Jig for drilling holes. Let's set the correct coordinates! The nuances of making a high-quality furniture jig, we do it ourselves Drawing of a jig for drilling holes in chipboard
When creating furniture, almost all parts are joined end-to-end. For this purpose, dowels are used in which holes must be made. This is what you will need a conductor for. Such equipment can be purchased or made by yourself.
Description and features of the device
The jig is a strip with several holes and sleeves. Such a device is fixed to required part, and then carefully insert a drill into the sleeve and make a hole. To secure two parts you will need one jig, making the fixation reliable.
Product advantages:
- drilling accuracy;
- simplicity and speed of creating holes.
It is worth noting that conductors are sometimes used in mechanical engineering, and not just in construction. Moreover, using this device you can make holes in cylindrical workpieces and pipes. The conductor also allows you to do perpendicular holes.
Main types of equipment
All conductors used in various industries are are divided into several groups.
Methods and areas of application of the conductor
There are many ways to use this type of equipment. Naturally, the main area is considered building sector.
Furniture industry
When assembling furniture, you may find that some holes are missing. It is for this reason that you will have to drill various parts with your own hands. To ensure that the work does not cause difficulties, it is necessary to use a conductor. This will make furniture assembly accurate and quick. The use of such equipment is really important if you do not have a drilling machine.
Although today there is big choice accessories and fasteners, dowels are still often used in the furniture assembly process. They must be installed very precisely, otherwise the parts will be displaced. To avoid such an unpleasant consequence, you should use a conductor.
Drilling pipes
If it is necessary to prepare holes in pipes and various workpieces cylindrical using a drill will not work best idea, since it often slips off, which means the holes will not have the desired shape. To make the job easier, you should use a universal jig.
It is worth noting that there is special equipment that allows you to perform perpendicular holes, and this is very important when processing rounded elements and edges of workpieces.
Purchased or homemade conductor?
As mentioned earlier, such a product is indispensable in the process of assembling furniture. Some people make these devices themselves, while others prefer to buy them.
Conductors are sold in almost any hardware store, however finished products may not be suitable for specific purposes. It is also important to remember that the cost of the device depends on the purpose, size and manufacturer. The most simple options are inexpensive, which cannot be said about professional equipment With big amount additional functions.
Many consumers prefer to make the conductor with their own hands. For this purpose you will need a metal sheet or wooden plank. Here, holes are prepared that will act as guides. In general, anyone can handle this kind of work.
Making a conductor with your own hands
As already mentioned, you can make a similar product for drilling yourself. To do this you need to prepare welding machine, a grinder, a drill and several plumbing tools. You will also need fittings dimensions 10x10 mm.
- The workpiece is cleaned with sandpaper and markings are made. According to accepted standards, the distance between centers should be about 32 mm.
- Next, template holes are drilled.
- The next stage is creating a stop. This can be a metal plate 1 mm thick. It is carefully bent and the place for carving is prepared.
- Then both parts are carefully connected.
To ensure that the process of drilling holes does not cause any difficulties, it is worth using a jig. Such equipment is really indispensable in the furniture assembly process. You can buy it, but it’s better to do it yourself, because a homemade device will definitely suit your specific needs.
When working with hand drill, sometimes it is difficult to maintain the specified direction of the hole. Conductors are also used if it is necessary to make a series of similar holes according to a template. For example, during carpentry work. In this case, the master does not waste time marking the tree, and is guaranteed to get the same result.
The jig is indispensable when drilling holes in pipes. But the main application is to pass holes at a given angle.
Let's consider various options this useful device:
Jig for perpendicular drilling of holes
A simple furniture jig for drilling holes when assembling metal furniture. Details in the video material
Purpose - to obtain passes in thick workpieces, strictly at an angle of 90°. It is a set of bushings in a single body, or a bracket with replaceable working attachments.
By installing the device above the drilling point, you can begin work without preliminary punching. The drill accurately hits the center of the sleeve and does not deviate from the axis.
