Drilling the Arcades
Draw a horizontal line 3/4" [19.05mm] from the bottom edge as shown in the top illustration below. Chuck a 5/8” [15.8mm] forstner bit into the drill press. Clamp a wooden fence to the drill press table positioned so the center of the bit will be centered on the intersection of the horizontal line and the vertical line on the face of the arcade strip. Set the depth stop for a strong 1/16” [1.5mm] (use the waste sections at either end of the arcade strip to drill test holes and check the depth). When you’re satisfied with the setup, drill 30 holes using the previously drawn lines as guides. As long as you don’t move the fence, the holes will be vertically even. Be as careful as possible to hit your guide lines with the point of the bit. It's a good idea to make a small dimple with an awl at each point to help guide the drill bit. If you miss a guide line, that arcade will be off-centered on its key. The bottom illustration below (partial representation of the entire strip) shows what your arcade blank should look like after this first drilling.
