Drill speed for blanks

[Firefyter-emt]

Guys, what speeds are you running to bore the tube hole in your blanks? I just dropped down to 400 rpm on my press and I kinda like it (10mm hole in a 3/4" angle cut cocobolo blank made me nervous) It is also a lot nicer for the mandrel too. This may be a "Well duhhh" question.. But I am curious all the same.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Not a dumb question. But you might wonder at some of the responses you might get on this. Since I frequently bore 3/4" end grain into hard hardwoods, my drill press is set kinda slow (540 rpm) and it works fine for pen blanks. Slower generates less heat meaning less problems with some blanks. Others will chime in here saying high speed is better and generates less heat. Go figger.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Most of the more experienced penturners drill fast, i.e. 1000-1500 rpm.
Certain drill bits, like the "parabolic flute" ones sold by Berea need a high speed to clear the chips better. But nevertheless what drill speed you use, a sharp bit is always better than a dull one.
Do a search here on IAP, you will find quite an abundance of information regarding drill speed.

 

[alamocdc]

I guess I'm not that experienced. I started out at the speed Rudy mentiones, but have since backed my press down to about 480 RPM. There are several schools of thought on this that have been cussed and discussed ad nauseum. Whatever works best for you, stick to it.

 

[woodbutcher]

I drill blanks at around 300 rpm but as stated above it's a little like ice cream, everyone has his favorite.
Jim[]

 

[mick]

I guess I'm not experienced either. I'd never even consider drilling a blank at those speeds...especially most plastics which tend to MELT from the friction of those speeds! I've started drilling a lot on the lathe and I've found that the slower you can go .........the better!But like everyone says, each to his own ...if it works for you ......go for it!

 

[Jerryconn]

Some of the folks that sell the plastics will recommend drilling at a very slow speed (i.e. 250 rpm) and then keeping the bit cool. The catch is that at slower speeds you tend to blowout the bottom more than at higher speeds. To me the big thing is drill at whatever speed you feel comfortable with and DO NOT force the bit into the material. if you find yourself having to force the bit it's time to sharpen or replace. Some bits when sharp will almost pull themselves into the material at the right speed. And if the bit starts getting hot take a break, use a wet sponge to cool it back down (with the drill press off []) . It's a hard thing, but taking your time with woods and particularly plastics to keep them from getting too hot is important.