Drill Press

Excerpt from my book

Build An Heirloom Rocking Horse

Once you have your dowels you need some drill bits. Since dowels vary in diameter you need to match your drill bit to the dowels you will be using. I use common high speed twist drills in a variety of sizes. Most hardware suppliers sell these bits in 1/16 inch increments. These won't do, so you may need to locate a more professional hardware store. You will be looking for letter size bits. These vary by only a few thousandths of an inch in diameter. I own sizes T, U, 3/8, V, W. This range seems to fit nearly any "3/8" dowel I've found.

I also regrind the drill points to produce a brad point. Master woodworker James Krenov says, "A simple way to make what we in Europe call a cabinetmaker's drill is to regrind an ordinary straight-shank metal drill. This may sound complicated but...you can easily produce drills with a sharp center spur and very sharp, clean-cutting edges." (The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking, page 133) A center spur or brad point reduces the chance of error. I use my belt sander to regrind my drills. Some supply houses are selling brad point drills in slightly under and over sizes today. Years ago I had to make my own and still do. It's much cheaper.

"The one grand stage where he enacted all his various parts so manifold was his vice bench; a long rude ponderous table furnished with several vices, of different sizes, and both of iron and wood....A belaying pin is found too large to be easily inserted into its hole: the carpenter claps it into one of his ever-ready vices, and straightway files it smaller...A sailor takes a fancy to wear shark-bone earrings: the carpenter drills his ears. Another has the toothache: the carpenter out pincers...whirling round the handle of his wooden vice, the carpenter signs him to clap his jaw in that, if he would have him draw his tooth. Thus, this carpenter was prepared at all points."

Moby Dick . . . Herman Melville