The conductor for drilling holes is a fairly common construction tool, which is very popular among furniture assemblers. With the help of such a device, it is possible to do without additional devices, which are usually used in the implementation of marking, requiring special accuracy. Furniture conductors and patterns are so highly valued in construction due to the fact that they provide the necessary parameters for the grooves, while the master can easily adjust the angle of insertion into the workpiece, and the openings of adjacent parts (if provided for by the technological process) will always match. Useful devices can be bought at almost any hardware store at an affordable price, however, many joiners prefer home-made jigs to factory models, especially if individual non-standard parameters are required for work. Below is a drawing of a device for drilling holes, on which its nodes and parts are indicated.
Benefits and scope
Among the main advantages of conductors, the obvious convenience in work, the reduction in the complexity of the process and the simplicity of their application are especially highlighted. Also popular is the product that the furniture conductor can be assembled by one’s hands even for a person without special skills, that is, an amateur. It will be useful in everyday life and where a small production of furniture is organized. You do not have to spend time on a scrupulous miscalculation of every millimeter, and there is no need to arm yourself with a ruler or other similar devices. In addition to assembling furniture, the use of a conductor drilling technique is characteristic of the field of engineering, where the basic technological rule is the accuracy of the layout, otherwise the connection of parts and assemblies will be unreliable, which is fraught with serious consequences.
In principle, such a device can be used in various industries in the processing of absolutely any materials (wood, chipboard, chipboard, MDF, plastic, metal), there are no restrictions on its use.
Design features and tool classification
Conductors for drilling holes can have several types of assembly, depending on their functional and purpose. For example, the simplest model for drilling at an angle is produced in the form of a corner or strip with holes located on the same line. Having such a carpentry tool at hand, you can quickly and accurately cut single-row grooves at right angles. If for work you need a completely different, more complex model of the template with holes located on different axes, it is better not to waste time searching for it, but to make the necessary conductor with your own hands. Homemade will fully meet the requirements of the master and will cost much cheaper than the factory version. As you already understood, a jig for perpendicular drilling has a very simple, if not primitive design. In the photo below you can see a simple domestic conductor for drilling the Practice brand.
So, furniture conductors are divided into the following categories:
- stationary. Such simplest samples do not include rotary elements in their design, due to which the workpiece is moved, and are used when working with similar parts;
- waybills. They have a fairly simple design and are not expensive. To perform the hole formation procedure, a drill template for a drill is put on the workpiece and fixed with a nut and washer;
- overturned. They allow you to make several grooves in one workpiece, while the holes can be at different angles relative to each other;
- rotary. The place and position according to which the conductor sleeve is installed here is determined by means of a dividing disk;
- rocky. They are especially widespread at industrial enterprises in the machine-building sector and are installed on professional equipment that operates taking into account the substantial shaft of work.
Selection rules
In order for the furniture conductor during the processing of parts not to disappoint you, and to work with it was comfortable and, most importantly, effective, when choosing a tool, follow the recommendations of professionals:
- First of all, pay attention to the type and purpose of the device. These are the main parameters of a product of this type, otherwise the incorrect selection of useless equipment will result in discarded money.
- The next important selection criterion is the price, and in this case you should not buy the cheapest models of conductors, especially since high-quality metal devices that do not come apart at the first use, a priori, cannot cost too cheap. Of course, you can completely save money by making a conductor for dowels with your own hands.
- Do not forget about the manufacturer's warranty, of course, if you make a purchase of factory equipment at a certified point of sale. The manufacturer's warranty will provide an opportunity to change the product or repair it for free in case of breakage within the allotted period.
- Additional options that expand the capabilities of the conductor for drilling holes for confirmat or other fasteners will allow you to optimize the work process. On sale you will find a self-centering conductor, a sample with dust removal function and a number of other equally interesting modern devices.
- The brand of a product, if not a fundamental factor when purchasing a joinery, does not mean that it should be ignored. Do not be too lazy to ask on the forums or from knowledgeable people the reputation of a manufacturer. As an example, we can cite the brands Wolfcraft (Wolfcraft), in particular the Wolfcraft 4685000, Condor (Condor) and KWB, which have established themselves well in the global construction market. In the photo below you can see the template furniture conductor for drilling holes of the Condor brand.
Do it yourself
This section of the article will be of interest to those who are wondering how to make a universal furniture conductor for dowels at home quickly and efficiently. For this purpose, it is best to use a metal corner or channel. Before making a conductor, you will need to first create a template by which holes will be formed. The diagram can be drawn on a regular sheet of paper. Then marking is carried out directly on the corner, after which the part is fixedly fixed with a vise or clamps and drilling is performed.
Carefully ensure that the process is carried out strictly perpendicularly, without the slightest deviation. Drilling machines do an excellent job of this task, since it’s more difficult to manually maintain an ideal vertical angle of 90 degrees. We draw your attention to the fact that the diameter of the drill should correspond to the diameter of the holes of the future product that you plan to process using a home-made template device. The conductor for drilling for confirm is ready, and now you can test it in practice.