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Builders’ Tip: A Simple Way to Bore Clean Holes
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Click for larger image. | When I need to bore an especially clean hole, such as one for a screw plug, I typically apply the simple principle of opening up my wallet — I use pricey, precision-machined brad-point drills that I normally can count on for crisp work.
But with certain woods, such as mahogany, even the sharpest cutters leave an unsightly frayed edge. And while up-shear geometry is great for evacuating shavings, it can drag debris past the surface fiber, causing splintering.
Here’s what I do to avoid the problem:
- As shown in the accompanying drawing, start the hole with the driver/drill running in reverse to produce down-shear cutting. This pushes the waste wood away from the face of the work piece while compressing surface fibers at the circumference of the hole.
- Finish boring with the driver/drill rotating normally.
- Unless you use a drill press, the hole will likely be 1/64-inch or so out of round.
In all but the fussiest of circumstances, this amount will be negligible.
If this method is new to you, try the technique on a few pieces of scrap to get a feel for it.
— Michael Standish, West Roxbury, Mass.
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press
To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.
 Tax Credit Web Site Looks at Opportunity of a Lifetime
Builders and other industry professionals can help spur home sales by referring prospective first-time home buyers to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com. The NAHB Web site provides detailed information on the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers included in the economic stimulus legislation signed into law by President Obama.
Consumers can use the Web site to find information on the tax credit — including a detailed question and answer section. It also includes information about other housing-related and small business measures in the legislation and a number of home-buying resources for consumers.
Spanish Version Also Available Online
A Spanish version of this increasingly popular Web site is also available to provide detailed information on the tax credit to Spanish-speaking first-time home buyers.
Industry professionals are encouraged to highlight either tax credit Web site when marketing to their potential first-time home buyer market.
 Set Yourself Apart With CGB Designation
Join the ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals with the Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. The “Builder Assessment Review” (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining the CGB.
This comprehensive assessment measures your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: building technology, business and finance, project management and sales and marketing.
Your results will show the areas where your knowledge is strongest and weakest and will help determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.
To learn where the next BAR will be held, visit NAHB’s education listings, or call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242 x8154.
 BuilderBooks.com Offers More Than 250 Books That Help You Build Your Business
BuilderBooks.com is your source for training and education products for the building industry. The official bookstore for NAHB, BuilderBooks.com offers award-winning publications, software, brochures and more available in both English and Spanish.
To view these publications online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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