I'm currently building quite a few Cape Cod chairs and looking to streamline my hinge bolt drilling process. Right now, I punch a mark for my 3mm pilot hole, drill it on my drill press, use a 32mm spade bit to create a washer recess, and then carefully drill a 12mm hole for the bolt. This method is slow because I have to swap bits multiple times. Ideally, I'm wondering if there's a drill bit or combo that could do both the 32mm spade cut and the 12mm hole in one go?
2 Answers
Have you considered using a Forstner bit? They provide a flat-bottomed hole which might save you some time on the cleanup. You could line it up better for the center hole as well!
That’s a great idea! But I need both sides to have that flat bottom with the 12mm dead center, so I still have to account for the pilot hole.
You could make a jig and use a router with a 6mm bit along with guide bushings. This setup allows you to control the depth and clear out material easily. It lets you do everything with one router bit, just adjust the depth for each cut!
Plus, Forstner bits usually leave a small centered point, making it easier to drill the through hole afterwards.