Important! The only problem is that the tool must be held on the workpiece, especially at the beginning of work. Otherwise, vibration may cause it to shift.
You can make such a drilling jig with your own hands. Thick PCB or solid wood is used. Perfect option— the use of extruder bushings for drawing wire. Worn bushings can be found at the factory. 
The extruder nozzles are made of alloy steel, with the addition of pobedit. The service life is practically inexhaustible.
Conductor for cylindrical blanks or pipes
Making a hole in a sloping surface is almost impossible. It is especially difficult to start the process - the tip of the drill jumps off the specified point. The device will fix the direction and allow you to perform the work with high accuracy. 
By adjusting the length of the fixing bolts, you can drill a hole tangentially to the center. If you don’t have such a tool at hand, you can make it from scrap materials. For example, from a block of hard wood and a strip of plywood. 
To prevent the guides from being broken so quickly by the sharp edges of the drill, they can be reinforced with sleeves made of tubes of different diameters.
Very often, when repairing furniture or assembling it, you need to accurately drill holes for the firmmat, dowel and other fasteners. If you drill chipboard sheet, then it is almost impossible to do this with a simple drill, since the hole breaks and it is not always possible to make a right angle. Therefore, for such work you must have a tool called a conductor.
Classification of conductors
The main function of jigs is to ensure straightness in drilling wooden surfaces throughout the entire depth of the hole. Such devices are used quite often in metal processing and, as a rule, are supplied directly with the machine. Due to the need to create such holes in furniture production in large quantities, such devices are in great demand among craftsmen.
There are the following types of conductors:
If the jig has sufficient rigidity, then it can be used not only on flat planes, but also for curved pipes, etc. In this case, it is secured with a clamp. But under no circumstances should it be used for fastening to wooden surfaces, as you can damage the furniture. You can buy it in a store, or you can also make it yourself.
The jig is in fact a template for making holes, with the help of which such work can be done with maximum accuracy. Due to the simplicity of the structure, they are often used not only in the areas of furniture production. In particular, they are actively used in the field of mechanical engineering for drilling holes in various workpieces, etc. We should not forget about the furniture industry, where such a device is used for various needs when assembling furniture fittings.
Features of self-production
When designing a conductor for confirmation, it is necessary to correctly calculate what functions it will have to perform in the future. It should be done for the most commonly used fasteners in the house. If such a device is required by furniture makers for permanent job, then it is better to buy a factory sample, which is characterized by great accuracy. In addition, manufacturers often include additional fasteners, stops and templates in the kit.
The price of such a device for professional use ranges from 400 to 1100 rubles. It depends on the immediate capabilities of a particular unit, the number of holes made, their length, etc. Many people are interested in how to make a furniture jig with their own hands. Drawings with dimensions are a must for novice craftsmen, as they allow you to make a high-quality design on the first try. Similar diagrams can be found on the Internet.
Basically, the conductor has the following elements:
- The basis of the product. It is directly applied to the plane of the furniture, on which the holes will be drilled.
- Guide bushings. A drill goes through them.
- Surface clamping parts. As a rule, they are located at the end of the conductor.
To start designing your own conductor, you need to choose the right corner. It is better to make a non-equal-flanged corner, since it will have much more possibilities, and choose the maximum thickness of the shelf.
Next you need to take care of the correct direction of the sleeve. It can be made from stainless pipe. The length of the sleeve should be at least twice as long as the hole in which it will be located on the angle. The bushing should fit tightly in the hole. The simplest and most common option is planting according to the shaft principle. A corresponding hole is drilled in the corner for the already known diameter of the bushing, and then the fit is made. It is recommended to use a low interference fit.
There are cases when the jig needs to be made for drilling deep holes. Then the bushing is made with a collar. The number of possible holes, their length and the distance between them is selected to suit the specific needs of each master.
Several options can be used to attach the device:
Design for confirmations and dowels
Furniture jig for drilling holes for dowels and confirmat - very necessary equipment for furniture makers. Especially if chipboard material is used.
