How do I drill a hole straight down a cylindrical piece of wood?

Question

I have a cylindrical piece of wood 2 inches diameter and 7" long. I want to drill a small hole straight down the length of it, right down the middle and out the opposite side -- just like it was a pipe. I don't have a lathe. I only have a 1' long drill bit, width? (I can't remember right now but let's just say its a typical drill bit width) and a handheld powerdrill. Everytime I do it by hand, it comes out the other side crooked.

Answer 1

Do you have any kind of a grip that wood hold the wood, as high as your electric drill is to "slide" it straight across the work bench drilling the hole?

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Use a piece of angle iron or make up as jig with a 90 angle out of wood Next place the round piece inside that jig and clamp it with C clamp then take two pieces of wood proper thickness so so that you will drill on dead center laying those into the angle also. Hold the drill against those two pieces and you will drill dead center right thru it. Key here is to get those two guide pieces right thickness. You can go 1/2 way and turn around that will also help.

Answer 4

I would make a "V" channel with wood 4 feet long or so. Lay the drill in the channel so it can slide down the length without wobbling (just like a train on a track)
Use a level to make the bit level and hold steady at level as you slide down the v. Use a square to check the horizontal line of travel. OK? Then support the dowel at the right height measuring the same way at the other end.

Or if you have an old fashion roller skate...fasten the drill on the skate making if firm when level and do basically the same thing as above.
Hope you get the drift

Answer 5

On a workbench or table, clamp 2 pieces of pipe to the top, side by side. Thickness doesn't really matter, but they should be as long as the wood you are drilling through, plus the length of the bit.

Now, Clamp the drill so that the bit is paralell to the pipes and positioned such that if you put the piece of wood, paralell and on top of the pipes where they meet, the drill bit is pointed at the center of the wood.

The bit should overlap the pipes for the bit's entire length. That will ensure that the wood stayes paralell, as you turn on the drill and push the wood toward it.

Answer 6

put a piece of tape on the drill bit 3 1/2" up the bit. Drill half way through - to the tape - turn cylinder over and drill to the tape. You should be thru. Careful, don't hold it with your hand when drilling. The bit might come out the side and injure.

Answer 7

The only two choices I can think of. One is to find a friend or a fixit shop with a lathe and have them drill it. The other is to saw it down the middle so you have the two halves of the cylinder, cut a grove in both flat sides (each being half of the hole), and then glue it back together to form the full hole.

Answer 8

Find a local wood working shop with a drill press. Go in the shop (NOT THE FRONT DESK) and ask somebody if they can drill a hole on the drill press for you, if you are nice about it they might do it for you for FREE....

Answer 9

a drill press with the wood piece clamped firmly and straight up and down. use a level

Answer 10

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