# Forum Home Renovation General Odds & Sods  how do you pre-drill melamine boards for shelving?

## wozzzzza

I want to put up some melamine shelving at home, want it to have adjustable shelving, meaning drilling holes at set intervals neatly.
how would I go about drilling these holes neatly at set intervals? normal drill will break out the edge of the holes, how do I drill neat holes?

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## phild01

Normal drilling shouldn't break the surface edge.  A drill press might be useful but a simple pre-drilled clamped template and steady hand is sufficient.  Use a new drill bit if the edges are tearing and wrap some tape around it as a depth gauge.

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## Random Username

I've found a 5mm brad point bit is less likely to cause chipout on the melamine, if that's your worry. 
The holes are (typically) set out at 32mm centres, 37mm from the front edge of the cabinet. 
You can buy an expensive jig for it here: Veritas Tools - Drilling Jigs - System 32 Cabinetmaking System

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## phild01

You might have a cutting service locally who could pre-drill it all for you and would be the easiest way to do this.
  Personally I don't like pre-drilled panels, I think it is weak and ugly.  I like to predict best spacing for the purpose.  Fixing shelves in place also strengthens the cabinetry.  If you are loading the shelves with books, 16mm melamine will bend out of shape.  Extra strength is gained by fixing to the cabinet rear.

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## wozzzzza

to outsource will cost too much, to do it myself will take forever, think I will just goto bunnings and get 4 pre-drilled panels already done, only cost about $45 more than to do it myself without a whole lot of mucking around

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## The Bleeder

It's not hard to do. Get a strip of peg board.  
Use a texta and circle a set of holes. The put the peg board on the base of the cabinet and drill away. 
Just go round to each corner and do the same. 
Just remember to put a depth stop on the drill.

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## chalkyt

Before going to the Big Green Shed, if you have a bench grinder suitable for sharpening drills try undercutting the cutting face of the drill with the edge of the wheel (if it has a nice square dressed edge!). A bit hard to explain but sharpen the drill so that it looks a bit like a speedbore. i.e. sharpened so that the flutes cut into the surface of the melamine before the body of the drill does (make sure that the point is longer than the flutes so that the drill doesn't wander around. We often used this method for drilling perspex which is notorious for splitting and cracking when being drilled. And... drill a small pilot hole then drill the melamine from both sides so that both surfaces are cut cleanly by the pointy flutes.
  /\
 |\| |/|  This isn't the greatest sketch but it might give you an idea of what I am on about. The angles don't have to be as steep as this shows... just a bit more than flat.
 |        | 
Hope this helps  :Biggrin:

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## wozzzzza

yeah I get ya,  have drill bits like that for Perspex, but im thinking all the labour its gonna take to get it all done nicely, probably hours. hours better spent elsewhere.

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## Handyjack

It takes minutes to drill a panel with a jig. The hardest part might be lining it up.
I have put holes in existing cupboards, and the easiest way was with a pre-drilled board which I attached to the sides, went mad with the drill, moving to the opposite side and away again. (You need to position the board in four locations.) A depth mark on the drill is helpful. A 5mm brad point drill is what I use. 
If you do not have a jig, either buy or make one.
Easy way to make a jig is buy a predrilled panel and rip it down to about 70-100mm wide. Then drill the holes all the way through. Cut to length.
If jig is cut too short, start using it at the bottom of panel, then move up securing it through at least two holes and continue drilling. 
Hope that makes sense. Good luck with your project.

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## wozzzzza

yeah I get ya as well, but I don't have drill press, I don't have depth stop, that's what makes it hard, I dot have jig I would have to make one and being a one off job I don't think it is worth it.

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## The Bleeder

Woz, 
You don't need a drill press. To make a depth stop for a hand power drill just drill a 5mm hole through a piece of dowel about 50-60mm long. 
Then adjust the drill in the chuck so that the required lenght of the pokes out from the dowel. 
As I said before just use a piece of peg board as your jig.

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## Handyjack

While not a stop, a piece of tape stuck to the drill bit is a guide as to how deep to drill.
You do need to work out where to put the tape before starting to drill allowing for depth of jig if you are using one. The tape may move in use so may need checking and replacing. Painters masking tape is what I am using as it is at hand, and easy to see, and apply. 
A jig might only be a piece of timber with three appropriately spaced holes which you move and re secure to your panel as required. Use an off cut and try and get these holes as accurate as possible, but even if they are not, if repeated at the same intervals on your panels you will have level shelves.

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## David.Elliott

for $2.00ish per sheet...?   Search - Our range | Bunnings Warehouse   1800 x 445mm 16mm ABS White Melamine I/N 0570580 | Bunnings Warehouse

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