: I said I had drilled a pilot hole. It's actually a vent hole to let
: the air pressure equalize inside the board during glassing. Then
: I drill it out after glassing to the right size for the vented
: leash plug which contains a waterproof gore tex vent. Because
: surfboards don't have big holes in the center like a kayak, they
: need a vent to let the air pressure equalize during temperature
: and pressure changes. I drill a tiny one temporarily while
: glassing and then open it up with a forstner bit. Because there
: was a wood support under the hole I had to go a couple sizes
: larger and then drill sideways. The guide point of the forstner
: bit fit snug inside the hole, so I thought it would still get a
: good straight start but it walked on me.

Years ago I made a portable drill guide that could be held in place to allow a hole saw to be used without a pilot drill, would work just as well with a forstner bit. I'll try to find it tomorrow and post pictures, cost maybe a buck. Works very well. It's just a piece of plexiglass triangle shaped with a guide hole in the middle the size of the drill you're using, uses a threaded rod in one corner as a handle and two sheet metal strews in the other two corners, press the guide into the wood so the points on the sheet metal screws dig into the wood slightly and the drill will never wander :)

Btw, this was done so I could drill out old fasteners stuck in wood (boat bottom) hole saw fit over the screws and cut around them, drilled out probably a couple thousand wood screws this way, works great.

Bill H.