Before I could move on to the cockpit deck installation I needed to drill a hole for the centre board pendant in the rear of the centre board case.
The pendant passes through this hole and is secured to a cleat on the forward wall of the footwell, and is used to raise and lower the centre board.
This hole needs to be exactly perpendicular to the end of the centre board case, and very cleanly cut.
This is the same problem which we had when cutting the finger holes for the lift out sections in the floorboards. At the time I tried to find a good quality drill guide to use with a cordless drill, and I did find one made by UJK. Unfortunately it had a three month waiting list for delivery, so in the end I bought a pillar drill instead.
But I didn't cancel the order for the drill guide, because I was sure that it would be required to drill other perpendicular holes in the boat where a pillar drill would be of no use.
Such as drilling the pendant hole!
I unpacked the drill guide and fitted it to a scrap ply baseplate in which I then bored a centre hole. Here it is.
This guide allows a power drill to be used to bore very accurate holes at an angle of 0 to 60 degrees.
And here it is with my big DeWalt cordless drill fitted and a 13mm Fisk drill bit loaded in its chuck. The hole takes a 13mm pendant guide.
My plan was to clamp the baseplate in the footwell to drill an accurate hole for the pendant.
Here is the guide clamped in place, with the 13mm bit in its chuck.
Next I fitted the drill, as here.
Then I slid the drill along the guide rails and cut the hole. It cut cleanly and accurately, with ease.
Here is the hole seen inside the centre board case.
And finally I test fitted the stainless steel pendant guide, as here.
Perfect! Job done.
The pendant passes through this hole and is secured to a cleat on the forward wall of the footwell, and is used to raise and lower the centre board.
This hole needs to be exactly perpendicular to the end of the centre board case, and very cleanly cut.
This is the same problem which we had when cutting the finger holes for the lift out sections in the floorboards. At the time I tried to find a good quality drill guide to use with a cordless drill, and I did find one made by UJK. Unfortunately it had a three month waiting list for delivery, so in the end I bought a pillar drill instead.
But I didn't cancel the order for the drill guide, because I was sure that it would be required to drill other perpendicular holes in the boat where a pillar drill would be of no use.
Such as drilling the pendant hole!
I unpacked the drill guide and fitted it to a scrap ply baseplate in which I then bored a centre hole. Here it is.
This guide allows a power drill to be used to bore very accurate holes at an angle of 0 to 60 degrees.
And here it is with my big DeWalt cordless drill fitted and a 13mm Fisk drill bit loaded in its chuck. The hole takes a 13mm pendant guide.
My plan was to clamp the baseplate in the footwell to drill an accurate hole for the pendant.
Here is the guide clamped in place, with the 13mm bit in its chuck.
Next I fitted the drill, as here.
Then I slid the drill along the guide rails and cut the hole. It cut cleanly and accurately, with ease.
Here is the hole seen inside the centre board case.
And finally I test fitted the stainless steel pendant guide, as here.
Perfect! Job done.
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