Any Suggestions for Marking Blind Holes?

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

sheet of paper and a crayon or piece of graphite to make a rubbing off the casting, then line that up with the sheet steel and drill.

 

[BrentD]

If you can coat the part you're trying to match with stamp ink or some easily removable paint, you can then flatten a piece of paper over it and transfer the marks.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I tried the clear plastic trick tonight. That is the slickest and easiest thing!!! It seems so obvious.

I ended up using a sheet protector since it was all I could find. I used a sharpie to mark the holes and the centers, center punched the hole, and drilled it out with a 5/8" hole saw. When I went to put the pieces together the holes were lined up as perfectly as if they had been drilled with the same jig.

Thanks again for the suggestion.

 

[600rider]

You could use a lighter piece of paper and make a tracing of the part. you remember when you were a kid place the paper over something and lay your pencile down so it was flat with the taper of the point and rub it back and forth so the outline would apear. Also I have used grease or something else to wet the surface of what I wanted transfered then placed a paper or cardboard over it and walla there is your holes.

 

[600rider]

Aparently I did not go to page two before posting my reply!!!

 

[Dale1995]

I've had the same problem when making something that needs to bolt to the frame of the tractor. If you have enough room, place a piece of paper on top of what you want to bolt to, (such as the tractor frame) I usually tape the paper to the part I am trying to duplicate. I then take a nice sharp pencil and hold the pencil so that the flat part of the lead is rubbing against the piece of steel, kinda like you are shading the piece of paper with the pencil lead. If you hold the pencil right, all the holes will show up on the paper and this will give you an exact pattern that you can now tape onto whatever you want to drill holes into. This is simple and cheap, plus it will give you an exact pattern.

 

[MikeD74T]

If you have a removed part that is small enough place it on a photocopier & use the copy for a template. Some of our repair procedures at work have photocopies of the gaskets to verify the replacement gaskets before disassembly. MikeD74T

 

[Dale1995]

opps me Too!

 

[Knotbored]

I used to transfer holes in aluminum with a steel ball bearing set in the hidden hole and a dohnut shaped magnet on the other sheet-it works like those old toys-dog magnets around a glass tabletop.
I also had a tool for transfering pilot holes-an inch X 16" strap bent into a U with a 1/8 hole through both pieces near the end- a 1/8 rivet was glued into one hole facing outward.-Slip the tool between the parts and feel for the hidden hole-when it drops in the exposed strap leg will exactly match and can be marked by touching it with a 1/8 bit.

 

[SPYDERLK]

If your careful, you can make transfer screws out of a bolt, by cutting the head off, then grinding the end to a point. Be careful that your point is in the center of the bolt, so it transfers correctly. They don't last as long as hardened ones, but will get you closer than a measuring tape.
David from jax

pointed set screws are pretty cheap...and durable.
larry