Perfect Circles

I like to use a circle cutter on the drill press to cut out large holes and circular workpieces. But I found that adjusting the cutter to the right diameter could be a touchy operation. When positioning the cutter arm, I would invariably move it too far in one direction or the other. This frustration led to a simple solution.

To help control the movement of the cutter arm, I installed a drill bit stop collar on its tail end. After making a rough adjustment, I slide the stop collar up against the arbor and tighten it down. The collar then gives me a fixed reference point for making fine adjustments to the cutter arm.

Have a nice weekend,

Ted Raife
Editor, Woodsmith

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Printer-Friendly Version Perfect Circles I like to use a circle cutter on the drill press to cut out large holes and circular workpieces. But I found that adjusting the cutter to the right diameter could be a touchy operation. When positioning the cutter arm, I would invariably move it too far in one direction or the other. This frustration led to a simple solution. To help control the movement of the cutter arm, I installed a drill bit stop collar on its tail end. After making a rough adjustment, I slide the stop collar up against the arbor and tighten it down. The collar then gives me a fixed reference point for making fine adjustments to the cutter arm. Have a nice weekend, Ted Raife Editor, Woodsmith Send for a preview issue of Woodsmith magazine More Tips & Techniques Index of Tips by E-mail More Tips & Techniques WoodNET, Woodworking on the Web Subscriber Links Update your Email Preferences Subscribe
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