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“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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For those of you who have been following the idea train regarding an offset hole attachment for the DJ-1, you have seen a couple of ideas pop out of the BCTW skunk works.
I like the micro-adjuster, I like that the latest permutation is sexy, et al.
But I remain unconvinced it is the best idea for drilling off center holes. How about this idea-
Speaking to both DJ-1 owners (and there are many of you) and potential DJ-1 owners, what if we were to build what looks like an identical DJ-1 but the bushing head simply floats on the two beams–we ditch the self-centering aspect?
Current owners already own the bushings and perhaps the Universal Jaws too. This version simply gives you the ability to traverse the head back and forth across the capacity of the tool and drill offset holes to your hearts content.
Personally, I find the nose cursor very useful and have no difficulty aligning centerlines to the nose cursor. We will also be able to add both metric and imperial grads to the top of the arms indicating the centerline difference from the EDGE. Are you listening to your echo David? And get this, if we etch the same rule on each beam, you can center the bushings by using the beams like a centering rule–same reading on the left and right and the bushings are centered, and exactly the same distance from either edge! We very well may be able to both systems on one tool creating one SKU. Metric for centering is easier and preferable in my opinion.
Second, this tool would cost less to make and perhaps broaden the appeal in the market–just thinking out loud here. It would be an elegantly simple solution in the most compact form–and fast. These three criteria appeal to me.
For current owners, we could offer it without the orange jaws, four screws is the difference. All of the pulleys go away, the cable assembly, and requisite slots and tapped holes disappear too-these are not insignificant costs. Our thumb to the wind guess at this point is that this version would cost about the same as the micro-adjust version–maybe less.
We disassembled a DJ-1 and created a working version of this idea and I like it. It will be even better with the grads.
If enough of you chime in, I will mock one up when I get back from my magic class in a week.
–John
John,
Simple and elegant, also allows for easier moving from side to side if one’s project requires it.
Now, about that micro adjuster; okay, okay, I kid because I love- I’m convinced that this cableless version would satisfy my offset drilling requirements.
Now it’s time to blow your mind: since you got rid of the need for two bars to slide in equal but opposite directions, why not make a wider beam for stability and have that beam pass through one or both the outriggers to lock down with knobs- extra benifit is that you can shove the extra beam to the inside of your bench getting it out of the way of the vise handle (love handles too!)
Thanks for putting up with me,
Rutager
Hi John,
It sounds like it should be called ADJ-1
Adjustable Drilling Jig – a new tool.
I lIke it.
-Masood
Rutager-By each outrigger containing a beam, the overall length of the tool for storage purposes is cut in half. Vise handles slip for a reason! FYI, The new beams with the V groove are plenty rigid.
The version we made today is surprisingly fun to use. AND FAST. BTW, if we made this in two versions, imperial or metric, we can set the bushing head to dead center by using the beam grads in a similar fashion as a centering rule. Same reading on the right and left and viola! The head is centered. So we can now find center and distance from EITHER edge. What is not to like? 🙂
–John
@Masood;
Not the DJ-Mini-me?
John,
In designing this new one Just remember the beer dude.
Stay Tool-less my friend..
Have fun at MA and eat some of that great Ice cream for me.
-Masood
Yes, but love handles just jiggle!
DJ- Mini-me should be a reality, one bushing “L” shaped bracket with sliding head, couple inches of movement, clamp it in the smallest places including inside curves.
-Rutager
I will keep two bushings–this is too handy and fast.
–John
John,
Okay, I’m sold on the new version- ship it!
Best,
Rutager
P.S. have a cheeseburger for me at “Cheeseburgers in Paradise,” next week.
Rutager-
This prototype on my desk works so well, more later. It is actually really exciting.
John
Thank you for the shout out, John. Everyone else–who know more than me about probably most relevant things woodworking and design related–was so enthused that I felt embarrassed to do more than joke about the direction things were going in. I really think the ability to precisely place holes a set distance from an edge is more important than the center offset. If the center offset is important, making a precise shim is pretty easy.
Easy to precisely shim the centering Dj-1 I should say. I’m at the watering hole killing brain cells…
John, I love the idea of stripping the DJ down, but I’m not sure why the stripped-down version needs two beams. Why not just have one? Have one of the jaws fixed at one end, and then have the bushing bar and the second jaw slide along the beam. You could have one scale for setting the jaw and another for centering the bushing bar. Have the scale on the bushing bar be half the increments of the second-jaw scale, and it would be easy to get it centered. Or you could use the jaw scale to get a particular offset from one edge or the other.
.
But perhaps I’m missing something about the new design (which I agree, should be called something other than DJ-1)? It seems that without the cables you lose the instantaneous centering ability, but you gain some flexibility in non-centered drilling.
.
I’ve just shared a bottle of pinot noir with Sharon, so it’s possible this is incoherent. But it’s also possible that it would be no different without the wine…
— Peter
What’s that old adage about a picture saying a thousand words?
My boozy fever dreams (Leinenkuegels Berryweis mixed half-n-half with Summer Shandy is very refreshing during a Pennsylvania heatwave) suggested a way to cheap microadjustability. Some “hitches” that would allow the precise inside measurement of the distance between the nose cursor line and the jaw face with calipers or set up blocks. They might be castable into the aluminum….
Hi John,
Since you are considering a re design might it be possible to allow the center assembly to pivot as well?
It could work like a door hinge with a fixed portion to attach to the rods/beams and the part that turns would hold the bushings and some sort of angle reference. This would allow for angled holes to be drilled in either axis ( or a compound angle) when used with the universal jaws on a longer board.
Food for thought.
Lars
Peter,
Have another sip and check out post #1 and the answer in #3.
Best,
Rutager
Thanks, Rutager. In the clear light of day, I see that my question (or at least, one similar to it) has been asked and answered. Sigh.
— Peter
hmmm,
.
I think Michael should be required to keep the blog momentum up during John’s absence.
Even if that takes us on another tangent.
;–/