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Tips for drilling straight holes in diy spraybar

Bertie

Bertie

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2013
Messages
489
Hi,
How do everyone make sure they have a straight line of holes on their diy spray bars?

I have very limited tools.

I have just ordered more pipe to make more spraybars as the ones I made a few months ago have about 4/5 holes out of line so makes it difficult to raise the bar above a certain level else the surface of the water gets broken.

With my last diy bars I found a straight upright (checked with my level) but the tubing was obviously bent ;) so a few holes were out of line.

I was thinking of getting a chalk line or even making a plumb bob with string and a heavy bolt or nut and getting some chalk dust from B&Q or similar but knowing how clumsy I am I would probably rub the chalk off before marking the holes off :D

Any hints or tips would be welcome.
 
Best advice I could give is use a pillar drill it you have access, with a board with two strips of batton each side of the tube screwed to the board to hold it in place. Measure your dot distance and drill away. The second bit of advise would be don't ask me to do it.:D
 
kirk said:
Best advice I could give is use a pillar drill it you have access, with a board with two strips of batton each side of the tube screwed to the board to hold it in place. Measure your dot distance and drill away. The second bit of advise would be don't ask me to do it.:D
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I'd do something similar with small angle flat bar tacked togeather and probably use a drill bit to stop it turning too
 
Got an idea! What about letting the drilling machine lying on a table. If you don't have a column this is probably the only way to ensure a same angle for the drills. Then put the pvc bar on a piece of wood or whatever you may find. Adding layers of this material should be the way to put the bar at the right position to be drilled. The aim would be to fix also the bar in that position and let only slide it laterally to drill the next hole.
Never tried but maybe works. Sorry my English is quite limited when talking about machines and specialised issues...
 
Looks like English to me, not that I understood any of it. Just kidding have you seen mine:D there is always a way around using expensive tools. I've given up on home made spray bars and gone for sexy glass ware. I cocked it up that many up it would have been cheaper to pay someone who works with acrylic.:)
 
I used masking tape to mark the spot where I want to drill...the trick is to get a straight line in the tube...I use the carpenters way wit one finger on the bar as a glide while holding the pencil firmly the same position... first pre-drill with a small (tiny) drill ....I found it to be easier when sitting down on a chair with another chair to rest the bar on in front of me, that way I can let my hand and arm rest on my leg which gave a much steadier hand when drilling
 
Thanks guys for your suggestions........I have ordered three new lengths of pipe so I have a little leeway to make sure that I get it as near spot on as I can. ;)
 
Tip of the Day:woot:
Rap some grid paper around the length of the pipe and drill through each equidistant marked squares on the paper.
This will help you keep a straight line...along the bar length.
Cheers
hoggie
 
In machine shops you use a V clamp to hold tubing whilst working on it, not all that common in home DIY.
vblock01.jpg


However I read somewhere use a length of surplus skirting board of this type:
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Tape the tube in the ogee bit and drill away, preferably using a pillar drill with a depth stop, though I expect if careful any drill could be used.

Some people also make holes using hot wire, especially if after smaller holes. Heat piece of wire with blow torch and melt away.
 
Hi Ian,
As it happens, I glanced across the room yesterday and noticed that the top of our sideboard has the perfect grooving!!! I even checked it with a length of tubing that I had cocked up last year and it is a perfect fit!!! ;)
When the tubing arrives I will have to do it when the wife is not here as I have a feeling that she will have strong objections to me taping (even though it will be masking tape) tube to her sideboard! :D
 
ian_m said:
But if you end up accidentally drilling holes in the side board, won't you find yourself waking up dead the next day :oops:
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I will have to be very, very careful.....if the sideboard gets a hole in it I can blame woodworm....................or the grandchildren:cool:
 
If only a spirit level to hand
  • Tape off one end of the pipe and fill half way with water and tape off the other
  • Using the spirit level find dead flat surface and place pipe on it and the water inside will give a dead level line all the way across the centre
  • Mark this with a white board marker at each end, now join the dots using the spirit level as a ruler and your line is perfect!
  • Now empty the water
  • Overlaying a length of masking tape will stop scratching and bit slippage plus you should still be able to see the line underneath
 
Bertie said:
Thanks guys for your suggestions........I have ordered three new lengths of pipe so I have a little leeway to make sure that I get it as near spot on as I can. ;)
Click to expand...

Where are you getting your pipe from? What are you using to attach it to the filter pipes?
 
Big clown said:
Trent plastics on ebay
16 mm pipe fits perfectly in 16/22 filter hose
12 mm pipe fits perfectly in 12/16 filter hose
Then you just need a bung for the end
Click to expand...


That's great to hear, am waiting for mine to arrive.
 
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