Blank Drilling

[jbeyer]

I'm about to turn over to the dark side with lathe drilling instead of press drilling but just had a couple of questions for you guys who use the press...

With press drilling... how do you keep the drill always in the same location for both parts of the blank. For me I always had to adjust the hight of the table to accommodate for the change in length of the bit. That always changed the center location. What do you guys do?


Jonathan

 

[Padre]

I have this pen drilling jig from PSI. I mounted it on a piece of plywood and then put some dowels in either end. Then drilled with a forstner bit corresponding holes in my drill press table. Then the jig just 'snaps' into the table, keeping it perfectly centered under the bit.

 

[jbeyer]

I've looked at jigs like that but the table moves left and right and up and down... It would never be the same...

 

[Lenny]

Jonathan, if I understand your question (I'm assuming you are using two different size drill bits and one is much longer than the other or perhaps your quill travel is limited ...?) Would using a block under the blank help? If you set your table to the height that worked with the longest bit and then added scrap blocks under the shorter blank/bit ... that way you wouldn't have to change the table and re-adjust. Did that make any sense? Am I understanding your problem?
The back up blocks will help prevent blowout as the drill breaks through as well. If it's an issue where the bit doesn't extend far enough to drill through your blank ...??... can you just drill part way.... stop .. loosen the chuck, extend the bit in the chuck and then drill the rest of the way...?

 

[jbeyer]

That makes perfect sense. I don't know why I didn't think of placing scrap wood under and then drilling through.

Thanks so much

 

[fernhills]

Hi, i started out on the DP using the vise in the link. That vise moves a lot, so i went to the lathe, that works very good but is a little slow. I am thinking of getting a good cross slide vise and try the DP again. Carl

 

[darrin1200]

I use a very similar vice.
Once you have the vice centered, you must clamp it down. If you use a 3/8 rod in your chuck,then tighten your vice around it, then clamp down. This centers your vice on the drill bit, and should not need to be moved.
If your drill press dosn't have enough travel, (like mine) you will have to shift the blank up over the drill bit which is a royal pain in the @#$% probably why I am in the market for a new drill.
From what I can tell, the advantage of the DP and vice is that you can put any shaped blank into the vice and drill the center because the work does not move. However drilling on the lathe, the work spins so you have to make sure your blank is square (or round) when you drill it.

Darrin

 

[Parson]

Because I can't afford a good drill press, I have to drive to a buddy's house to use his. So tonight I drilled a top and bottom blank on the lathe. Holy cow why did I put off trying this? It worked incredibly well, didn't take much more time than using a drill press (after I actually got there all the way across town) and the bit did not wander at all and my holes are super round and dead center.

I encourage anyone who reads this thread to try it if you have the equipment to do it.

 

[bitshird]

I'm about to turn over to the dark side with lathe drilling instead of press drilling but just had a couple of questions for you guys who use the press...

With press drilling... how do you keep the drill always in the same location for both parts of the blank. For me I always had to adjust the hight of the table to accommodate for the change in length of the bit. That always changed the center location. What do you guys do?


Jonathan

Jonathan Come to the Dark Side, you can drill blanks much easier on your lathe, either a Beal Collet system or just a cheap barracuda chuck, Grizzly sells a Nova copy (but it actually may be a Nova) our clubs Delta came with a Delta chuck that was actually a Nova, but any way you can round your blank particularly with the tool you'll have in a day or two just between centers, I did 5 Bog Oak blanks and a couple of Pepper mill blanks today with nothing but a dead center and a live center, no steb, no spur, I just drilled both ends with a cheap #6 center drill for the big blanks and a #4 for the pen blanks, and had a blast.
Take the round blank pop it in either a collet or a chuck after you've cut it to length and drill baby drill, Nice center hole, way better control and unless you lathe is screwed up DEAD CENTER