For these purposes, two types of conductors are used:
- Dowel jig with clamp fastening with many functions. The basis of this design is a corner made of thick aluminum. Since the device is quite long, there is an additional fastener in the middle. When turning the angle ninety degrees, the increased thickness of the device helps a lot. The bushings on the structure are located at the distance most often used for confirmations and dowels in furniture production.
- A two-slider jig, which is used to make a hole in two parts fastened together. The design consists of two strips that are connected by fasteners. It has several holes, so you can install devices at different widths.
Scope of use
Furniture jigs are devices that no furniture maker can do without in the process of work. Such devices allow you to avoid the main problem in furniture production, namely the drill entering at the wrong angle. If you make such a mistake, it is very difficult or even impossible to correct it later. Such a device not only makes it possible to correctly direct the drill during operation, but also allows the tool to constantly maintain the desired trajectory (flat, perpendicular or at an angle).
Such devices are used both in the design and production of furniture, and during assembly, when there is a need to make holes for fastening elements together. Often, for such actions, jigs are used for firmmats or dowels, without which it is impossible to make straight holes. Also, you cannot do without this device if you need to make holes at an angle or in the end of a thin slab (it is especially important to use the device when working with chipboards).
When drilling holes using this design, the process itself is quick and simple. The fastener allows you to do work at any distance from the edge of the slab, as well as regardless of its width.
In the furniture industry, dowels are often used as fasteners. But at the same time, this option has already existed for a long time, and their use requires the presence of a drilling jig when working. The only condition and at the same time a problem is the fact that the parts being connected to each other must have a right angle during operation. Therefore, such elements must be located exactly perpendicular to each other. When making holes for dowels and adding parts, it will be very difficult to do without a jig.
Furniture production is not the only area of application for such devices. They can often be used to make holes in pipes and other round-shaped parts. Special devices allow you to do quality holes even in the smallest tubes.
The principle of their operation and dimensions may be different. Some narrow-profile models are better to buy than to produce yourself. But, on the other hand, the price of such devices is not small, so this is a disadvantage when compared with home-made models.
How to make it yourself
The most simple designs they are cheap, and professional furniture makers are not puzzled homemade production, but prefer to buy factory models. But there are also craftsmen who want to make such a device with their own hands.
For self-creation The conductor needs to use drawings, of which there are a lot on the Internet. With your own hands you can make simple designs for confirmations and more complex ones for dowels.
For production you need to prepare the following tools:
- drill;
- classic set of tools for a locksmith;
- welding;
- Bulgarian.
The simplest conductor can be made from improvised materials, which are generally found in any household, in a workshop in the country or in a garage. To create it, the simplest materials are suitable, such as reinforcement, metal sheets And wooden blocks etc. They can significantly save money in the production of such a device.
The manufacture of such a device should be carried out in several stages:
To ensure that there is little dust during operation, it is necessary to install half plastic bottle. It will also collect dust.
In the process of assembling or repairing furniture, it is often necessary to carry out work on precision drilling holes for confirmation, for dowels, dowels and other furniture fasteners. In the case of wood and chipboard, it is difficult to make such holes using an electric drill alone: the entrance part of the hole is broken, and the hole itself may not be at a right angle to the mating surfaces. Thus, you will need a jig to drill the holes.
Purpose and classification of furniture conductors
The purpose of the jig for drilling holes is to accurately guide the drill to the required point and ensure the straightness of the tool throughout the entire depth of the resulting hole. In metalworking, such devices have been known for a long time, and are often supplied with the machine. Due to the increased number of closed joints in modern furniture products, the need for such conductors for woodworking specialists is very relevant.
There are the following types of furniture conductors:
- Overlays that do not require fixation before use. They are simple, mobile, but force you to use only one hand when drilling (if the drill or grinder is not installed in a special frame). Making such a conductor with your own hands is easy and simple. They are used mainly when making holes in MDF or chipboards.
- Rotary, which are equipped with folding brackets, and allow you to drill on two adjacent planes in one go.
