EXCELLENT!!! Thanks Roger.

-jbb


"Roger Shoaf" wrote in message
...
"J.B. Bobbitt" wrote in message
...
I know it sounds pretty easy: get a nice board, drill the holes, play
cribbage. But I got problems.

I'm making two boards for my daughters (we've played since they could
count
and add; they're teenagers now), so they've got to be perfect. So I got
a
verrrrrrry nice board (see separate post for "ancient kauri wood"). I
also
bought the continuous track cribbage template from Rockler, which spec's
using a Vix bit for the holes. I've taken the Wreck's advice,
test/practice before you f*** it up. Most cribbage boards/pegs use
"standard" 1/8" or 9/64" holes.

Problems:

1. The Vix bit (No. 9, 9/64") doesn't make a clean hole (in other scrap;
I
have no scrap of the good board). The peg holes are closely spaced
(0.20"
on center); there's enough tearout between holes to discourage me from
using
it. I can't find a 9/64" brad point bit.

Here is a place:

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPR...ARTNUM=120-179

P/N 120-182 9/64 brad point drill bit.



Pluswhich, the Vix bit housing
spins enough to counter sink the plexiglass template enough to make me
worry
about using the template too many times.

Find some steel tubing with 9/64 od. Chuck up a short length of this
tubing
in your drill press and sharpen the inside of the tube as sharp as you
can.
You might want to harden the steel and then hone the edge.

Get a 9/64 pin and make a center punch. This can be done by chucking it
in
a hand drill and spining it while you gring the point.

Insert the tube in the hole in the template and give it a tap or two with
a
soft face hammer. This will cut the fibers of the wood near the surface.

Uas your center punch to mark the center of each hole.


You could also set the template on top of your board and mark the holes
with
a pencil. Now tape the template to the back of the board and put the
template over a pin driven into a board clamped to your drill press. This
will align the top of the board with the drill bit and your template will
suffer no scaring.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube,
then
they come up with this striped stuff.






2. I'm not keen on drilling hundreds of holes with a 1/8" brad point bit
without a template. (I don't like the template I got anyway, but that's
my
fault. I'd prefer to use a 4-track pattern, e.g. Dreuke CribbageMaster).

3. I had planned on finishing the boards with shellac before I drilled
the
holes, but the tearout problem has me re-thinking that. But, I don't
like
the prospect of finishing the boards after drilling the peg holes,
because
the shellac will fill the holes (I'm pretty sure it will, anyhow), and
I'd
have to re-drill the holes afterwards, again without a template.

OK, any or you Wreckers made cribbage boards out of wood you're reluctant
to
screw up? Any insight? Or flames?

As always, thanks a heap.
-jbb