dead center holes

[dug]

What is the best method to drill a hole when you really need it dead center, for example when installing a hinge.

When I was doing my doors I had a heck of a time getting all four screws to line up perfectly centered, and it takes very little error to cause the screws to not seat right or end up with a crooked hinge. The way I did it was to draw a circle in one of the holes with a very sharp pencil and then draw a bulls eye. I then knocked a hole with a sharp punch before pre drilling. After tightening the hinge on with the one screw I marked the rest the same way, then took it off and repeated the process

It worked pretty well but still the bit would wander slightly sometimes, or maybe I just didn't have the start hole exact center.

There has to be an better way. I'm guessing there might be a tool out there that has a bevel cut like a screw head with a sliding center punch? Something like that.

Too late for me at this time but I'm sure I'll run across this problem again soon.

[jbos333]

Transfer punches. Various outer diameters with a sharp point in the center. Usually kept in an indexed set much like drill bits. Commonly used in metal fabrication.

[MountainDon]

http://www.coastaltool.com/a/ab/snappy/self_centering.html





Choose the correct size drill bit/holder for the size of screw, place tip into hinge hole, drill pressing bit into wood, withdraw and it's done.

There are also jigs available for those times one wants to center a hole in the edge of a board.

[dug]

I was thinking of something like the transfer punch, just didn't know the name. But that self centering drill bit really looks like the ticket. 8 bucks would have saved me a lot of headaches. I'm getting one- thanks Don!