How would you drill this? (blind, compound angle)

[Alex Franke]

My daughter turns 2 in just over a week, and I've stalled once again on her rocking horse. I've make this horse a couple times before, but I always get hung up at this point where I have to attach the legs to the rockers with uncomfortably long screws. In the end I just bite the bullet and do it, but it's always a real scare...

So this time I thought I'd ask if anyone has any tricks up their sleeves that might help with this. As you can see from this picture, the legs angle out and forward from the body, and of course the rocker makes it far from vertical. I have to pre-drill for a screw that goes up through the board and a couple inches deep into the leg. I've already marked the leg's position on the side of the board that I'm drilling into.

I can't really clamp the rocker to the legs either -- it's just sitting on them, positioned by little blocks that I have clamped down.

Any ideas?

[gsmittle]

What about putting a wooden handscrew clamp on the leg, then clamping that clamp to the rocker? Since the handscrew can clamp on an angle, that might help.

Or you might try an pocket hole in the leg, then plug it...

Otherwise, it beats the heck out of me....

g.

[Alex Franke]

You've just given me a great excuse to go get some hand screws!

Plus I think you also gave me a very workable idea.

I'm going to take some scrap plywood and cut out a notch for the board and clamp it to the leg. This way the plane of the leg/plywood extends to the other side of the board. I'll trace the outline of the leg onto the plywood, attach a guide block to the top and drill a guide hole into the guide block at the angle of the leg. Then re-clamp it to the leg, and use the guide hole for positioning.

If it works, I'll get a picture up.

Thanks for the idea!

[poolhound]

Alex,

You pretty much outlined what I was going to suggest. For things like this a guide block would be the best bet. I would drill through a square block thats longer than you need, then transfer the angle to the base of it and cut it. You can then insert a dowel or something through the hole and with the block placed on the leg you can check that the angle is correct. As you have cut the block over size you have some room for trial and error. Once you have the correct angle you can then trim the sq end if necessary.

[Alex Franke]

Yep -- turned out working like a charm!

I cut the notch in the wood, then clamped it up against the leg and traced the outline of the leg. I took it back off and drew a center line on the leg, attached a guide block, and drilled through it along the center line.

I made sure it was lined up properly by inserting a drill bit. Then I clamped it to the leg again, lined up the outline that I drew, and drilled away. This jig worked for two opposite legs, and I moved the guide block to the other side and re-aligned it for the other two legs.

I'm very pleased with the results! Thanks for the hints! This forum rocks.

Some pictures:

[Mr__Bill]

You've just given me a great excuse to go get some hand screws!

Alex if you go to the HF web site and print out the price pages for hand screw clamps your local HF will likely honor the price. As always, be sure they are up to your standards and work like they should, test each one. I have several and have been happy with them.

That's a great looking rocking horse. The other way that I have seen the rockers attached was to make hoofs on the end of the legs and then cut a slot for the rocker in the hoof and glue it it. That looks like a whole new desighn element tho.

hth, Bill