Drilling apparatus with clamping mechanism

An apparatus for drilling a hole through a workpiece, comprising:

• a clamping device for clamping the workpiece, the clamping device comprising first and second opposed clamping members arranged to be movable relatively toward and away from each other, and an actuator operable to urge the clamping members toward each other to clamp the workpiece therebetween;
• a drill motor and cutter drive mechanism mounted on the first clamping member and adapted to engage a rotary cutter, the drill motor and cutter drive mechanism being operable to rotate the cutter and to advance and retract the cutter along an axial direction such that the cutter can drill a hole through a thickness of the workpiece clamped between the clamping members;
• a cutter guide mounted on the first clamping member, the cutter guide receiving the cutter therethrough and guiding the cutter such that the cutter is advanced and retracted along a cutting axis that extends through the thickness of the workpiece clamped between the clamping members;
• a receptacle defined in the second clamping member for receiving an end portion of the cutter such that the cutter can drill a hole entirely through the thickness of the workpiece clamped between the clamping members, the receptacle being aligned along said cutting axis and having a diameter substantially larger than that of the cutter;
• and
• a plunger mounted in the receptacle for engaging a pilot hole formed in the workpiece so as to locate the apparatus in a proper location for drilling a hole, the plunger being movable into the receptacle such that the plunger is contacted by and pushed into the receptacle by a tip of the advancing cutter as the tip breaks through the thickness of the workpiece and enters the receptacle.