Drilling On The Lathe

[jeffnreno]

Hi All

I was getting ready to go buy a new drill press - mine never seems to drill down the center of the blank and the quill length is to short for many pens. I was trying to drill some blanks for Presidente (admittedly the blanks were a little undersized) pen blanks and ruined a few that I had glued up. Frustration.

Then I remembered seeing here about drilling on the lathe so I decided to give it a try. Drilled directly thru the center of all blanks that I tried. It took a little longer then the drill press but great results. I will add that I found by drilling a pilot hole with a 1/4" bit made it much easier to drill out with the large bit needed.

I guess the end result is I allready had the equipment to drill on the lathe so I saved a few hundred bucks I would have spent on a drill press - so hooray I can now buy more pen stuff. I went straight to Artstuff and ordered some additional casting material.

Have a great day - and if you need to drill some blanks give the lathe a try.

 

[redbulldog]

Tried it, did NOT like it. I will continue to use the drill press!

 

[rjwolfe3]

Welcome to the other side! If you haven't read George's article on turning between center, of which drilling on the lathe, is part of, you should do so. The whole process cuts the time down drastically. Especially if you get the steb and drive center for collet chucks.

 

[leehljp]

Jeff,

I drill about half of mine on the lathe and about half on the DP. I use the lathe for ones (mostly segments) that need precision or need delicate drilling. As you said, the DP is faster, so for many, I use that too.

There are three items to drilling from a DP that I watch closely.

1. I check for vertical in at least 3 directions with engineer's squares and place the pen vise in the alignment of a chucked bit. But even then, it does not guarantee a precise entry-exit point. Smaller bits and some grains will tend to wander. (I clamp the pen vise down firmly - it doesn't move.)

2. Wood boards can be drilled all day long without splits because there is plenty of wood (mass) around it. Wood splits because there is not enough wood around it to take the pressure from the bit as it turns, cuts/bites and sends chips up the flutes. Pressure at many points without mass around the wood causes the blowouts. Exit points are a weak spot. On blanks, they are weak because of their small mass, as much as anything else. Using 3/4 in blanks instead of 5/8ths will help. Using 7/8 will be even better. Using 1 inch for large diameter pens help if the wood is avialable.

3. Clamping. Adequate clamping on as much of the blank as possible and with a bottom plate for the bottom tip of the blank (where most blowouts occur) - this will allow the bit to exit into the backer wood, and this alone will cut down on many blowouts. I have seen several clamps that only hold on two sides or small part of two corners.

One fellow taught me that you could wrap string tightly around a blank and then CA the string. There will be enough increased strength to prevent the blowout. (That was for use on the lathe.) The point is, mass, proper clamping, and backing methods are often overlooked as to preventing some of the trouble with blowouts.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Whatever works for you is what is important.
Using the drill press works fine but is very slow.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I've switched to drilling all my pen blanks on the lathe... the drill press has about been regulated to drill bottle stopper blanks and a dedicated drum sander....