How about a reasonably precise but affordable drill guide, eg from Milescraft? Not Woodpecker, but good enough for most of the 99,9% they talk about. Does not have the edge guide, but a clamped straight-edge should work.

 

Plenty of plans on-line, to make your own.

 

Woodpecker has better marching cnc quality.. I have a Harvard Freight $20 version very sloppy movement . Its ok .
I have a wen Drill press it is accurate. but can't afford a drill press with enough throat capacity for all needs.
Dill presses are hard to use on big projects.

 

Just received a response from Woodpecker not shipping until June 30

 

nice

 

No doubt the Woodpecker is better-made all round - would be outrageous if it wasn't, at that price. But just checked my Milescraft - total play about 1mm. More than enough for my needs, most of my bits are not perfectly concentric anyway, at least not after I re-sharpen them by eye. What I like about it, is that the guide shafts can be set at preset angles to the base, for angled drilling (my deceased Rockwell DP did not have an angle-adjustable table, hence the purchase of the drill guide).
In practice, I usually reach for an even simpler drill guide- a block of plastic with embedded hardened steel bushings (also by Milescraft, they are well-represented here).
At some point, Covid permitting, I want to get some of the LV bushings, to custom-make my own guides.

 

No doubt the Woodpecker is better-made all round - would be outrageous if it wasn't, at that price. But just checked my Milescraft - total play about 1mm. More than enough for my needs, most of my bits are not perfectly concentric anyway, at least not after I re-sharpen them by eye. What I like about it, is that the guide shafts can be set at preset angles to the base, for angled drilling (my deceased Rockwell DP did not have an angle-adjustable table, hence the purchase of the drill guide).
In practice, I usually reach for an even simpler drill guide- a block of plastic with embedded hardened steel bushings (also by Milescraft, they are well-represented here).
At some point, Covid permitting, I want to get some of the LV bushings, to custom-make my own guides.

This 12 speed drill press has been converted to a drill mill complete with slow feed and XY table enabling it to position and drill very accurate holes apart from light milling.

 

This kind of decision boils down to need and want versus budget. No doubt it will be extremely accurate and probably last a few lifetimes but is it worth it to you personally? How much is this tool likely to add to your work? Even a drill press isn't going to guarantee dead accurate holes. You still have to measure and then place the jig exactly where you need/want it but if you do that and have the fence spaced as you exactly need it it will drill a perpendicular hole...assuming your bit is straight. Just saying.....but if you do decide to get this then know they stand by their products 100% and have great customer service in my experience.

 

It's your dime, but I feel it looks unsteady. If I felt I needed a guide like that, I would weld one up from square steel tubing, and customize it anyway I wanted, it would cost a load of money less, and be as strong as a tank.

 

I just noticed your reference to welding up what you needed to get a job done. I like that attitude. Since retiring and selling my cabinet business, I've really enjoyed making more of my own tools and machines including some fairly big projects. I was able to buy an old 1970s Hobart 2 cyl. engine driven welder. After a lot of degunking and freeing up, and rewinding the engine's alternator, It runs fine and I've burned through over 50 lbs of welding rods on my projects and even hired out to do some heavy equipment work in the neighborhood.

But I guess this isn't the forum for welding enthusiasts.

Art

 

Had something like this, tossed it out. Have the larger WEN bench model drill press. It has a laser that helps align holes. No belt changes to change speed. Nice heavy duty chuck. Works best with an auxiliary table. I use some extruded L (2x2) aluminum for a fence. Have several WEN tools, very nice gear. Woodpecker stuff is very well made, but many items are kind of silly and overpriced.

I just use a set of drill guides when vertical is important, such as drilling out recessed holes along the narrow edge of a 3/4 truss to be screwed in under a table.

BTW, given the price $220, you can make a good down payment on the
WEN 4214 12-Inch Variable Speed Drill Press, which I predict you will love.

 

The Woodpeck guide does have the advantage of small size and can be taken to the work piece.

@DesertRatTom the Wen 4214 is one of the tools sold by different brands, I have the Menard version (under $200 if I recall right when I got it a year or so ago), Jet has the highest price I have seen for it. The tables are a different from one brand to another, hard to tell if the motors are the same or not.

I like mine, but wouldn't rave about it. On the noisy side for a DP, maybe not the most accurate, the smallest bit the chuck will grip is 1/8" 3mm. I could replace the chuck but I have an older/smaller DP (also sold under different brands).

 

Rant one thing I don't like about woodpecker is they do vapor sales product not ready for production and they get you excited about new product. Big lead times. You usually have to wait 30 days. This product has 5 month lead time.

 

For cabinet side line drilling, see the schmitt32. For general drilling and tapping, I'll need to upload photos of my quickly home made jig.

 

I'll try to get the photos loaded here.

It's just a rectangular box shaped thing that slides up and down over a vertical part screwed to a flat plate on the bottom. The junk screwed on the back acts as a counter weight, and the screen door spring holds it up when not in use. The brown floppy things are plastic shims that make it slide more smoothly. You need to find a drill with a round shaped gearbox extension behind the chuck so you can mount it in a home made clamp, made with a hole saw, or as I did using the clamp handle that came with this drill.

I've used it to drill and ream hundreds of holes, and to tap hundreds of holes from 8-32 to 1/2-13 thread. You can screw it to your workbench for working on small parts.

