DocRon
Member
Hey Folks
Have a question about drilling blanks. I have only so far done slimline pens, usually on my benchtop Delta drill press, sometimes "by hand" with a drill guide, occasionally on the lathe. The drill press does not have quite enough travel on the quill to go all the way thru the blank, so I have to raise the table, insert the drill partway into the blank, then put a block of wood under it and continue. This sometimes gives a problem with clearing chips, but can be handled with care. Today, however, I attempted my first "walmart" pen, which required drilling thru a 4" long blank. I used a piece of bocote, a somewhat waxy wood, which does not clear the chips very well. First problem- the brad point drill bit was just exactly 4" long - Hmmm. After drilling for a while on the lathe, having trouble with the chips, etc, I moved to the drill press. By chucking the bit in the last 1/8 inch, I was able to get far enough into it that when I trimmed to length, the hole appeared. However, the repeated insertion of the bit caused the entrance hole to go oversized, so that when I put it on the mandrel, the bushing on that end pushed in so far that the larger diameter section entered the hole and split the wood.
Apologies for all the background, but my questions finally are these; 1. What is your preferred method for drilling these longer blanks, and 2, Are there longer drill bits available for us pen turners, and where do I get them?
Have a question about drilling blanks. I have only so far done slimline pens, usually on my benchtop Delta drill press, sometimes "by hand" with a drill guide, occasionally on the lathe. The drill press does not have quite enough travel on the quill to go all the way thru the blank, so I have to raise the table, insert the drill partway into the blank, then put a block of wood under it and continue. This sometimes gives a problem with clearing chips, but can be handled with care. Today, however, I attempted my first "walmart" pen, which required drilling thru a 4" long blank. I used a piece of bocote, a somewhat waxy wood, which does not clear the chips very well. First problem- the brad point drill bit was just exactly 4" long - Hmmm. After drilling for a while on the lathe, having trouble with the chips, etc, I moved to the drill press. By chucking the bit in the last 1/8 inch, I was able to get far enough into it that when I trimmed to length, the hole appeared. However, the repeated insertion of the bit caused the entrance hole to go oversized, so that when I put it on the mandrel, the bushing on that end pushed in so far that the larger diameter section entered the hole and split the wood.
Apologies for all the background, but my questions finally are these; 1. What is your preferred method for drilling these longer blanks, and 2, Are there longer drill bits available for us pen turners, and where do I get them?
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