Drilling through veneer - tips? [Archive]

SAS-1

Mar 31st, 2007, 01:16 PM

We purchase some new IKEA furniture and need to drill some holes for the entertainment units. The small holes are no problem and just drilled straight through. However, I need to make about a 1" sized hole in the veneer. I'm thinking about using a bit like this and duct taping the area first.

http://www.diydata.com/tool/drillbits/holesaw.jpg

What do you guys think?

Gloaming

Mar 31st, 2007, 01:29 PM

I totally thought this was a dentistry questions from the heading...

sunnybono

Mar 31st, 2007, 01:41 PM

using that bit should do the trick, but I'm thinking that you may want to use some masking tape to over the entire hole so that you don't wreck/chip the veneer.

sk

Kanus

Mar 31st, 2007, 01:58 PM

Make sure you drill from the veneer side and use masking tape over the veneer.

dastt

Mar 31st, 2007, 03:12 PM

your going to want to drill from the veneer side so that when the bit breaks through to the other side it wont chip.

SAS-1

Apr 1st, 2007, 11:09 AM

Thanks for the input everyone. I managed to successfully drill 5 holes using the hole saw and a bit of duct tape. A little chipping on the backside but the visible side looks almost perfect.

JWL

Apr 4th, 2007, 10:59 AM

Sounds like this tip is too late, but I will mention it anyways (for some person in the future who does a search on "drilling through veneer" :cheesygri )

1. Start on the veneer side and penetrate the veneer with the bit in the middle.
2. Go to the other side and using the hole that you made, cut into the veneer from the back with the circular part of the drill bit. But don't cut all the way through.
3. Then return to the front and drill all the way through. This should eliminate splintering on the far side when you drill through.

Obviously a bit tedious, but very effective.

SAS-1

Apr 4th, 2007, 11:54 AM

Sounds like this tip is too late, but I will mention it anyways (for some person in the future who does a search on "drilling through veneer" :cheesygri )

1. Start on the veneer side and penetrate the veneer with the bit in the middle.
2. Go to the other side and using the hole that you made, cut into the veneer from the back with the circular part of the drill bit. But don't cut all the way through.
3. Then return to the front and drill all the way through. This should eliminate splintering on the far side when you drill through.

Obviously a bit tedious, but very effective.

Great tip! Unfortunately, I only figured this out on hole #5 of 5. :D