- Jigs for drilling holes at an angle. A highly specialized version of the jig, which is designed to make holes at various angles. Often combined with the overhead version of the equipment in question.
- Sliding ones, with the help of which you can make several holes (including in several rows) without changing settings. More necessary for professionals who often have to perform such work. Requires skills for proper use.
If the jig is sufficiently rigid, it can also be used for drilling holes in products that do not have a flat plane, for example, in pipes. Then the conductor is secured using a clamp (this option is not suitable for furniture, due to the risk of surface deformation).
DIY jig for drilling holes
Fundamentally, such equipment consists of the following parts:
- An angular body element applied to the surfaces of products, which will subsequently be connected to each other with dowels, dowels or confirmations.
- Guide bushings where the drill fits.
- Clamping/fixing devices that are located at the end parts of the conductor.
For a conductor that is supposed to be made by hand, it is important to design a device for the most common requirements. home handyman mounting options. If you want to universal conductor(for furniture makers), it’s better to splurge on industrial version equipment, which is characterized by increased accuracy of fixation of parts, and has a higher quality performance. Moreover, manufacturers often offer templates, stops, and other kits for the jig. useful little things. Price furniture conductor industrial production ranges from 500 to 1200 rubles, which is determined by its functionality– length and number of guide holes.
Let's start designing a furniture jig for drilling holes by choosing a corner. There are more possibilities for a product where the corner will be unequal, and with the maximum possible thickness of the shelf. According to the assortment GOST 8510 “Unequal-flanged steel angles,” the minimum permissible dimensions of an angle L63 × 40 × 8: with a shelf thickness of 8 mm, a guide bushing with an outer diameter of up to 6 mm can be placed there. The internal hole for the drill, therefore, can be no more than 3.5...4 mm, but this is quite enough for most options for the resulting holes. As a last resort, they can be drilled out without using the device, especially if the hole is deep enough.
The next stage is the design of the guide bushing. It can be selected from any stainless steel pipe GOST 9941 (seamless) or GOST 9940 (all-welded). It is recommended to first select the pipe according to the diameter of the internal hole. A 6×1 pipe will allow you to get internal hole for a drill with a diameter of up to 3.6...3.7 mm, and a 6×1.5 pipe - for a drill up to 2.7 mm (a two-sided gap is taken taking into account the thermal expansion of the material). The length of the sleeve must be no less than twice the height of the hole made in the corner. Each bushing must fit into the hole with an interference fit or transitional fit. The most appropriate is landing using the shaft system, when the already known outside diameter bushings, and a hole is drilled for it in the corner. It is better to use a slight interference fit, for example h9/P10.
It happens that the jig needs to be designed for drilling a deep hole. In such cases, the bushing must be stepped (with a shoulder). Bushings for machine tools in accordance with GOST 12214 have the necessary accuracy and dimensions, the internal hole in which has a constant diameter over the entire height of the bushing.
The number of holes, and especially the distance between them, is selected according to the specific needs of the user.
When choosing a conductor mounting method, choose one of the following options:
- A spring stop that will press the surface of the jig to the part due to the elastic forces of the material. Any flat spring with the required clamping force will be suitable as such a stop;
- Fixation using self-tapping screws, which are screwed into the material of the part and keep the jig from being displaced by friction forces. This option is convenient because the resulting outlines can then be used as additional elements centering the future hole. In the case of chipboard, this option should be used with caution;
- External clamps, under which you should place corrugated rubber gaskets. In this case, the weight of the conductor will increase, and the compliance of the rubber may disrupt the perpendicularity of the axis of the conductor bushings. Therefore, using this fastening method, first insert a drill into the sleeve, mark a hole, and only after that use clamps.
Jig for drilling for dowels and confirmations
The sequence and design of the simplest devices for accurately producing holes is discussed using the following two examples:
- Multi-position jig with clamp fastening (see Fig. 1). The initial body part here is a thick-walled aluminum corner. Due to the considerable length of the device, it is provided intermediate mount in the middle. When turning the jig at an angle of 90º, the increased wall thickness of the angle, which is superimposed on the surface of the part, is successfully used. The distance between the guide bushings is selected according to the most common distances for dowels or for confirmation.
