Simplest Way to Drill in the Center of ANY Rod!

Center drilling into a metal rod may not seem that complicated. All you have to do is drill a hole, right? Well I can tell you from experience, it’s almost impossible to get it right. From trying to keep the drill centered directly in the middle of the rod, to ensuring the drill is perfectly perpendicular, it’s just not as simple as it seems. And if you have to drill multiple holes that need to be perfectly aligned, you’ll almost never get that right by hand.

However, YouTuber JohnnyQ90, a DIY expert who builds all kinds of micro engines and his own tools and aides for the shop, has come up with a pretty simple way to build your own guide for center drilling any metal rod. All you need is a short section of the rod itself, a drill press, a center drill bit and a vise.

To start, simply cut off a short length of the pipe itself, about and inch or so, and pop the center with a punch to mark where you need to drill the hole. Put the guide into the drill press itself – where the bit itself would usually go – and line up a center drill to start the hole. Then just drill it out to whatever size you need. Now your guide is completed, and you can use it to drill the holes needed through the center of the metal rod.

Simply clamp the rod into the vise and place the guide above it, vertically. Use the vise to hold both pieces and drill through the guide into the rod below. If you’ve done everything correctly, you should have no problem drilling as many holes as you want or need. Small guides like this can be invaluable to have in your shop, so don’t throw it away when you’re done with it. Write on the side what size the hole is, as well as what size the rod is, and keep it in your toolbox or cabinet for future use. Check back here for more DIY tips, as we always find something useful on JohnnyQ90’s channel.