In woodworking, drilling holes at a uniform depth can be one of the most crucial and unforgiving things that anyone can do. Unlike scratching/denting wood (which can be fixed relatively easily), drilling can turn a good project into a an “expensive lesson” extremely fast.
Luckily there are ways to avoid those kinds of costly mistakes — and here is a very affordable one! This is a two-piece set of plastic “drill stops” aka depth stops, that will prevent your bit from going too far in, and ruining what you are working on. More importantly they will give you the ability to quickly and easily make repeated holes at a uniform depth. This can be crucial when you want your project to actually look good.
Some other options to achieve this would be to use a drill press, a jig (such as a Kreg pocket hole jig or shelf-pin jig), but those other methods typically require a lot more setup time and a lot more money. As far as something that can quickly attach to a bit & be used anywhere, it is down to these and then the small metal circular depth stops that are made for specific bit sizes. In that case you would have the option for additional depth, but the setup/adjustments take much longer and require additional tools.
Installing/adjusting/removing these is as simple as lining it up on your bit, hand-tightening it, and you are ready to go. They are made out of a strong plastic that is designed for a lot of use, and will not damage your bits!
The main advice I would pass along is to make sure you are securely attached to your bit (not too loose), and carefully/slowly drill your hole. It is not a race — and going too fast will most likely cause you to miss the mark or damage what you are working on.
The negatives would be the overall length of each drill stop, and also the capacities. Although my set was listed as having a range (between both units) of 1/16″ – 1/2″….I could not get a 1/2″ bit to fit. The largest size I got to work with them was a 7/16″ bit. Not a huge deal, but worth noting.
Overall they seem useful, and would be a handy addition to have in the shop!
100% MADE IN USA