Figure 1 - Multi-position jig for drilling holes with clamp fastening
- A two-slider furniture jig, with which you can make holes in two mutually mating parts. The design of the device is clear from the attached drawing (see Fig. 2). It consists of two guide rulers, which are connected by fasteners to a connecting strip. The presence of several holes on it allows you to install the bar on parts of different widths. Replaceable housings with a set of guide bushings with different distances between them move along the rulers. The conductor is fixed using a connecting strip, and with opposite side– a stroke limiter, which is tightened by a wing screw.
Figure 2 – Multi-slider furniture jig: 1 – Guide ruler; 2 – Adjusting screw; 3 – Housing; 4 – Stop bar; 5- Travel limiter.
The jig for drilling holes is a strip small size, having hole patterns located at certain angles and having different diameters for drilling. In essence, this tool is designed to solve the problem of positioning the drill at the correct angle to the material being processed. After all, it is sometimes simply impossible to correct such a mistake.
Design features and types of conductors
The drilling jig is actually a template of holes that allows you to make them with maximum accuracy. They can be divided into two types:
- when the drilling axis is at right angles to the surface of the material;
- when the axis passes at an acute or obtuse angle relative to the plane.
The tool has such versatility that it is used in different areas industry. For several decades it has been very actively used in the engineering and construction industries. After all, it allows you not only to drill holes in the necessary workpieces for different angles and excellent accuracy, having different configuration features. It can be used to easily drill holes in various building structures, as well as pipes made of any material, etc. The jig is often used in the furniture industry, as it greatly simplifies the process of fastening fittings and assembling its various parts. In fact, this is only a small range of tasks that a conductor can solve.
Classification of tools
Based on functionality and design functionality, drilling jigs are divided into types:
- invoices. The name comes from them functional way work, that is, it is applied to the workpiece or the surface being processed, attached to it with special clamps or held by hand. This device is suitable for drilling flat surfaces, for example, boards, MDF boards and chipboards. It is called a furniture jig for drilling holes. Thanks to the use of a jig, the holes themselves are very neat and precise;
- rotary. Such templates are ideal for drilling round or cylindrical surface. Thanks to this design, the axis occupies a horizontal, vertical and inclined position to the surface. This is possible thanks to bushings that can guide the drilling line;
- universal. Similar design products are widely popular in small industrial production, Where important role quick adjustment to the existing surface plays a role. Due to their uniqueness, they are also in demand in household when you have to work with different materials, planes and surfaces;
tipping. In terms of functionality they are somewhat reminiscent of universal ones. They are necessary when you need to make a hole in different planes and at different slopes. This is very convenient for carrying out some repair work when you need to drill a hole in the wall without a lot of time and at a specific angle; - sliding. According to its name, such a conductor does not have to be attached to the surface where it is supposed to be applied. It should be noted that such a conductor is inconvenient to use, since it requires constant hand holding;
- fixed. Unlike sliding jigs, they are attached to the place where they are intended to be used. They are much easier to attach, but due to their design they limit the scope of human work. This can be clearly seen when working on walls or vertical planes having only one spindle.
Such templates allow you to maintain perpendicularity between the pipe or sphere and the drill itself. It is very important.
Furniture jigs for drilling holes deserve a separate description.
In furniture production, it is practically impossible to do without jigs or similar templates, especially when assembling all structural elements future furniture. First of all, they correct such an error as an incorrect angle of entry of the drill into the workpiece. As you know, correcting such an error is very difficult, sometimes even impossible, and if possible, it takes a lot of time. The jig not only allows you to position the drill relative to the part, but also allows it to move away from the intended drilling direction during work.
They are used when you need to drill holes for fasteners. In this case, a conductor for confirmants or dowels is used. Without them, drilling such holes is simply impossible. And how often does it happen that when assembling furniture, a shortage of a certain number of holes is discovered that is necessary for final assembly.
