Lucite Question

[G1Pens]

Okay...this has never happened to me before....I was drilling a lucite blank....my very first attempt. It was for a Zen, so the blank is a little longer....anyway.....I was about 90% thru the blank after multiple backouts for clearing and cooling (drilling on the lathe) and all of a sudden the bit locks up in the blank. I mean it was like it was super glued in !! I tried for about 30 min trying to get it out. I tried everything possible with no success. Finally I ended up breaking the blank to get the bit out.

I assume it was heat related even though I had just cleared and checked the heat of the bit. It was warm, but not too hot to touch.

I threw that mess away and tried another blank. I was very cautious and a couple times it looked like it was sticking and I pulled the bit out really quick and let everything cool way down (again warm but not hot). I got the second one drilled and made a nice Zen, which I will post later.....

But...is lucite more sensitive to heat. I have never had anything even close to this happen before.

 

[vallealbert]

May be if you first pre-drilled the blank with a smaller bit and then using the real size bit can help in this situation...but honestly I have never tried Lucite. Good luck!!!

 

[ed4copies]

Gary,

Although that has NEVER happened to ME!!!!!

First, it is better, IMO, to drill it vertically. This allows you to put a liquid (water with a little dishsoap for me) in the hole, as you drill--pour it out after every half inch or so and put in new, cool water and soap.

IF you drill horizontally, you CAN use compressed air to do the same thing. Though personally, I have gone to the vertical approach.

BTW, I have it on good authority that you can put the blank, with the drill bit in it, in the oven at about 160 degrees for 15 minutes, then back out the drill bit. Hold the bit with a locking plier, and use an oven mitt to protect your hand, which holds the blank.

Also, sharpen your bit--

Also, when you start sanding, make certain to keep the heat down. For the first ones, you may want to wet sand (not what I usually recommend, but it works in this case!!)

Hope this helps---oh, and forget it happened so you can always claim to be passing on information, not experiences!!!

 

[Jim in Oakville]

I use lucite on a regular frequency. I drill on the lathe, feed and speed are all set low, so I drill at 500 rpm and take my time. Heat in any material is a bad thing, but it is what we live with, step drilling from a smaller size to final size works, it opens up both ends (air can flow through), reduces the amount removed on the final pass and is cleaner on the ID of the of the hole.

I usually step drill begining with 3/8" if I am going larger, 7mm if I am smaller.
Just my experience

 

[omb76]

Hey Gary, I had the EXACT same problem a couple of weeks ago. I was also drilling out a lucite blank for a Zen and the drill bit got "locked" in the blank. I really saw no reason for it as I kept backing it out to clean out the hole and there wasn't any heat build-up that I could detect. I forget how I finally backed the bit out, but I did manage to complete the pen. Lucite is not one of my favorite materials to work with, they are a lot of work for only so so results in my opinion.

 

[G1Pens]

Thanks for all the information. I have one more Lucite blank. I will make some changes in my lucite drilling steps and see what happens. Like I said, I tried a second one and had success.

Pictures in SOYP coming soon.

 

[IPD_Mr]

I have been drilling all of my Lucite on the lathe with the exception of one, which was done as a demo. I have not had any problems to date, but I try to keep my bits sharp and will spray either WD-40 or Pam on the bit. For a long drill like on the Zen I would suggest squirting a shot into the blank about half way through drilling. Both of these lubricants really help when you want to make a translucent kitless. It is a pain in the rear to try and polish the inside of a blank and this will cut down on the work as well.