Often when working with wood and wood-based materials, it becomes necessary to drill an even round hole. You can use a jigsaw or a router, but such a tool is not always at hand or it is simply inconvenient to do the work with them. A woodworking ballerina can make the task easier.
What is a wood ballerina
Circular adjustable ballerina drill - a device that is designed for drilling round holes large diameter. The tool has simple design. It consists of a shank with a transverse rod on which movable carriages with cutters are attached. The rod has markings according to which you can set the required spread of the cutters relative to the center of the intended hole. A core drill is fixed in the middle of the shank. It serves as a centering element and support when drilling.
In addition to designs with two cutting elements located symmetrically, there are ballerinas with one cutter or even three. In the latter case, they are located on the base in the form of a disk with grooves.
Tool functionality
A high-quality ballerina is made of high-strength steel, which makes it possible to use the device in working with soft and hard wood.
This tool has an adjustable drilling diameter. This allows you to make holes of almost any diameter. The limitation of the drilling range depends on the size of the ballerina. Manufacturers produce devices with the following cutter spread limits:
- from 30 to 120 mm;
- from 40 to 200 mm;
- from 40 to 300 mm;
- from 40 to 400 mm.
The maximum drilling diameter is limited by the rod on which the cutters are mounted. The minimum is the thickness of the shank.
The ballerina drill can be used in any places where the use of a jigsaw or hand router will be inconvenient. For example, this may be assembled and installed furniture, in the part of which it is necessary to drill a neat hole, given the limited space. Another example is an uneven (curved or concave) surface. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do everything smoothly and neatly with a jigsaw or milling cutter. It will be difficult to control the inclination of the tool relative to the surface. A ballerina can easily cope with this task.
Features of working with the tool
The principle of working with a circular drill is simple. A hole is drilled using a centering drill, and then the cutters are put to work. They gradually make a narrow groove, gradually cutting through the material in a circle to the full depth.
The materials used in working with the ballerina are varied: wood, fiberboard, chipboard, MDF, plasterboard, plastic. One common point is that the thickness of the part should be no more than 15-20 millimeters. This parameter is limited by the length of the incisors. Usually the manufacturer indicates the maximum drilling depth on the packaging. If you try to drill into thicker material, you may experience problems with ragged edges.
The use of a tool with one cutter is characterized by runout. This is caused by a lack of balancing relative to the longitudinal axis of the drill. The beating will be especially noticeable when cutting large diameter holes. Cut holes using a drill at low or medium speed. When working on drilling machine no such problems arise.
Also, a laminated or veneered surface can cause inconvenience when working. After passing through the decorative layer, drilling proceeds without problems.
A feature of the circular drill can be considered the ability to adjust the diameter. The distance between the cutters can be set using a scale on a rod or more accurately using a caliper. This is convenient if you need to make a hole without gaps for a pipe or round part.
The spacing of the cutters relative to the center is adjusted individually. It is necessary to align the cutting parts as accurately as possible. This will get rid of extra effort during operation and will extend the life of the tool.
How to choose and what to pay attention to
Choosing a high-quality circular drill is quite easy. The main thing is to know the main points that you should pay attention to first, but also not to lose sight of the little things.
The design is very important point: a woodworking dancer comes with one chisel or two or more. For frequent use, it is better to purchase an option with two or three cutting elements. It is easier to work with such devices and the quality of the processing performed will be at an acceptable level.
It would not be superfluous to be able to replace individual parts. Inexpensive circle drills can have a solid shank with a permanent center drill and rod.
Metal, its quality determines its strength and ability to withstand workloads. Quality tool made of high-strength steel or alloys. The shank and cutter holders are shaped using a machine tool. The rod is usually stamped and made of the same metal.
Cheap options often use soft metal or alloys, which can be brittle. Under load, parts may become deformed or break. Such a tool will not last long and it will also be difficult to achieve accuracy from it.
The quality of workmanship, the main feature is the absence of backlashes and distortions. All parts must fit together and be securely fastened with fixing screws.
The markings of a high-quality ballerina's barbell are stamped. Sometimes the divisions are highlighted with bright paint for better visibility.
