When boring out furniture legs to accept stem casters, the holes must be drilled perpendicular to the axis of the legs for aesthetics and proper operation. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to do this freehand, and setting up a drill press for the operation can be a hassle. I find that it’s best to use a 11⁄4"-long drill guide block cut from the end of a leg that was made oversized in length for the purpose. After crosscutting the ends of the block square, drill through its axis on the drill press using a bit that suits the diameter of the caster stem. Then, attach a couple of plywood flanges to opposing sides of the block to allow clamping it to the end of each leg for drilling its hole. If your bit is too short for the job, simply drill as far as you can, then remove the block to complete the job.
—Arlo Boyd, Wheeling, West Virginia