Jig for angled holes
A jig for drilling holes at an angle is used for assembling furniture. It is often used for drilling not too thick MDF boards or chipboards, plywood. Also used in production. They can be manufactured in a specialized design, for specific operations, or in more universal form. They reduce production time inclined holes. Moreover, it will not be possible to make them exactly the same by eye.
At home you don’t often have to drill at an angle, but the need arises. This kind of conductor can be made independently, or you can buy it. The reason is that if you do not engage in mass production, then preparing templates for non-standard holes will most likely not justify the costs. It will be easier and cheaper to try to drill the hole as needed, but with small deviations, than to make templates. It may never be useful again. It's up to the owner to decide.
The jig for drilling holes for dowels is one of the simplest templates in its design. However, you should know that such templates should simplify the work of the master, and not complicate it when he is forced to use complex instruments.
Used for assembling furniture. Should allow simultaneous drilling of holes without changing the device. Used for manufacturing different materials, having different strength characteristics. The most durable unit can be considered a steel unit.
Conductor to confirm the variety and the possibility of manufacturing
Also the simplest jig for drilling a hole for confirmation. Such a conductor can be assembled at home without much difficulty. It makes sense to assemble it yourself if you are engaged in professional furniture manufacturing. It is not practical to drill one or two holes.
More complex drawings can be taken from any sources on the Internet. As the design of the device becomes more complex, its range of uses expands. In order not to bother with structurally complex devices, you can make them from readily available materials, such as metal plates, wooden beams, fittings or corners. To work with metal, you may need welding materials, although you can attach the fixing elements to threaded bolts.
Advantages and disadvantages
According to its functional purpose, the jig acts as a template according to which it is necessary to drill a hole in the required material with maximum accuracy to the original. This template greatly facilitates the work of the master when he needs to drill a strictly vertical, horizontal or inclined hole.
The master no longer needs to make sketches and measurements, having such a tool with him. The drill is positioned strictly at the required angle, which is necessary during the work process and cannot deviate. This improves the accuracy of the work, which can be seen in deep holes.
To work with furniture, the conductor must meet the following requirements:
- it should help and speed up the furniture assembly process and not require the use of complex equipment;
- allow you to make several holes at once without the need for manual markings;
- improve work with a drill;
The materials from which conductors are made have different strength characteristics. These are mainly plastic and glass made from organic raw materials. But the strongest ones are made from metals, namely steel. Therefore, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:
- minimal deformation under heavy loads;
- clear drill direction axis;
- no heating during operation.
IN furniture production Lighter conductors are used that are easy to handle. Factory or homemade options can be used.
It should be noted that a real master has a trained eye, so often he does not need all these devices to make the hole correctly.
A clear advantage of such tools is ease of use. With their help, even an inexperienced person can perform all the work at the level of a skilled worker. You don't even need to do anything here complex calculations and have enormous experience. Its main purpose is to speed up the work process many times over.
Homemade conductor devices
A DIY jig for drilling holes is an excellent alternative to store-bought options. Since the store does not always have exactly the option that is required in this moment. You can assemble it yourself at home.
Let's consider a more popular and standardized option, suitable for more frequently performed work, such as furniture assembly.
Diagram for assembling the conductor Reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm or more will be required. With help cutting tool, for example, grinders, cut into pieces of the required length. Clean the workpieces with sandpaper. According to the standard, all drilled holes have a distance of 32 cm from each other. Make marks and drill holes. The next stage involves creating reference points for our blanks. A plate made of any metal is perfect for these purposes. Thickness from 1 mm. It is unwise to use a thicker plate, since it only increases the weight of the entire device. They are connected together and then places for threaded fastening are outlined. They are connected and secured to each other. That's all, the device is ready to use.
The main purpose of the jig, which is also the most important thing, is to simplify the work with the drill and reduce the time of furniture assembly. The difference between purchased and homemade device is its adjustment to the specific needs of the master.
