Ya know...

[Games001]

It's just a shock to me to be learning such amazing new skills simply by working on my first cab.

I am not building from scratch, except for the CP, and every time I try something new it's better than the last idea.

Today's shocker.. moving from a 1-1/8 Spade Bit to drill out CP holes.  I decided to spend the cash on a Freud Forstner bit of equal size.

Let me say this... HOLY SMEG! 

I have been making test CP's for the last few weeks, 4 in all so far (some ply, mdf, particle, etc) , and this little bit is a-friggin'-mazing.

The spade would cut well enough, then it would chew up the exit side of each hole.  This tended to happen often with the plywood boards, not so badly with MDF or Particle.

This new forstner bit cuts slower, but damn it's clean.  It literally cuts so clean on entry and exit that it feels to have been sanded by 80-100 grit paper.

Thanks for all those voices out there that helped me think about the forstner bit as a good investment. 

[PhiDeltCraiger]

Let me say this... HOLY SMEG! 

Nice! A Red Dwarf reference.

[javeryh]

Sweet!  Those bits are great.  FYI, you can get an even cleaner exit from the hole if you clamp a piece of wood down behind your work piece.

I have also learned a ton by building these things.   

[Jdurg]

Yeah.  I've learned a TON about woodworking since starting my CP.  You can see which holes were drilled first, which cuts with the jigsaw were made first, and what my first routing jobs were.  As time has gone on, I've gotten MUCH better with all of my equipment and by combining the jigsaw/router/hand planar I'm able to make beautifully straight cuts now.

A few days ago I got my pattern cutting bit and cut the bottom of my CP.  This weekend I'll build the sides and glue/screw them to the bottom and have the shell for my CP!   

I also plan on fully recessing my "admin/shift" button on the side of my CP so that the top of the unpressed button is on the same level as the outside of the box.  Should look pretty good.

[javeryh]

Starting sometime in the middle of next week I'll be building the CP on my latest creation.  I'm going to be mitring ALL of the corners on the box including the bottom panel so I'll be cutting some pretty funky pieces.  I hope it all comes together!

[Jdurg]

Starting sometime in the middle of next week I'll be building the CP on my latest creation.  I'm going to be mitring ALL of the corners on the box including the bottom panel so I'll be cutting some pretty funky pieces.  I hope it all comes together!

Good luck with that!  I have to do the same thing for the side parts of my CP since it's not a rectangular shape.  It's also not a stock 45 degrees for each cut.  The other odd part is that I don't have a table saw so I'm going to be making the cuts by adjusting my jigsaw with the use of a protractor.  It worked on the test pieces I did.  I'll then fill in any gaps with a wood filler/putty that I have.  As long as the pieces are within a mm of each other in regards to the gap, the putty will work just fine.  I think the toughest part will be making the cuts for the downward angle of the CP.

I'm still trying to determine how much of a slope I want to put in there.  I'm thinking of 2" from front to back since it's a fairly deep CP.  I may end up going 1.5", but it's going to be "interesting" making the sloped cuts.

[Games001]

Starting sometime in the middle of next week I'll be building the CP on my latest creation.  I'm going to be mitring ALL of the corners on the box including the bottom panel so I'll be cutting some pretty funky pieces.  I hope it all comes together!

I would love to see the finished product, along with 'bit by bit' pics detailing your method and progress.

Good luck.

[purpledrillmonkey]

Do you use your forstner bit in a drill press, or handheld drill?  I know that a drill press is always recommended for forstner bits, but I have read that using them in a variable speed handheld drill will work, although getting a perfectly straight hole is somewhat more difficult.  I picked up a spade bit to do my first CP only because I couldn't really find anything really recommending that forstner bits can be used in a drill, but I do not have a drill press and from past experience, I know that forstner bits are the way to go if at all possible.

[Games001]

Having not gone whole hog into buying a machine shop setup, at least not until my first real scratch build cab, I have been using my DeWalt 12amp Vari-Speed Handheld Drill.

The spade bits work fine, within reason.  The slightest turn of the hand or change of drilling angle and the spades tend to rip the hole into a slightly oval shape.  Its not a bad issue, in fact I only see it because I am a freak of a perfectionist.  Most people are just shocked to see the CP and the work put into it.  They never notice the slightly 'off' holes.

The fostner bit fits my drill very easily and I have noticed that even if I shift my grip slightly in the midst of the drill process, the fostner seems to 'grip the hole' and force the bit to stablize.  It's been perfectly cutting holes for the last few days.

If you happen upon a nice drill press, I would imagine that almost any method of cutting will come out very, very nice.  The fostner route would just be adding perfection to the method.