Cutters and high-quality cutting elements are made from hardened tool steel. They are secured to the holders with rivets or soldering. Solid cutters with holders (made of the same metal) quickly become dull and are not durable.
Manufacturer, when choosing any tool and consumables, preference should be given to well-known and long-proven brands and brands. The most common are Topfix, Stayer, Irwin, Strum.
Purchasing an adjustable circular drill for use at home, or if you need to drill several holes, is completely worth it. This eliminates the need to purchase an expensive tool that may only be needed a few times.
All photos from the article
If you need to make a large diameter hole in the tree, you will have to use special devices, each of which has its own characteristics. We'll look at everything possible options and we will tell you about their main advantages and disadvantages so that you can choose best option in accordance with the specifics of work in a given situation.
Criteria for choosing a quality option
Below we will look at the main types of devices, but for now we will outline the criteria that any option must meet, regardless of its modification:
| Reliable manufacturing material | Of course, it is unlikely that you can determine this criterion by eye, so it is best to ask the seller for a quality certificate for the product. Unreliable counterfeit versions from China most often do not have any documents. |
| High quality performance | Examine the product carefully: the surface must be smooth without flaws or defects, the cutting part must be carefully sharpened. If you purchase a long wood drill, check whether it is level; this can be done by eye or by rolling it over a flat surface - any irregularities will be immediately visible on it. |
| Good packaging | Low-quality fakes are most often packaged haphazardly, moreover, there are mistakes in the words. No one famous brand will not allow yourself unsightly packaging, remember this. |
| Price | Price is also an indicator of quality; as a rule, the most budget options do not last long, especially if we're talking about about drills and fixtures big size. After all, they are subjected to very high loads during operation. |
Advice! To be guaranteed to purchase a quality product, be it , you need to contact official representatives of a particular brand or buy products from well-known stores that care about their reputation and do not sell cheap fakes.
Types of products and their features
Let's consider what options can be found in our trading network and how they differ from each other.
Feather drills
The most common and a budget option, which are quite convenient to work even for inexperienced craftsmen. And you can also master this simple process with your own hands.
Let's look at the main advantages of this solution:
- The diameter range varies from 10 to 60 mm.
- The work is done quite quickly, but the quality of the hole is low, to achieve perfect result Not sure it's going to happen.
- The maximum drilling depth is approximately 150 mm.
- Products are sold either in sets of 5-6 pieces or individually, so you decide which option is right for you.
- If necessary, you can buy an extension that clamps the drill and increases its length by 300 mm.
Large sizes are usually sold individually, small sizes are usually sold in sets.
You can't help but touch on this interesting option as adjustable feather drill, this type of products can make holes with a diameter of 22 to 76 mm. The work is carried out at low speeds using fairly powerful power tools.
We continue to understand the equipment with which you can work on wood. In general, wood can be drilled with different drills; in the last article we looked at its effectiveness and figured out how and where it is recommended to use it.
There are a great many types of wood drills and it often happens that they are ideal for some jobs, but not suitable for others at all. That's why House master must understand what and how to drill into wood. Today's article will be about a screw drill, also called a twist drill.
It is for wood and will help out in cases where it is necessary to drill deep hole. For example, you have a log house through which you need to stretch water pipe or bundle of cables. And only a twist drill can cope with thick wood. Of course, nothing prevents you from trying to use a regular one, however, as I already said, it is inconvenient to drill with it and it is not a guarantee that you will be able to complete the job.
As you can see, the tip is made in the form of a fine thread, which helps to screw the drill into the initial stage drilling. The ejection of chips occurs due to the screw edges (like any drill or brace), so drilling is easy. The shank is most often 6-sided, so the tool is securely mounted in the chuck of a drill or screwdriver.
It is necessary to work with such a drill at low speeds, so it is best to use one with speed control or a powerful screwdriver with a high tightening torque.
But it is best, if possible, to use a low-speed drill with a speed of up to 800 (I recommend a rebir drill).
The most common use of such equipment is the fastening of logs. Workers who assemble log houses often come to our store and they buy “spirals” with a diameter of 25-28-30 mm and a length of 450-600 mm. As you know, in order to fasten the logs of a log house together, you need to drill them from above and insert iron reinforcement into the hole made. It is very important that the hole is drilled deeply, which is why a long drill is needed.
