Using a Plunge router as a drill press

[jnesmith]

When I drilled dog holes in my bench, I made a simple jig out of mdf and a chunk of 2" x 6" so that I could use a hand drill and a spade bit.

1.) Root around in your offcut bin for a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" mdf or plywood that is about, oh, 12" x 16" more or less. This is your base.

2.) Cut a chunk of 2" x 6" equal to the width of the base, and screw it flush to the edges and end of the base.

3.) Mark your desired dog hole spacing for four dog holes that are parallel so that two are on the base, and two are on the piece of 2" x 6."

4.) Use your drill press and a 3/4" bit (or a bit the size of your bench dogs) and drill the holes in your jig. The holes in the 2" x 6" will be your guide for perpendicular holes. The holes in the base will be used for positioning.

5.) Clamp your jig to your bench so that the placement of your 2" x 6" holes are exactly where you want your first two dog holes. Drill them out with your hand drill and bit.

6.) Unclamp, advance your jig, and then use two dogs in the holes of the base and in the two dog holes you just drilled. This sets the spacing for the next set of dog holes.

7.) Drill the number of dog holes you want.

I have never drilled dog holes, but this approach makes the most sense to me. This is how I would do it. It seems simple, cheap, easy and accurate enough.

[Mr__Bill]

I haven't done dog holes in a bench but I have done mortises for the tendons of a railing along a long set of stairs, with a router. C-man is right, you really do have to clamp it to be sure. I used a guide the router's base fit in and had a plug of plexi with cross hairs on it that I used to align things with. When set the guide was clamped in place and the router replaced the plexi and I was set to go. I also found that the router had to set in the guide exactly the same way as the router base was not perfectly centered around the bit. As expected you have to have a vac there to keep the hole clean.

I think I would do dog holes in two or more steps. Drilling out with a smaller drill bit and then finishing with the router. Not having to cut the center of the hole with the router bit should make things go easier.

MLCS has an upcut 3/4 spiral bit that is 3.25 long that might make it through the bench top if not then a forstner bit to finish would work too.

good luck
Bill