 

Pretty clever jig there schmitt32. Simplicity all the way. There may be a simple way to eliminate any side to side play if that's an issue, I donno? Thread a 7/16" hole for a 1/2 X 13 bolt to press against the column with a nylon slug at the end. It would also serve as a lock to hold the drill at a fixed point.

 

Thanks Billy.

That is a good idea and I'm sure it would add stability.

I originally built it to ream out 3/16 holes to 5mm in aluminum channels on earlier versions of my schmitt32 jig. Later I mounted a heavier duty drill for turning taps. The very small amount of slop in alignment has never been a problem in either of these operations.

 

I want to thank all for suggestions. I am not a fan of drill press . I think they are expensive and some cases limited by capacity because of budget . Also you cant take a drill press to assemble partially built. Throat depth on cheap drill press. I am thinking of modifying my cheap Harvard freight cheap jig similar to woodpecker. To get accuracy in a DIY build is hard. However I did buy a new wren drill press last summer. It did help a lot in drilling accuracy . But takes up a lot of room. My drill press does do double duty as also cart for air compressor ,

 

I am anxious we may get some good weather and be able to do little work this week. I bought a cheap new saw similar to Dewalt saw have the saw mount on a DIY roll around with extended top. May be able to finish and get some pictures.

 

When we build anything in wood. We start with general process the longer we practice these processes the easier they become. By learning new methods and better tools and jigs. Ultimately we want these process to become repeatable and improve accuracy. Some cases we can make jigs that work well. Table saw sled can be made in our shop and works well. Now dowel jig can be made but its hard to make a good shop made jig. So I bought a good jig accurate machined parts for easier repeatability.

 

Just spotted this on Amazon ( The Best Woodworking Drill Locator in 2021,Portable Precision Drilling Locator Adjustable Drilling Guide for DIY Furniture Connecting Position Hand Tools (Red): Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement ) at $42.99 ??????? . Maybe the decimal point is in the wrong position. Its an exact copy. It even has the Woodpeckers name on one of its pictures. This has to be a mistake or someone has broken patent laws or your typical Chinese knock off

 

Really, guys, My Schmitt32 line drill system is by far the most precise and fastest manual method of locating and drilling holes in cabinet parts for hinges, drawer slides, adjustable shelf pins and assembly fittings on the market. see my website. After assembly and a quick calibration, you can drill holes of various sizes to within a few thousandths of an inch of design spec. Trust me: It's nothing like my wooden drill alignment jig with the screen door spring.

Unfortunately it's comparatively expensive because we've not gone to China and mass produced them by the thousands, but are making them here in Wisconsin in small batches. My son does most of the CNC machine work. We have the long notched guide rail done at a shop a few miles away, who has a larger CNC machine. I do the final drilling and tapping, assembly, testing, boxing and shipping. Take a look.

Art Schmitt

 

Ad says Australia mail code . Looks like a scam . However did get an email that they started shipping today from woodpecker wasn't scheduled until next month.

 

Unfortunately I don't see the value of this for the shop. Not exactly cheap I used jigs made from wood many years ago that work today.

But this doesn't mean anything because it's my opinion, based on my needs for the shop and how I need to spend money for better production.,

I believe in "bowclamps" even though I could not afford them for my shop, but believe they are a useful tools for those that need a lil help..

 

I do have an order in . I was sent a message that they have started sending orders and I should be receiving message order was sent. I also was sent a message there was hoaxes of bargains.

 

I do have an order in . I was sent a message that they have started sending orders and I should be receiving message order was sent. I also was sent a message there was hoaxes of bargains.

 

Great news! Looking forward to a review when you get it.
Incidentally, some of the Chinese sites like Aliexpress, Bangood even Amazon and ebay have them for as low as $11:00 which can't possibly be right. As I said above they have used Woodpecker's images to sell their own suspect product. Out of curiosity I ordered one and if its total rubbish as I expect it is then I'll send it to workshop heaven and if its any good and it suits what I do then I'll give it to my son and buy the Woodpecker's version. Either way I'll report back.

 

It shipped today supposed to be here on Tuesday . I'll let you know.

 

Schmitt... do you have piture of your jig without going to you link?

 

Sure. I'll get some photos uploaded soon. It'l probably be a day or so tho. My internet here can take hours to load a single photo.

Art Schmitt

 

Thx...

 

Here are some photos of a 66 inch system I have set up in my shop.

The first pic is a 66 inch fixture mounted to a piece of 1/2 inch MDO sign board, with the guide rail set to drill in the 37mm column. A router base is sitting on a 16 x 30 panel which is in the ready to drill position.

Next pic shows router set to drill hole number 4,128mm down from the top of the panel. The guide rail is set in the Plus 320 column position.

3rd photo shows ratchet pawl engaged to drill hole number 4, with guide rail in the 37mm position. Router is moved to left just past the desired hole number, then backed up to index the hole location. The opposite cabinet side is drilled from the other end of the fixture using the black hole number set.

The last pic shows bottom view of a Schmitt32 router base machined to fit the DeWalt 621 plunge router.

If these photos are not in the right sequence, I have no clue why.

 

A drill press is cumbersome very expensive to have with throat capacity for all possibilities. If you forget to drill a hole and assembly has started big problem. Schimitt32 is better than woodpecker but not in my budget. I do own several jigs similar to woodpecker but tend to bind after time and sloppy. None have a fence and registry marks are cnc accuracy.