Drill straight with a hand drill?

[hahalj]

Maybe a slightly strange question :x, but does anyone have a good trick for drilling exactly straight 90° in all directions through a wooden post with a handheld drill?

I need to mount posts on piers with through bolts and want to be sure I meet the hole in the pier metal on the opposite side, if you understand... the pier metals are leveled and sit exactly opposite each other, the post is 135 mm thick so a small angle error can make me miss the hole in the pier metal and then the post won't be straight...

It might be obvious to some how to do it, but not to me... right now...

 

[Immobil]

Drill halfway into the post from one side, then drill through from the other side. It usually works unusually well, actually.
If you're very unsure, you can hold/attach a square next to the drill and align it by eye. But you should drill from both sides anyway. Good luck!

 

[hahalj]

There you go, the solution is often simpler than you think. Thanks!

 

[mexitegel]

Make a guide piece/drill template, i.e., a slightly thicker piece of wood with a hole in the same dimension as you are going to drill that is perpendicular.

 

[Mikael_L]

This one:
http://www.wolfcraft.de/jcatalog_generated/en/products/product_groups/857_product.html


I've been wanting to buy for a long time.
Available at Bauhaus, among others.

 

[hahalj]

Ouch, that looked expensive. Going to drill 6 holes, the question is if it's justified?

The guide bit seems good as a simple tool!

 

[Mikael_L]

Yes, about 500:- if I remember correctly. There's a reason I haven't bought it yet.

I realize that I will surely make use of one now and then during life, so in the end, it probably won't have cost so many kronor / hole.

 

[hahalj]

Jula has something similar: http://www.jula.se/borrmaskinsstativ-drill-easy-139558

Or this might be a budget option: http://www.jula.se/stodhandtag-for-borrmaskin-123558

 

[raveper]

Make a guide piece/drilling template, i.e. a slightly thicker piece of wood with a hole in the same dimension you're going to drill and which is perpendicular.

How do you make the hole straight in the guide piece then? Do you need another guide piece from the start then or?

 

[Immobil]

One borrows a pillar drill from a kind craft teacher. )

 

[mexitegel]

How do you drill the hole straight in the guide piece then? Do you need a different guide piece from the start or?

You can do that . Otherwise, an angle is quite a good tool for it.

 

[mycke_nu]

I recall it took two try squares and two classmates in woodwork.

And a brace.

 

[PCLarsson]

Place the drill in the material and put a small mirror right next to the drill. You will easily see if you are going to drill straight or not; the mirror will make you see a "break" on the drill if you angle it incorrectly.

Feel free to do this on a piece you will use as a drill template so you won't have to use the mirror for every hole going forward.

 

[Helioz]

A drill guide also works, a bit cheaper than a stand:
http://www.clasohlson.se/Product/Product.aspx?id=162468674

 

[Johan Gunverth]

Otherwise, the trick with a mirror should not be forgotten