, the with a router table rout a groove in both halves, then glue together.... Perfect straight hole in a four foot dowel...
> 
> Author: The Other Casualty Of War


This is the only way I could think of :blink:


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## 27207 (Jan 25, 2012)

Pauley said:


> One it could be done would be to use a bandsaw and cut the dowel in half... Length-wise, the with a router table rout a groove in both halves, then glue together.... Perfect straight hole in a four foot dowel...
> 
> Author: The Other Casualty Of War


This was my thought too. You can use a cove bit to get the round hole in the end product.


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## bbutterfield (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks to all who responded. I am overwhelmed with the number of ideas. The project is a cake platform for my wife who is getting into the wedding cake business. I am putting a long dowel through the middle of a series of decreasing diameter MDF cicles to keep them from shifting side to side. I managed to complete the project using another method than actually drilling a hole in the dowel. 

My shop increased by one tool this week: a 14" 40's era Delta band saw, lovingly restored and in peak condition. I'm looking for a used drill press, preferably a floor model, to complete my current shopping list. Then it's on to making some shop-made jigs, tables and fences. 

Can't wait to actually start turning out some decent projects. 
:thumbsup:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Well I'm glad you got it takin care of because your OP caused a lot of confusion here and were never confused lol yea right. Hope to see pics of the cake & project. Whew..... Thank god that's over. 
Now I can sleep.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

Cake stand hey? I made a cupcake stand for the cake maker we used for our wedding... sounds like what you are making? I used ABS pipe as the stands with ready rod through the entire assembly... I'll post a photo...


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

here is a few photos... the rounds are plywood laminated with gloss black laminate, The ABS is painted.


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

I've got to ask and I'm sure others are just as curious as I am. We're you talking on your original post of drilling a hole all the way threw a 3/4" dowel 4 feet long or no? Just curious that's all.
This is for bbutterfield


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## GROOVY (Apr 27, 2008)

SO how deep did you want the hole you did not need.......? I have had success with a #2 center drill drilling end grain dowel stock in cherry and poplar .... tighter grain worked better


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