Drilling blanks

[TheHoneymooners]

I've found a great way to drill blanks on my ShopSmith... I'm sure you guys with ShopSmiths have already figured it out , but just in case.....I had built a wooden jig to hold my blanks while I drilled em, similar to the one BB uses on his video, a couple of pieces of 2x2 hinged on one end with a V cut out of each piece facing each other to secure the blank.I fought clamping it to the drill press table, nothing worked well and there was too much movement unless you used both hands to hold it in place.(where's my 3rd hand to run the bit down?) finally it got through my thick head tonight ...Put the rip fence on my table, butt the jig against the fence sideways and use a couple of those irvin trigger clamps to secure it to the fence. On a ShopSmith the table rides on the carriage so you can move the entire set in and out under the bit. and a bump with a small hammer will adjust it left to right. Made drilling , a chore I was starting to dislike something furious, much, much easier.

 

[JimGo]

Mike,
Now if only I had a Shopsmith! They sound like GREAT machines. I'm sure Michael Wine (MDWine) will find this thread helpful!

 

[rtjw]

Thanks for the hint. I will have to try it.

 

[Thumbs]

I found one of those penturner's vises on eBay. The one's where both jaws close towards a center point. This doesn't work so good as advertised. It's similar to the one in PSI's catalog but PSI's looks better. It sometimes works ok but it's got a phenolic(painted metal?) base, I think, and you can't (don't want to) drill thru it! So it's awkward to insert and remove blanks. Grr! The idea is great but definitely needs improvement! I saw an ad somewhere that a guy out West somewheres made one with an open side that seemed like it would be much easier and maybe more accurate to use! It, unfortunately, seemed also to be out of my affordability range! If he just needed some field testers! Oh well!!!!!!

 

[PenWorks]

Bob, that drill vise you saw on ebay, works pretty good, I have
used one for a couple years, has some draw backs, but fast centering and accuratae. There is a better mouse trap. The one you are refering to is made by a member here, Paul in OKC, when he is not slammed, they are available. But, like any good tool, you get what you pay for. On a scale of 1-10, this is a 10 []

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[jwoodwright]

Here's my version for my ShopSmith. Been using it for 6 years...

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[MDWine]

OK boys and girls...

I gotta have more detail about those Shopsmith solutions! I want to put together two types of jigs. One for 'drill press' mode, and one for 'horizontal boring' mode. When my band saw is on the end of the machine, I cannot raise the headstock to DP mode. The extended table is just about 1" too extended!

I like the horizontal mode, but lining it up for that perfect hole is a little bit of work. The DP mode requires less tool movement.

That's a good looking solution you have there John. Let's hook up, I'd like to get a little more detail.

Right you are Jim, I love my SS![]

 

[wayneis]

Seems like it would be easier to drill right on the lathe, that is if you have a drill chuck and a four jaw chuck to hold the blank. I've read several people here that drill like that. As for me, well my vise looks just like the one in Anthony's photo and from my experence I can say that it is well worth the money if you have it to spare. I've drilled blanks that were over 2" square for Treen's and it worked out great.

Wayne

 

[Thumbs]

<b>Anthony</b>, that vise at the lower left of your picture is the same as the used one I bought on eBay. It's certainly an improvement over what I was doing before but I think it could be improved. Is that the "<b>Paul in OKC</b>" vise back in the center near the drill press column? (I presume you just tilted a drilled blank over in it for demo purposes?) That looks sooo much easier to use!

Can you still get them from him? How? And How Much? Maybe if I get a share of our income tax refund, maybe, I can get one! I say maybe because <b>TLOML</b> is a little perturbed by how much my new "little" hobby has cost so far with no appreciable(read none!) return![V][]

 

[MDWine]

Oh Boy Thumbs... NEVER TELL THEM WHAT YOU'VE SPENT UNTIL YOU SELL SOMETHING!!![]

I just hope I get to the mail before she does! I think I could be in trouble this week![:0] [B)]

 

[mick]

Michael ...I'll post a pic of the setup I used but it'll be probably wednesday before I can do it...the great thing about it is cost ....almost nothing!!!

 

[jdavis]

Thanks for sharing. We will have to keep drilling on drillpress are lathe as we do not have Shopsmith. Our success rate is high.