Drill guide

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I am looking for ideas for a guide that will let me drill straight holes (~16-20 inches) using my power drill.I was thinking maybe some pipe would work as a guide for the drill and could slide up and down on another smaller diameter pipe...but can't really get the idea firmed up.This will be used to drill a hole through a log to make a set of lamps.Any ideas?Lincoln AC-225
Reply:A BIG DRILL PRESS but you got the right idea i guess you have a drill bit  long enough ?
Reply:LOL...Yeah I got a long bit from home depot and tried manually drilling through one of the logs using the bubble on the drill...came out at a weird angle on the other side...now I don't trust my ability to drill even with a bubble.I went to the store today and figured I could make a guide that slid up and down on pipe, but couldn't find any pipe whose outside diameter fit nicely in the inside diameter of the bigger pipe without wiggling around too much.Lincoln AC-225
Reply:you will  might think bout different  pipe  like sch 40  sch 60  an so-on pipe of the same thickness  wont fit tight, but pipe of different thickness should
Reply:That's a great idea. I'll check that out. I was checking black steel and galvanized...so the different schedule applies to steel, or only PVC?Lincoln AC-225
Reply:I'm just tossing an idea out but why not make a jig with to boards put together at 90 degrees.  Make legs for the jig so the boards stick up at 45 degrees.  now lay you lamp in the vee and improvise a mount for the drill in the vee.  Shim either the lamp stock or the drill so the bit is centered. if you can clamp the drill all you have to do move the stock into the bit.  You can draw some reference lines to align the the drill and bit so it's parallel to your jig.  You could also use some angle iron if you have some handy.DennisThermal Arc 185-TSWMillermatic Challenger 172VictorO/AAtlas Craftsman 12 by 24 LatheEsab PCM-875Wholesalem Tool Mill-Drill
Reply:That's an interesting idea Talishaft...hadn't thought of that. I always come up with ideas way too complicated, and they usually don't work. I'll draw that out and check it out. Thanks to you both.Lincoln AC-225
Reply:Tailshaft's idea is exactly what i was thinkingwhile reading the thread (i was thinking imediately of the angle iron though, didnt consider the boards in a jig) it seems to me what you want is a drill press, the next best thing would be a shadetree horizontal manual feed angle iron drillamabob. just make sure you securly mount your drill so it doesnt wander
Reply:or find someone with a lathe and a gundrill for the tailstock... ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:What if ya took a nice high power rifle, say a 30-06...an lay the log on it side....shoot a nice straight hole right thru it... or....make a lot of kindling
Reply:You don't mention what size or type of drill bit you are using.  For twist drills you can buy "drill bushings" in all standard fractional and numbered drill sizes from tool supply houses.  For example, check out http://www.kbctools.com/usa/main.cfm.These are hardened, precision sleeves that are intended to be a press fit into a drilling jig, but you could easily epoxy a couple in the ends of a piece of pipe or perhaps silver solder two of them to the inside corner of a length of angle.  Silver soldering would soften the metal, but you are not talking about production level usage.  As a random example, the bushings for a 1/2" drill are 3/4" O.D., and come in 1/4" through 3/4" length.  Cost is about $5 each.  I'd use two an inch or two apart to get superior guidance for the drill.Another approach that I have never used and have no opinion about is a drilling jig that consists of a base with a couple of guide rods and a head that slides up and down on the rods that carries a chuck in bearings.  You mount the base on your workpiece, the drill bit in the chuck on the head, and your drill motor to the drive spindle sticking out of the top of the head.  See the Grainger stock number 3ZH18 for $43.80.  This is the General Model 36/37.awright
Reply:Originally Posted by awrightYou don't mention what size or type of drill bit you are using.  For twist drills you can buy "drill bushings" in all standard fractional and numbered drill sizes from tool supply houses.  For example, check out http://www.kbctools.com/usa/main.cfm.
Reply:You will be limited by the jig travel.  You would have to use different length bits.  I would think once the hole was as deep as regular bit you could freehand the long bit using the starter hole (from the jig).  Only cost you 50 bucks or so to find out.DennisThermal Arc 185-TSWMillermatic Challenger 172VictorO/AAtlas Craftsman 12 by 24 LatheEsab PCM-875Wholesalem Tool Mill-Drill
Reply:Have you tried drilling from both ends?    If drilling 16" in a straight line doesn't work, maybe drilling 8" from each end would be easier?Another thought:   A while back, I made a cedar light post from a 8' long x +/-5" diameter section of a dead cedar tree.   I needed to run the wire down the center of the trunk so with a band saw, I cut the trunk in half lengthwise and then routed out a 1/2" grove in one half.   I aligned and glued the halves back together with Gorilla Glue and after removing the bark, you could not see the seam.There are no small projects
Reply:Frankly, the Grainger drill guide I cited looks a little flimsy to me.  However, I tend to over-design everything.Since you are not interested in drilling at an angle, it might not be too difficult to make your own base with much longer guide rods fixed at 90 degrees.If I was trying to do the same thing, I think I would just weld a piece of angle iron to a base plate at 90 degrees, screw the base to the square-cut end of the log, and use the angle as a visual/mechanical guide for manual alignment of the drill.  Wouldn't even bother with drill bushings.  Quick and dirty.You will probably find that a 16" drill bit wanders off line anyway, independent of the initial alignment, due to varying density of wood through the body of the log and the flexibility of the drill.You might find that a "ship auger," which is designed for deep hole drilling in wood, follows a straight line better than a standard twist drill.  You don't have to go to a ship chandler's.  You can probably find a 16" or longer one at a well-stocked local hardware store.awright
Reply:Originally Posted by teknitionWhat if ya took a nice high power rifle, say a 30-06...an lay the log on it side....shoot a nice straight hole right thru it... or....make a lot of kindling
Reply:Lots of great ideas from you all...thanks very much!Lincoln AC-225