With the Heliums:
1. remove hardware from bottom of stick (steps and bracket)
2. cut to length, this will mean that your bottom 3 holes are on your "waste" piece, but save it!
3. position "waste" piece on stick and line up holes where you want them
4. clamps this down very well
5. use the holes in your scrap piece as a template to guide your freehand drill
6. you can drill a pilot hole first, etc and go slow
7. clamp main working piece down as well so you don't have to worry about spin out
This will work, but is still inferior compared to a drill press and drill press vise. I did my first stick using the method above and it worked, but then I bought a cheap press.
I got razzed for buying a $60 drill press from Harbor Freight to do my sticks, but I wanted one right then and considered it a disposable item.
I'll use the thing for small projects until it breaks (just didn't want to drop $300 or more right then just to build sticks and with no future drill press use in sight). But yeah, it's crappy but did the job.