I’ve been looking (not very hard, but still…) for a depth stop I can use with various hand-powered drill bits, either twist bits in an egg-beater or auger bits in a brace. I’ve found various solutions, but almost all of them will slip up the bit as I drill holes, and were I to do something like a cribbage board, I would probably be no more than halfway through all the holes before the stop had crept up far enough that I was suddenly drilling through the back of the board.
The collar type seem to be most common, and particularly useless in my experience. If I can manage to find the collar, I’ve lost either the set screw or the Allen wrench for setting it. And if I actually have all the parts, I drill a dozen holes and notice that the last one is significantly deeper than the first, even if I used a T-handle Allen wrench to really crank down the stop screw.
Does anyone know of a nice drill bit depth stop that will stay where I put it?
sorry dave i havn't seen one, that works that is. whenever i need to drill hole at a precise depth i use the drill pres. if you find something post it 1
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Dave, The blue tape method is my favorite as HokieKen and MikeB said, fast and easy, BUT ........... You already have a great depth stop in your shop, scrap wood. Make a block of wood, sized to permit drilling a hole through it with the drill bit being used, then slip it on the bit, measure from tip to depth needed - mark the block, remove and cut so when installed only the desired depth dimension of the bit is exposed. Can't drill any deeper than desired, the block will see to that. Have a great day making holes.
PS: if you want this to stay on when drilling vertically, stick masking tape, or a toothpick in the hole for a tight fit. If you use a dowel in lieu of block, you won't even see it spinning. Good luck.
Thanks! I have no idea why I hadn’t thought of the scrap-wood depth stop, but that sounds pretty much perfect.
Masking tape for me always either gets packed with sawdust (drill-dust?) that’s come up the bit, or gets frayed because I didn’t stop quite soon enough or comes loose because I was an idiot and wrapped it the wrong way around the bit. Not on the first hole, but when I’m doing a lot of repetitive drilling, it always looks horrible and has moved a little by the end.
I use blue tape, wrap it around and tape the ends together creating a little flap. When the flap starts brushing the wood particles away I know to stop. The wood block is a good idea, it will also help to keep the bit perpendicular to your project.
"Duck and Bob would be out doin some farming with funny hats on." chrisstef
Like others have said the tape doesn't slip, however it also doesn't stop. A wood pattern would help keep you aligned, and could be tall enough to be a stop, but I think it would limit the overall size of the board to whatever sized layout you made. Something that was nimble and moveable would probably take up more time, than just watching for the tape to start sweeping shavings.
For something already made, possibly chuck up one of the "VIX" type bits, that had a large enough drill to suffice for the size of your peg hole. They definitely can limit depth, are pretty cheap, and can be had in 1/4" drive, or a straight shaft that could be chucked in most anything, or at least into a device that could be.
I have not tried an MF auger depth stop. Haven’t ever seen one in person, nor have I seen a Stanley.
Typically, I’m looking at 1/4 inch or larger, which means no VIX bit. I’ve wanted a depth stop on a bit as large as 1¾” in the past, usually in an attempt to keep the lead screw of the auger from poking out the back of a board.
Going to try buying a Stanley Number 49 auger bit depth stop off eBay. I saw a discussion on Lumberjocks where Kev said it worked better than the MF depth stop. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try the Stanley C575 depth stop, or maybe the MF, but I can buy three different Stanleys for the cost of one MF depth stop today.
Do with the scrap timber. For some reason ignoring Physics the drill bit always seems to have a mind of its own, when drilling precise depths it seems to refuse to cut, then all of a sudden it bites and ruins what your trying to do and then tries to drag the bit then the drill and you into the hole as well !!
Rob, I told you not to take photos while I am working.
Dave, this is an MF auger depth stop:
There is a [large] ball bearing that makes contact with the work to prevent drilling any further. The large wing nut clamps to the bit (above the flutes) and the bearing is adjusted to the appropriate height.
