Duh moment take 2

[poolhound]

There was obviously something in the air this weekend that caused stupid errors.

After yesterdays problems I made two stupid mistakes today. One thats merely cosmetic and the other is going to be a real PITA!!

Check out this photos and you will see what I mean



This is the top cabinet for the BT mobile base I am making and will house my router. I am sure you can see the extra set of biscuit slots that adds so beautifully to the design . Not really a problem but a pain nonetheless.

Can you figure out my big blunder? Well where are the holes to run the DC pipe into the middle section for the router?

I guess it was just getting late in the day and I wanted to get my glue up done and simply forgot to cut the holes in first. My intention was to run a pipe in from the back into the bottom corner of the right side of the center section.

Anybody got any clever ideas of how I can do this now its all glued up?

[Pappy]

If I am reading and looking corrctly, the router section is the same space with the decorative slots. If that is right, I can see 3 options.

1. Use a hole saw as close to the o.d. of your ducting as you can get and fine tune it with a drill mounted spindle sander. This could be either throug the partitions as you planned or in the bottom of the chamber and out the lower section of the back.

2. Cut out square sections on the partitions with beveled edges and glue in new 'plugs' with the holes in them for the ducts.

3. Put a 90 elbow in the bottom of the door or add a fixed section under the door.

No matter what you do, consider adding some way to channel the air flow/sawdust toward the pipe.

[poolhound]

If I am reading and looking corrctly, the router section is the same space with the decorative slots. If that is right, I can see 3 options.

1. Use a hole saw as close to the o.d. of your ducting as you can get and fine tune it with a drill mounted spindle sander. This could be either throug the partitions as you planned or in the bottom of the chamber and out the lower section of the back.

2. Cut out square sections on the partitions with beveled edges and glue in new 'plugs' with the holes in them for the ducts.

3. Put a 90 elbow in the bottom of the door or add a fixed section under the door.

No matter what you do, consider adding some way to channel the air flow/sawdust toward the pipe.

Yup that is the router section. I had been considering #1 and #3. I quite like the idea of #2. as the main issue I see is being able to accuratley cut any holes now its assembled the option of adding something escutcheon like has some advantages. It will let me rough cut the holes (may not have much choice) and then hide this by sticking something over it. It will also let me cut any holes for the pipe cleanly as I can do it on the DP.

Putting the DC into the door would be easy as I havent built it yet but would kinda ruin the whole concept and I had intended to tee it up to the fence from the back.

Cutting any type of hole in the back wont be too tough as I have full access. Cutting the hole in the inside section is going to be a pain as I have very little room to move or for tools.

[Uncle Cracker]

Cutting the hole in the inside section is going to be a pain as I have very little room to move or for tools.

Sounds like a job for the old right-angle drill and hole saw...

[poolhound]

Sounds like a job for the old right-angle drill and hole saw...

Thats what I thought except I dont have one

I have one of these but not sure it will have enough "oomph" to drive a hole saw, plus it doesnt have a regular chuck?

[footprintsinconc]

my o my, i've been gone several weeks and look to see another bt3 mobile base on its way.

looks good!! very nice. just viewed the diary, it looks like you are having fun. what are a few mistakes when you are having fun.

will have to try to keep watching.

[Uncle Cracker]

Thats what I thought except I dont have one

I have one of these but not sure it will have enough "oomph" to drive a hole saw, plus it doesnt have a regular chuck?

You're probably right about that... Have you thought about a right-angle adapter for your regular drill? HF has a couple cheap ones that I think can be had for around ten bucks, and both come with 3/8" keyless chuck. Try part numbers 96996 or 92187 (also 92188).

[LCHIEN]

is the top box removable from the bottom box? If so it would be easy to cut a hole in the bottom. So I'm thinking not.

[poolhound]

You're probably right about that... Have you thought about a right-angle adapter for your regular drill? HF has a couple cheap ones that I think can be had for around ten bucks, and both come with 3/8" keyless chuck. Try part numbers 96996 or 92187 (also 92188).

Good call, it looks like they have one currently on offer for 9.99

[poolhound]

is the top box removable from the bottom box? If so it would be easy to cut a hole in the bottom. So I'm thinking not.

Actually yes, however the bottom box already has drawers fitted so there is no room to run the pipe work. Thanks anyway.

[LCHIEN]

then you have to cut a hole in the back, looks easy enough.
You know the trick for cutting perfectly sized, perfectly round circles of like 4" when you only have fortsners to 2" or so?

You need a router, a bearing flush trim bit and a bearing rabbet bit like 1/4".
1 Cut the two inch hole with the forstner.
2 Use the rabbet bit to cut a 1/4" step all around the hole - 2.5" hole at the top with the ledge halfway down and 2" at the bottom.
3 The use the flush trip bit to bring the bottom of the hole flush with the top.
Now you have a perfect 2.5" hole.
repeat steps 2-3 to make a 3" hole
repeat steps 2-3 to make a 3.5" hole
repeat steps 2-3 to make a 4.0" hole.

if you start with a forstner of a non-even inch size 2-1/16th, you can get non-even inch final sizes like 4-1/16". You can also use rabbets of different sizes to get up to your final in more or less steps.

[chopnhack]

Haha, I love it! Very simple, and we all probably have those bits. Elegant solution Lchien, thank you!!

then you have to cut a hole in the back, looks easy enough.
You know the trick for cutting perfect circles of like 4" when you only have fortsners to 2" or so?

You need a router, a bearing flush trim bit and a bearing rabbet bit like 1/4".
1 Cut the two inch hole with the forstner.
2 Use the rabbet bit to cut a 1/4" step all around the hole - 2.5" hole at the top with the ledge halfway down and 2" at the bottom.
3 The use the flush trip bit to bring the bottom of the hole flush with the top.
Now you have a perfect 2.5" hole.
repeat steps 2-3 to make a 3" hole
repeat steps 2-3 to make a 3.5" hole
repeat steps 2-3 to make a 4.0" hole.

if you start with a forstner of a non-even inch size 2-1/16th, you can get non-even inch final sizes like 4-1/16". You can also use rabbets of different sizes to get up to your final in more or less steps.

[LCHIEN]

Haha, I love it! Very simple, and we all probably have those bits. Elegant solution Lchien, thank you!!

thanks, makes perfectly sized, perfectly round holes. Done it a few times.

[LarryG]

I'm thinking the real problem here is that Jon wants the hole in the back panel to be hard against the bottom panel of the compartment -- otherwise it's going to fill up with dust up to the bottom of the hole. That means the cutter (and the tool driving it) is going to run out of working room for roughly the bottom half of the hole.

I can think of a few ways to sorta-kinda get it done. None of them are pretty.

[LCHIEN]

I'm thinking the real problem here is that Jon wants the hole in the back panel to be hard against the bottom panel of the compartment -- otherwise it's going to fill up with dust up to the bottom of the hole. That means the cutter (and the tool driving it) is going to run out of working room for roughly the bottom half of the hole.

I can think of a few ways to sorta-kinda get it done. None of them are pretty.

you can make the hole from the outside, bcakside of the box.
Unless he has more permanently attached stuff there.
screws can be you friend if you forget to make cuts and put holes in stuff before assembling. Glue is not for people who need to take things apart.