Blind Hole Spotter Set
Accurately transfer hole patterns to wood, metal, or plastic
I’m an amateur maker-of-things — metal, mostly, but some wood and plastic stuff, too. I am pretty terrible at measuring things accurately, especially with metal, when reproduction of patterns down to a few thousandths of an inch is important. Because of this lack of skill, I rely heavily on computerized generation of patterns (using CNC tools) or… I cheat.
One of my favorite ways to cheat are blind hole spotters. I am a big believer in using existing patterns to make other patterns, and a number of years ago I was introduced to this way of copying holes in materials much easier. Blind hole spotters are little slugs of metal that come in a variety of diameters in a set. The pin part fits snugly in an existing drill hole and stops without going all the way through because of a ring near the “top” of the pin, and there is a sharp pointy bit that then protrudes above the surface of the piece you’re reproducing. Place the blank material on top of these sharp pointy spikes, and then give a firm tap with a hammer. This results in a blank with tiny marks perfectly centered where you need to drill new holes. This is really useful on a car, a cabinet, or some other heavy/fixed piece of stuff that is hard to easily measure. Reasonably cheap, lasts a lifetime, and makes me smug every time I use them to save huge amounts of time and frustration – what else can you ask of a tool?
03/21/19108 Piece Blind Hole Spotter Set ($93)
