drilling output jack side hole with hand tools?

[Bob Hoover Ross]

So, for inexplicable reasons -- well, no, they're not inexplicable, they're just indefensible: I thought I wanted the output jack in a very specific location...and then realized it honestly didn't matter -- I ordered a Warmoth body without the side jack rout.

So now I've got to drill a 3/4" diameter hole in the side of a bass body. And I don't own a drill press, just a nice Rigid handheld cordless drill/driver.

Presuming the answer isn't "You're screwed", what's the recommended procedure for drilling a hole this large?
- I own a 3/4" spade bit, can that work? I fear that will be tough to control with a hand drill & won't yeild a particularly precise cylindrical hole.
- Drill a tight cluster of four or five ~1/4" holes and then round out the resulting mess w/ a round wood file?
- Get a Forstner bit?
- Rent a hungry beaver?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Cagey]

I had to do that not too long ago, and there was already a (too small) hole there, so it wasn't going to be easy. I ended up filling the hole with a 1/2" dowel rod so I'd have a way to start the bit without it wandering. I used a portable drill motor, so it's definitely doable without a press.

In your case, since there's no hole there now, you can just start from scratch. Use a 3/4" Forstner bit. A paddle bit will destroy things, and trying to file out a bunch of smaller holes will be an unending nightmare from hell. Even with the Forstner bit, the thing is liable to fight a bit, so be patient.

 

[line6man]

I'm not even sure how you would get a body in a drill press. This is a job for a handheld drill.

As Cagey said, you want a forstner bit. Spade bits are absolutely worthless for anything related to luthiery, and for that matter, any drilling in hardwoods.

This is a very simple job. All you need to do is mark your center hole, and drill into it. Just take care in choosing the direction you start out in, because that will be the direction you end up in.

 

[bagman67]

I'm not even sure how you would get a body in a drill press.

Drop the table down, and clamp the body to a fence.


Alternatively, swivel the table out of the way, and clamp the body to some other comparatively immovable object and position the workpiece appropriately under the chuck.

 

[line6man]

I'm not even sure how you would get a body in a drill press.

Drop the table down, and clamp the body to a fence.


Alternatively, swivel the table out of the way, and clamp the body to some other comparatively immovable object and position the workpiece appropriately under the chuck.

You would need a fairly large press to fit a body in there. A body takes up a lot of space, when put into the position necessary to drill a side jack.

 

[bagman67]

I'm not even sure how you would get a body in a drill press.

Drop the table down, and clamp the body to a fence.


Alternatively, swivel the table out of the way, and clamp the body to some other comparatively immovable object and position the workpiece appropriately under the chuck.

You would need a fairly large press to fit a body in there. A body takes up a lot of space, when put into the position necessary to drill a side jack.

Yeah, a benchtop press would probably be inadequate to the job.  Floor unit, whole 'nother story.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

A "one trick pony" application of a side drill + jig is usually best if you're going to be doing this in a production context.

 

[Day-mun]

Admit defeat and go with a top-jack.  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Hendrix]

like this :

http://www.tundraman.com/Guitars/004/Body.php

 

[swarfrat]

Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. why didn't I think of that?

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

Admit defeat and go with a top-jack.  :icon_jokercolor:

Holy crap, I can't believe that didn't even occur to me! Huh...

 

[swarfrat]

Before you give up take a look at that tundraman link. it's a a board clamped perpindicular to the jack line on the body. Gives youa nice perpindiculat entry