How to drill a perpendicular hole?

[rogersmithiii]

I had to drill a hole through a telephone pole with a Milwaukee 1/2 inch hole hawg.

I thought I had the 12 inch bit straight, but it ended up drilling through on an angle.

Other than using some sort of a drill press thing, or awkwardly holding a square against the bit, how do you insure that your bit is 90 degrees off what you are drilling, and not at an angle?

Thanks

 

[nadogail]

Attach a level to your drill.

 

[ckeboss]

You can use a drill guide. Many different types.

 

[shawhite]

Practice lots and lots of practice. Question is how close to perpendicular do you need said hole?

hold your drill sideways usually helps.

 

[The Cobbler]

lay a board on the ground or nail it to the post . use that to line up your drill . for horizontal use a level

 

[LeeG]

Take an off cut of some 4" or 6" angle iron about 1-2" wide. Use a large zip tie to hold it to the pole (or drill a hole in it and screw it to the pole). Gives you a visual reference on the two critical angles. After a while, you can do it by eye pretty well.

 

[subroc]

I would make a fixture. A simple one night be a 4x4 with a couple 45deg cut in one side to form a 90deg and a perpendicular hole drilled on a drill press. Bring it to the pole and you are ready to drill.

If I was going to use it for several holes, I might insert a metal sleeve in the hole.

 

[ezridr60]

Buy a drill motor with a built in bubble level. I’ve got a corded DeWalt, DW106 but it’s only going to keep you relatively level in one plane. Vertically, you’ll still have to eyeball the horizontal plane.

 

[shawhite]

It also depends if the lineman eyeballed the pole straight because we don’t put a level on them.

 

[RTM]

If you hang a ring on the shaft of the drill bit, when you are level the ring will stay in one place, not advancing or retracting.

you can get and stay square with a guide like others have mentioned above. A portalign probably won’t do it on a telephone pole. A 4x4 pre drilled square, then curved to the telephone pole diameter might work.

 

[Cruzan80]

Just saw this in a video, think it may help if it was level but not 90 to the pole.

Centre Finder for Drill by DAgent

Easy to use round bar centre finderAccurately and quickly locates center of round work piece.How to use round bar centre finder:Simple to use, just place tool in drill chuck or collets, line up pointer to scribed line on Shaft.Requires M4 (or similar) bolt/screw/cap screw

www.thingiverse.com

 

[dogdog]

I thought they have something like this with the drill guides I have seen but aparently not. but this should work also. or make something with V shape object. ? Probably a buddy owning a milling machine and a welder is super handy right now.

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[shawhite]

Guys he is drilling a hole in a utility pole he can’t need too much precision. OP what is the project?

 

[rogersmithiii]

Guys he is drilling a hole in a utility pole he can’t need too much precision. OP what is the project?

Sunk two pole butts to hang farm gates.

 

[HenryAZ]

Not precision accurate, but I just eyeball the bit that there is no left-right lean, then turn my head 90* and eyeball left-right lean again. Repeat during the drilling process. I can get very close to 90* this way.

 

[rogersmithiii]

Guys he is drilling a hole in a utility pole he can’t need too much precision. OP what is the project?

I also have this problem with drilling holes in framing lumber to make dollies, tables, shelving. The holes end up being at an angle.

 

[Shiftless]

If the end is cut off square, I sometimes measure down from the end on each side of the proposed through hole and drill halfway through from each side. Holes meet in the middle or close to the middle and then you have a perpendicular hole.

 

[four.cycle]

Big Gator / Big Gator Tools, 35704 Metcalf Rd., Louisburg, KS 66053 / https://biggatortools.com/ / est. 2005 / drill and tap guides / patent 7131796 Nov 7 2006 Bruce P. Rooney /

"Guys he is drilling a hole in a utility pole he can’t need too much precision."

Years ago, when I was building a treehouse for the boys, I had to drill a 3/4" diameter hole about 8 inches deep into an Oregon Ash tree so I could pin the treehouse to the tree with a 7/8" x 12" lag screw. I just set my little Stanley 6-inch level on top of the drill motor and eyeballed it. Worked fine.

 

[tarbellb]

You need a guide plain and simple

Many ways to do it, typically a block with a pre drilled hole or a triangle(s) attached to said piece

Both are easy to fashion, or you can run a string line, or just squeeze and pray

 

[MongoTA]

I had to drill a hole through a telephone pole with a Milwaukee 1/2 inch hole hawg.

I thought I had the 12 inch bit straight, but it ended up drilling through on an angle.

Other than using some sort of a drill press thing, or awkwardly holding a square against the bit, how do you insure that your bit is 90 degrees off what you are drilling, and not at an angle?

Thanks

Clamp a long stick to the post and align it with your desired hole, then reference the centerline of your drill and drill bit off of that.

Drill in, then pull out to clear the chips. Then dig in again. Clearing the chips will allow the bit to follow the target line better than just plowing through a dirty hole.

If the grain of the wood pushes the bit off when starting the hole, you have the freedom to manipulate the drill however you need, then realign with your guide stick to continue.

 

[Slednut]

A lot of poles have a slight taper, have another person eyeball it for you.

 

[4xdog]

You could have borrowed my dad's old circa 1980 Black & Decker drill guide. I kept this one -- probably a gift from me and my brother -- when I cleaned out their estate.

 

[mike93lx]

I either use a framing square or a torpedo level. Start the bit, check for square, go a little more, adjust as needed and send it

 

[Walkers]

You could also just level out a, maybe, .308 barrel, shoot it straight through, and follow with a drill.