Drilling method

[Tuba707]

Do most people use a drill press to drill the blanks?

I recently began using my Christmas present Jet mini lathe and the Nova chuck I bought to drill my blanks - a little more setup time, but I have not had a SINGLE blank crack or blow out. I don't know if that is helpful to anyone. I run it at 1800rpm, use Bill's good Norseman bits, and crank the tailstock into the blank. I've done some a acrylic and lots of wood!

Are there any jaws that would automatically center a pen blank?

 

[wdcav1952]

Joel,

A fair number of people use the lathe to drill blanks and have great success. I definitely agree with the quality of BB's Norseman bits.

The only pretty well centering device I am aware of is Paul Huffmans vise that is used on the drill press. I have one and don't know what I did without it.

 

[jjenk02]

I'm on the waiting list for one of Paul's vises. Can't wait to get it.[]

 

[pssherman]

For a lathe, I would think that just about any of the scroll chucks (4 jaw self-centering) would do a good job unless your tailstock is off center.

For a drill press, some of the 'self-centering pen vises' will do a fair job of centering if setup properly. They may wobble or shift a bit if they are not very rigid. Although I don't have Paul Huffman's vise, I think it would be the most stable/rigid of all that I have seen.

Paul in AR

 

[bgray]

//I run it at 1800rpm, use Bill's good Norseman bits, and crank the tailstock into the blank. I've done some a acrylic and lots of wood!
//

You might want to slow it down a little bit. I drill blanks on the lathe, and I do a little under 1000 rpm for wood, and acrylics at 3-400 rpm. Higher speeds can melt acrylics, and burn wood. My preference and 2cents. Experiment and see what you like.

Make sure that you are clearing chips as you go. With wood, I keep a dust brush on hand to brush the chips out when I retract the bit. If the chips are not being brushed out easily, then that are getting compacted in there, which can lead to burning. Acrylics should come out like continious ribbons. With a good parabolic bit, I can sometimes get an acrylic to come out with one or two real long ribbons. If you slow the lathe down a bit, it's easier to determine if you are clearing chips effectively with wood, and to get clean ribbons with the acrylics.

Try to pay attention to how hot the bit is getting. Obviously, it will get a little hot, but the cooler the better. Sometimes, I'll use water to lubricate the cutting of acrylics. If I spray the bit with water, and it instantly evaporates, probably too hot, and time to sharpen or replace the bit.

Also, my preference is drilling at the lathe. It's not as fast, but I never blow out blanks, either...can't say that for the drill press.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'm pretty sure the answer to your questions is: Yes. By a big margin. Some do use the lathe but it is a slower process.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

The down side of the lathe is when you get those blanks that are not quite square, you either have to mill the blank perfect or it will be loose on 2 sides. (might be the only use for those non-scroll 4-jaw chucks)

I use the lathe when it "has to be" perfect, other than that I use my 60 year old drill press. []

 

[johnkepka]

To me drilling using the lathe is just too time consuming. Best is a drill press with 3 inch travel at least. Also squaringg blanks is so much easier with a drill press and pen vise.

 

[CSue]

Okay, Joel, I'm really new at this. I've got the Jet Mini Lathe. I've got a self-centering chuck. How do I set it up to drill blanks? I don't understand what you mean when you say you "crank the tailstock into the blank."[^]

 

[LEAP]

C. Sue
you need a drill chuck with a morse taper. put the drill chuck into the tail stock and the blank into you self-centering chuck. Use the hand crank on the tail stock to "press" the bit into the blank.

 

[leehljp]

I haven't started using the lathe for drilling yet but I have all the parts to get started. More than anything else, I need the accuracy for a few projects that I am in the planning stages for.

On the drill press with a good vise, I have had "wandering" with odd grain and found it hard to control the exit within tight tolerances that I would like, particularly with some X - cuts. In most cases it doesn't matter if the exit is off by 1/32 inch or even 1/16 inch, but with certain laminates, glue ups and special cuts where entrance and exits are needed within very small tolerances, a squared and chucked blank being drilled by a bit from the tail stock is the only way to get more consistent results.

I might be wrong and might be back on here asking the experts for advice real soon.

 

[mick]

I do all my drilling on the lathe now. I got started when I began making segmented blanks and needed to have the hole absolutely centered in the blank. I just kept doing it and soon was drilling all my blanks on the lathe. Upside...no blow outs. I drill at the slowest speed setting in the slowest range. It escapes me now just what the RPMs are but it's slow enough for just about anything. I do have to respectfully disagree whith some of you though. It's doesn't seem to take me any longer to drill on the lathe as opposed to the drill press. This may be because I tend to drill anywhere from 10 to 20 blanks at a time. I do this because I'm lazy, I don't like changing the belt setting on the lathe....lol. I do still drill antler and odd shaped blanks on the drill press but lately I've been turning those round and using the lathe. The point of all this is....Do what works best for you. If you have a method and you're getting consistant results and are happy with it....stick to it. If you're not....explore and experiment until you find something you like....I think that's why most of us come here ! []

 

[thewishman]

I have no drill press so I only drill on my lathe. My first drilling experience was at 1800 rpms and it scared me - the blank was screaming and howling. Now I only drill at 500 rpm. Making sure the blank is centered takes some time and fiddling, but it is accurate.

Chris