Drilling On The Lathe.....

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challagan

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I have read some of these other posts on drilling straight etc. and instead of posting on someones thread I am asking here. Just what is needed to drill on the lathe? I have a 4 jaw chuck, 2 actually a cheap Grizzly Chuck and a Nova Midi chuck and a Harbor Freigh MT2 drill chuck for the tail stock. If this is all that is needed can you tell me the proper method? Do you drill all the way thru to the end of the full blank, cut it up in your blank sizes, what if you have a not perfectly straight blank? Sorry for all the questions and appreciate any help.

Corey
 
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Randy_

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There are probably several answer to this question. I think the easiest way to do this is to turn the blank between centers to make it round and then mount the round blank in your chuck and drill it. Some folks like to predrill a small pilot hole and others just drill the final size. You want to be sure your drill bits are sharp and you probably want the blanks to be a bit long. In case you experience a tearout at the end of the hole, there will be some extra length to trim off.

Note: If your blanks are reasonably square, you can probably drill them without having to round them first. Try it out with a few blanks cut from scrap wood first to get a feeling for the process!!
 

Randy_

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Originally posted by challagan
<br />.....Do you drill all the way thru to the end of the full blank.....

Probably best to cut the blank a little long(1/8"-1/4") and not drill all the way through. The bigger the bit, the more excess you want to have.
 

Fangar

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For me, I simply mount the blank (square) in my Scroll chuck and have at it. Perfect each time. I posted some photos somewhere. I will see if I can dig them up.

Fangar
 

LanceD

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I 've been drilling my blanks on the lathe ever since I started turning pens and don't expect to change any time soon. I can only remember blowing up two blanks since i've been doing it that way. Of course it's a little harder if there's a bow in the wood and if it's too bad I will turn it between centers and turn round before I drill it out.
 

KenV

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I think when I bought these jaws for my Talon, they were called "spigot jaws". They were the smallest jaws, one size smaller than the stock #2 that came with the chuck. They are textured on the outside to hole in recesses like a bowl foot, but are smooth inside. Mine will hold a 1/4 inch dowel. They do have quite a bit more runout than a collet chuck, but are as good (or better) as most drill presses for drilling. I rarely take them off the chuck other than for cleaning.

I will add too, if you use cheap drill bits, you need to get a drill doctor or similar to regrind the bits and then to keep them sharp. I have seen some bits with the center point offset and that will take a hole in funny directions. I have become fond of 135 degree split points (on the larger sizes) as they are less agressive and have better tracking. If you have problems getting the hole started straight - either leave the tailstock loose while starting the hole (hole will align to center), and then lock it down, or use a machinist center bit to start.
 

thewishman

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Corey, I have the same HF chuck and it works well for me. I cut the blanks to barrel size and drill from the centerband side out. I lower the lathe speed to 500 (lots of weird noises when drilling at 1850 rpm, at least that is what my FRIEND says[;)]) and I pull the tailstock with the bit close to the blank to adjust the blank for straightness before drilling. Back out the bit frequently to clear chips and I wrap black tape around the back end of acrylics to prevent blowouts.
 
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