Dilling blanks on lathe

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negid

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I did a search for this topic and found a few threads, but none that answered my question.

What exact pieces do I need to drill my blanks on the lathe?
I'm assuming a drill chuck, but what do I get to hold the blank?

If you could include a link to the pieces I need, I would appreciate it.
 
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VisExp

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I use a Barracuda Chuck to hold the blank



http://www.pennstateind.com/store/csc3000c.html

To hold the drill bit I use this:

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/tm32kl.html

An alternative chuck to hold the blank, and one probably prefered by most here, is the Beal Collet Chuck,

http://www.bealltool.com/products/turning/colletchuck.php

The PSI Collet chuck is at the bottom of this page:

http://www.pennstateind.com/catalog/p/061.htm

All the links I gave you are for a #2 MT so check the MT on your lathe before you buy anything.
 

ed4copies

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I HAVE the beall collet, finally!

BUT, the Scroll chuck will hold square blanks, as well as round.

Your choice, but if I were purchasing anything (meaning I did not HAVE anything) I would get the scroll chuck first (and Jacobs chuck, also called a drill chuck). Pretty much any scroll chuck, just get small (no. 1 and 2) jaws for it.
 

Narwhale

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I use a Oneway Talon chuck with the spiget jaws to hold the pen blank. Have a jacobs chuck that holds the drill bit in the tailstock.
Also, I need a simple digital micrometer to measure the brass tubes so the proper slightly bigger drill bit can be chosen.
Rich S.
 

Texatdurango

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Whayne, Now that you have plenty of links to visit, I would like to add my two cents worth...... since I probably do things differently than some.

For starters, I will put a square blank between centers and turn it into a 3/4" diameter or less cylinder. You are going to have to get it into a cylinder sooner or later, why not sooner so you can see EXACTLY what you are dealing with. I will usually decide which end of the blank goes where only after having a look at the cylinder, which often reveals some characteristics the square blank doesn't.

I used to decide which end of the square blank would look best on the upper or lower barrel only to find that I would turn some of the pattern away!

Once I have the cylinder, I place it into a Beall collet chuck for drilling and chuck up a bit into the Jacobs chuck in the tailstock. As far as I am concerned, it's about the most accurate way I have to drill dead center into the blank.
 

ed4copies

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George's way is IDEAL.

By the time he is finished, I will have FOUR pens done. BUT, HIS will be MUCH more accurate and, better conceived.

So, if you are turning for beauty (pens over $100 a piece), use HIS way - I do. When turning $50 pens, quick is good!!!
 

negid

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My reason for asking this question is this:

I don't have a drill press yet, and was trying to figure out which way would be the cheaper option for me to start with. After looking at some of the chucks listed I think getting a small drill press would be the cheaper option.

Unless someone knows of a third?
 

ed4copies

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Careful,

You need at least a 3" quill travel.

Some SMALL drill presses will make this difficult. Can be overcome by putting your blanks on a 2x4 after starting the hole, but that gets old, very quickly DAMHIKT - only 15 years ago!!
 

rhahnfl

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If you are just looking to turn some 7mm tubed pens... there are a couple of places that sell some pre-drilled blanks. Don't know how much this appeals to you but if you got a few pens and sold them at a profit you could get some cash up to purchase whatever. That's the third option as I see it. Hope that might help a little.
 

Rifleman1776

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Originally posted by negid

My reason for asking this question is this:

I don't have a drill press yet, and was trying to figure out which way would be the cheaper option for me to start with. After looking at some of the chucks listed I think getting a small drill press would be the cheaper option.

Unless someone knows of a third?

Drilling on the lathe does work. It is accurate but slow. If you intend to do much turning other than pens, you will need a decent chuck. If you intend to do much shop work of any kind, a drill press will become a necessity. I would suggest you get the chuck first.
 

negid

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I just see the nearly $200 price tag for a chuck and nearly faint. But as i've read so many times on these forums...you get what you pay for. I may have to find someone with a press for a little while so I can save up for a chuck system.
 

gloucester

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I have a Jet 9X20 lathe I use for metal and sometimes wood. I use a 5C collet chuck and have 1/2", 5/8", & 3/4" square collets. I first square up my blanks on the table saw and then drill and withdraw to clear the drill about 3 times, I especially use this method on long blanks or when I don't have the spare diameter to not drill a straight hole. I also have a set of round collets for round stock. I use a the small Jet lathe for my wood turning. I get 1/2" corian blanks on ebay and am able to drill 8mm holes this way and still have plenty of stock left evenly to turn.
 

leehljp

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What you want to do is something that, for myself, I wonder what I would do if I had to do it over. I already had lots of tools for regular (flatwork) woodworking. But Would I start over with lathe drilling and get a good chuck and drill chuck, . . . or would I get a DP first? Knowing what I know now, . . . That is a tough one.

To me, your choice will boil down to: Do you want to turn pens out fairly quick with simple blanks? ( go for the Drill Press); Or do you think you will be more interested in going for the perfection of pen making, specifically in segments and designs? If this, then lathe chuck will be the choice.

One last tip. When a habit is formed and method is adopted, most people don't like changing, unless they are not getting satisfactory results. Even then, human nature will dictate that changes will stay within the basic method familiar with. (Example, DP method not satisfactory: spend more money and get a different blank vise; Lathe chuck not quite right? - spend money and get the best lathe chuck you can afford and will use for the rest of your life.)
If one is getting satisfactory results, it is hard to change over to a totally different method even if a little better performance is promised. Human Nature. What I am saying is that "most" people usually will stay with the same method and seek to improve within. So choose what you think you want to do for the long run and go for it based on that.

But BOTH tools are valuable. Can't do without either in my setup.
 

txbob

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I always drill on the lathe, but usually I don't use a drill chuck in the tailstock. It's too slow, cranking the tailstock in and out. Just grip the shank of the drill bit with a pair of pliers and hold it by hand. For drills I use a lot, like 9/32" and 3/8", I've turned wooden handles, about 1" diameter by 4" long, and glued them to the shank of the drill bit. Use a parting tool or the long point of a skew to make a small depression at the center of the blank, to guide the drill bit's starting point.

If you're concerned about the safety of doing this, don't do it. My father taught me to drill lamps this way about 50 years ago. I've been drilling pen blanks this way for at least 10 years. It's easy and it's faster.

YMMV,
Bob
 

dalemcginnis

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Remember also that with a drill press you also have to buy some type of vise to hold the blank. I started with a DP and could never seem to drill straight through the blank, especially if the blank was not cut absolutely straight. If I had it to do over I would definitely buy the chuck first, remember that you can use the chuck for many other things not just pen blanks. I got the PSI Barracuda on Amazon for about the price I paid for my drill press and it came with four sizes of jaws. Now my DP is just an expensive pen press.
 

negid

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Hmm...I can probably convince my wife to let me take a little bit of our tax return and buy a chuck. Sounds like a plan to me at least. ;)[}:)]
 
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