The standard range of lengths is as follows:
— 220 mm
— 450 mm
— 600 mm (the most popular).
To make holes with a diameter of 30 mm to a depth of 600 mm in wood, you need a very powerful power tool, so we recommend using a drill of at least 1000 Watt (and that is unlikely to be enough), as well as screwdrivers with a torque of at least 36 Nm. Of course, the most preferable option is a low-speed drill, which has a power of 1200 Watts; for such work you can’t imagine anything better. It is very powerful and easily pushes such a thick drill bit through solid wood.
The prices for such “consumables” are quite high, at least it is much more expensive than feather and Forstner drills. For example, 22*600 costs around 300 rubles. And the thickest ones come with a price tag of a piece of rubles. They are taken only when you need to drill a hole in the log house for sewer pipe and so on.
However, if you consider that the drill is powerful and heavy, and it is used to perform specific work, then you should not worry about the price. Because anyway, nothing else can drill through 3 logs at once.
Drilling a hole with a feather drill
At first glance, when the question arises about how to drill a hole in wood, most people have no doubt: just think, wood is not metal and can be drilled easily. Yes, this is partly true if you want to make not a hole in the wood, but a banal hole. And in order to drill a hole in wood correctly and efficiently, you need to listen to the advice of processing experts wooden structures, who are also called wood modelers.
Rules for drilling holes in wood
The rules are definitely simple, but following them will help you save your time, nerves and Consumables in the form of wooden blanks and ready-made parts. So, what you need to pay attention to:
- Before drilling, you need to accurately mark the location for the hole.
- Choose the right one cutting tool. This refers to drills for working with wood, countersinks, pen drills with a drilling depth limiter and annular cutters of the required diameter.
- When drilling, the tool (mostly a drill) must be held strictly vertically.
- Use drills designed for specific materials only.
- Wooden parts must be firmly secured in a vice.
- The cutting tool should be pressed firmly, but with uniform force.
Techniques for drilling holes in wood
Countersink hole for screw head
Let's start drilling simple holes for a screw or. Usually these holes are small in diameter and drilling them is not difficult. The only thing you need to do is to countersink the hole before drilling, that is, turn the surface of the wood under the screw head. To do this, firmly fix the wood and use a countersink to make a recess in it slightly larger than the height of the head of the screw or self-tapping screw. After this, firmly pressing a drill of the required diameter to the surface, drill the hole you need.
There are situations when you need to drill a “blind” hole for a tenon joint. To do this, you need to use a feather drill with a limiter, which is placed on the drill according to the size of the drilling depth
It is more difficult to make holes in large diameter wood, since the use of conventional cylindrical drills chips the surface of the material, damaging it appearance. To successfully cope with this task, feather drills and annular cutters are used.
Drilling with feather drills
Feather drill
For successful drilling work feather drills secure the wood firmly in a vice and press the tip of the drill bit against the surface of the material. Then drill (at low speed) the hole until the tip of the drill appears at the bottom of the wood. Stop drilling and remove the feather bit from the hole, then turn the wood over, clamp it in a vice and drill the hole on the other side. This will prevent the block from splitting when drilling.
Drilling with an annular cutter
Wood annular cutter
An annular cutter is used for drilling holes in wood with a diameter greater than 38 mm. Drilling begins with a small-diameter guide drill, structurally connected to the cutter in one piece. This guide serves as a guide for the annular cutter.
Here are some tips from professionals that will surely help you when drilling holes in wood:
a) for vertical drilling, you can install a square parallel to the drill;
b) if you often have to do carpentry work, purchase a special stand for a drill, which allows you to hold the tool strictly vertically and controls the depth of the holes;
c) be sure to use a vice when drilling to avoid splitting the wood;
d) so that the outlet hole does not have chips, place it under wooden part unnecessary block and drill them together. This is especially applicable when making holes in a thin board;
e) if you do not have a drilling depth limiter, wrap the drill in the area of limitation with bright electrical tape or masking tape.