: How do I line up two adjoining panels to
: drill opposing holes and be sure the ends are going to some together?

Get a flexible tape measure -- the cloth kind used for seing clothes works great -- and measure the edge length of a panel, starting at the left end of the panel and ending at the right end. Write down the measured length of that edge. Calculate the center point from that measurement, and mark it. Then start at the right end and repeat the process, mesuring to the left end. You should find that you hit the very same midpoint. If not, check your math on figuring the midpoint, and then go back and re-measure both directions again.

Now find the panel that is supposed to be stitched to this one. For many designs, but not all, the ends of the panels will line up, so that means the length along the edge of this panel had better be exactly the same as the edge of the first panel you measured. Measure the edge length on this second panel twice, marking the center point each time, and recording the overall length. If the panel lengths are within 1/4 inch you'll have enough play in the stitching that you can compensate. If the lengths differ by more that 1/4 inch then you want tocheck to see if you cut the panels to the right size. That means going back over your lofting data and rechecking the actual measurements of the panels against the specs.

It is far better to catch an error here and make a new panel from scratch than to get into stitching up panels that won't fit right.

Every panel has two sides that will match with adjacent panels. Let's assume your panels are labeled A, B, C and D, and connect in that order -- so that B comes between A and C.

If you measure panel B and find that the side that matches panel A is good, but the side that matches panel C doesn't seen right, then the error is probably on panel C. Before you cut either panel, though, measure panel C and compare it against D and if you have problems with those two matching, then it is almost certain that your problems are in panel C.

You can make a simple jig for drilling your stitching holes from a scrap of wood that is 5 to 6 inches long. Decide how far from the edge of the panels your holes are to be. Let's say 1/4 inch in. Drill a 1/16th inch hole in your gauge stick that is 1/4 inch from one edge. Now drill a 1/8 th inch hole 4 inches from that first hole, and also 1/4 inch from the same edge as the first hole. Tap a small (4d or 6d) nail into the 1/16th inch hole so that it projects about 1/2 inch. Drill your first hole at the center point on your panel, sitck in the projecting nail on your gauge, and the open 1/8th inch hole will serve as a guide for your drill bit. After you drill each hole, move the gauge along putting the nail in the most recently drilled hole. After you do a bunch of holes, say a dozen, go back to the center hole and start working toward the other end. Then start in the middle of the matching panel, and repeat the process.

You might wnat to doo all the holes at once before stitching, or you might want to just do 20 to 30 in the middle to get started, and then finish up the ends as you get to them, either by using the gauge, or just drilling them by eye.

Hope this helps

PGJ