Easily Repeatable Middle Drawer Slide Holes with LR32?

[Bugsysiegals]

I like processes which are super easy to remember as I can be forgetful.  I also desire things to be accurate, repeatable, and with the least chance for me to make a mistake as I tend to do even with metric (off by 5 or 10 even when I'm reading the rule right side up!!!).  I'd like to understand if anybody has been able to come up with a way to use the LR32 which meets these conditions.

More specifically, I'm trying to drill holes for 3 drawer slides and I'm struggling to find a process which meets my idea of KISS.  If I lay the guide rail vertically, which I suspect is the correct orientation regardless of shelf pin vs drawer slide holes, I can setup the offset for the first/last hole, but cannot reach the middle holes without measuring, marking, moving the rail, aligning the bit to the mark, etc., etc.  While this works, IMO, its not KISS.

My cousin suggested drilling just the first/last holes, mounting the drawer slide, and drilling the rest by hand, but that defeats the purpose of such an expensive tool and is tedious.

I'd considered to use the rail horizontally for drawer slides but even in this way I'd need custom endstops, no problem with 3D printer, but would still have to measure, mark, etc., etc. which is also not KISS.

I've the Seneca parallel guides which made me consider these might work but there's many issues with these such as setting the endstop manually several times (user error).  Add/subtract "x" from the rule, even if you align it for this process, since it will not be the same when flipping the panel 180 degrees (user error).  Again, not KISS.

That said, the best I can think of would be to have longer alignment bars (T-Track, 8020, etc.), which are adjustable like the existing alignment bars, and would have holes spaced 32mm apart.  In this way, you insert a locating pin in the first hole, push the guide rail back so the pin is touching the front edge, align the bar for 37mm offset, drill the first hole, move the locating pin back 3 holes, and are ready to drill another hole 96mm back from the first hole.  I could easily design a 3D printed mount if it's different than the original bar stock but am not sure how I'd get it drilled out with consistent 32mm spacing.  I could use the LR32 to drill these holes in 2-3' pieces of wood and make a mount but this is rather cheap and also prone to expand/shrink.  I seen Woodpeckers and Veritas have some 32mm drilled aluminum stock for shelf pins but perhaps you've some other ideas...

So ... has anybody done anything like this or have another solution which is really KISS?

 

[DynaGlide]

[member=60777]Bugsysiegals[/member] This is how I do it: https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/home-improvement-other-projects/home-office-remodel/msg612293/#msg612293

 

[AlexThePalex]

I think you're making this way too complicated by doing this with your LR32 and other guide systems you have. Just make a template.

I know all about KISS, the principle, the activity, and the band. Ok, I know little about the last one.  [smile]

You just want to make some holes in pieces of wood, and repeatable, well, the easiest way is to make a template.

I just built this simple, practical closet in my attic, first section, as I'm going to cover the entire wall later on.

[attachimg=1]

So I needed lots of these shelf supports of the same size.

[attachimg=2]

To drill them I made a simple template out of scrap wood. Measure once, and then I can drill as many supports as I want.

[attachimg=5]

[attachimg=3]

Just put in the support, butt up tight in the corner, and drill from the other side. Voilà.

[attachimg=4]

 

[Bob D.]

Building Kitchen Cabinets part 5. Drilling adjustable shelf pin holes.

 

[afish]

I like processes which are super easy to remember as I can be forgetful.  I also desire things to be accurate, repeatable, and with the least chance for me to make a mistake as I tend to do even with metric (off by 5 or 10 even when I'm reading the rule right side up!!!).  I'd like to understand if anybody has been able to come up with a way to use the LR32 which meets these conditions.

More specifically, I'm trying to drill holes for 3 drawer slides and I'm struggling to find a process which meets my idea of KISS.  If I lay the guide rail vertically, which I suspect is the correct orientation regardless of shelf pin vs drawer slide holes, I can setup the offset for the first/last hole, but cannot reach the middle holes without measuring, marking, moving the rail, aligning the bit to the mark, etc., etc.  While this works, IMO, its not KISS.

My cousin suggested drilling just the first/last holes, mounting the drawer slide, and drilling the rest by hand, but that defeats the purpose of such an expensive tool and is tedious.

I'd considered to use the rail horizontally for drawer slides but even in this way I'd need custom endstops, no problem with 3D printer, but would still have to measure, mark, etc., etc. which is also not KISS.

I've the Seneca parallel guides which made me consider these might work but there's many issues with these such as setting the endstop manually several times (user error).  Add/subtract "x" from the rule, even if you align it for this process, since it will not be the same when flipping the panel 180 degrees (user error).  Again, not KISS.

That said, the best I can think of would be to have longer alignment bars (T-Track, 8020, etc.), which are adjustable like the existing alignment bars, and would have holes spaced 32mm apart.  In this way, you insert a locating pin in the first hole, push the guide rail back so the pin is touching the front edge, align the bar for 37mm offset, drill the first hole, move the locating pin back 3 holes, and are ready to drill another hole 96mm back from the first hole.  I could easily design a 3D printed mount if it's different than the original bar stock but am not sure how I'd get it drilled out with consistent 32mm spacing.  I could use the LR32 to drill these holes in 2-3' pieces of wood and make a mount but this is rather cheap and also prone to expand/shrink.  I seen Woodpeckers and Veritas have some 32mm drilled aluminum stock for shelf pins but perhaps you've some other ideas...

So ... has anybody done anything like this or have another solution which is really KISS?

The simplest (KISS) solution for a row of middle holes would be to use a spacer to register the hex bars back a set distance.  You didnt mention what that distance was but we can use 261mm as an example.  The stock bars are too short at 110mm.  However, thats pretty easily corrected.  Typically the hex rod is clamped to the rail inbound of the top and bottom of the gable and the pin is hooked on the front edge. This time you will clamp the hex rods so the registration pins are just outside of the gable.  If you need holes at 261 you need to add approx 151mm.  I like to keep my fixtures in even numbers that make adding/subtracting easy.  So 100mm, 200mm etc. However, in this case since this could be of regular use I would make a set a custom dimension. We know we need a row at 261mm based on our example.  We also know that our hex bars will be set at 37mm 99% of the time since this is the universal set back from the front edge for the first row.  We also know that the registration pin on the hex bar is 6mm in diameter.  Since it usually hooks on the outside of the panel and will now be butting we have to compensate for it. 

So we take 261mm - 37mm (so we dont have to adjust the stop) - 6mm (pin diameter) = 218mm spacer (we need 2 of these)

Now just take a straight edge across the front edge that is longer than your gable and put the spacer block in and then set your rail so the pin butts up to it and now your holes are now at 261mm.  The picture below shows a mock up. The MDF would be the gable, the birch is the straight edge and the white block would be the important spacer piece.  As I mentioned if you want some universal ones you could make them 94mm and 194mm (which would give you 100mm and 200mm set back remember we have to factor in the pin) So if you need some odd dimension like 180mm for whatever reason you would set the hex bar at 80 and use the 100mm spacer (94mm actual) but since I hate fiddling with those hex bars I would make a custom set as long as it isnt a one off. That way I could leave the hex bar at 37mm and just slap in the spacer. Easy peasy. 

 

[Bugsysiegals]

Thanks for the great ideas!  I'll try them all out and see what works best for me.

 

[pillguy]

this is the same issue I am facing. Thanks for posting.