# Holding a tapered table leg to drill the end



## oscaro928 (Nov 1, 2012)

Hi,

A friend of mine asked me to fix a broken leg. The end of it had a screw turned on it and that is what broke. I thought of drilling a hole in the leg then gluing in a new wooden screw made of the same diameter and pitch.

The tricky part is holding the leg perfectly straight to drill a hole on the end using my drill press.

Any ideas?

I include a picture of the leg.

Oscar


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Can you make an identical wooden screw? If you can, then you can swing your drill press table to the side 
enough to clamp some type of right angle jig to the drill press table then clamp and shim the leg to the jig 
until it is at a right angle. If you can not make the wooden screw, try to find a hanger bolt 3/8-16 or bigger 
to fasten into the leg and then fasten a matching rod coupling nut in the matching piece of furniture. Just 
my opinion and I might have been wrong once or twice.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

1.) Shave off the broken parts from the top of the broken leg. A chisel should be fine.
2.) Use your drill press to make a guide block. It will be easiest to center the block if diagonal corners are the same measurement as the top of leg diameter
3.) Attach the guide block to the end of the leg with screws 
4.) Drill the new hole in whatever position you choose, using a handheld drill.


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## oscaro928 (Nov 1, 2012)

That is kind of what I am asking…. does anyone have any ideas for a jig to hold it straight so I can
drill the hole correctly lined up.

Oscar


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

*That is kind of what I am asking…. does anyone have any ideas for a jig to hold it straight so I can
drill the hole correctly lined up.*

Did you read my post? ;^)

You don't need to do that. The guide block you drill on the press will reference 90 degrees to the top face of the leg, and guide the handheld drill. It's simple and painless…


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## TFA (Oct 4, 2016)

while i do agree with oggie's technique and a guide block is probably accurate enough, to answer your question i think you could make a jig as follows: let's say your leg is 2" thick at its widest, cut two equal size squares of plywood (or something similar) about 8"x 8." drill a hole in the middle of one piece with a diamater of 1.75" and trill a hole in the other piece of plywood with a diamater of 1.5" (these diameters are approximate). Slide those pieces of plywood onto the leg until snug (don't mar the wood) then measure the distance between the two pieces of plywood on the leg (we'll call this distance 'A'). Cut spacer blocks the same size at distance 'A'. Now assemble your plywood and spacer block box together and slide the leg back into the box and make it snug. then take it to your drill press.


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

A wooden hand screw with a hole drilled through the jaws should hold your workpiece for you. Just position it and clamp the hand screw to the drill press table. That is if you can position the table so the leg can be mounted.

I have modified several of my clamps.
Hope this helps.
Mike


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## oscaro928 (Nov 1, 2012)

Hi TFA,

Thanks that sounds like a plan, the box will keep it straight and the spacing will make it snug fit.

Oscar


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## oscaro928 (Nov 1, 2012)

Hi Oggie,

Thanks also, I get it now what you were talking about.

Oscar


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

*Thanks also, I get it now what you were talking about.*

Right! Think about this…

What you're trying to do is drill a hole perpendicular to a reference plane. That's it! All the other angles, and the fact that it's round, are red herrings.

Your reference plane is the top of the leg. It has to be correct as it sits, as it mates with another surface as it rotates and the threads pull it home and snug up, and it fit before it broke.

If you really want to do it with the press, screw a plywood or MDF plate to the top of the leg, clamp that to your table that's leveled in all directions, and drill through the sheet stock.

Trying to get the leg plumb and perfectly parallel to the bit travel based on tapered surfaces will be painful at best. Use your known reference…


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