Problem using barrel trimmer in drill press

[bluesguitar]

I recently scored a nice drill press on craigslist. In addition to drilling my blanks I've been setting it up with my barrel trimmer but a few times it has dislodged the epoxied tube and I'm trying to figure out why.

I can see there is some glue on the shaft of the trimmer and I've tried to get it off but that didn't seem to help. Is the concept of using the trimmer in the press ok? Maybe I should just replace the trimmer shaft?

 

[dgerwin11]

What speed are you using? Also make sure the table is perfectly perpendicular to the shaft. If it is off a little, the shaft will cut into the tube with enough force to break the bond or shatter the blank.

 

[StephenM]

Kind of like using a stick of dynamite to get a mouse out of the house. You just need to trim a little bit away to get the blank end perpendicular to the tube. I use an old 3/8 Craftsman corded drill that I can just about stop with my hand but it has plenty of power for trimming barrels.

 

[low_48]

Tubes are seldom square to the wood. Any device that you use to hold the blank, or if you put it on the table, will result in trouble. Try holding the blank with a channel lock pliers and feed it up the trimmer by hand.

 

[nava1uni]

I would suggest that if you need a drill press to make the blank square you could probably cut off more on your saw. You would do better using a sanding disc or doing it by hand or as stated above using a hand drill. I personally think that the drill press is over kill. I only use a trimmer by hand.

 

[pensbydesign]

first thing i would check is if the chuck is running true, and the pen mill is running true.
if they are out out round there a good chance of hitting the brass.
also the hole drilled is rarely straight and because of that we need to allow the tube some freedom of movement to aline itself with the trimmer. i do this by not clamping the blank so hard with the vise that it cant move but not so lose that it spins has the trimmer gets deeper in the more pressure i apply so it don't come lose.

 

[bluesguitar]

I see your points and thanks. I do think the drill is running true as I checked it with a square and it lines up-- also it's doing well drilling straight through my blanks although I'm still not getting great results with the longer single tube blanks (Polaris, Sienna, etc.). I've been tending to cut the blanks a little longer and then using the trimmer to get rid of the excess as I've made mistakes the other way and the impact is bigger if the blank is to short. I can certainly go back to using the corded drill.

 

[SDB777]

Have to with heat being the cause. Slow down or if that's not possible, limit the amount of time the 'bit' is in contact with the tube.



Scott (slower is always better) B

 

[sbell111]

How are you preparing your tubes prior to gluing?

Are you certain that you are getting good glue coverage over the entire tube?

Are you certain that the glue is completely cured prior to milling?

 

[kovalcik]

Just my $.02. Don't put the blank in a vise or on the table when squaring with your DP. Blanks are not square and drill bits wander so the chances of the hole being perfectly perpendicular with the barrel trimmer shaft when you go back to the drill press are slim. This will cause the shaft to possibly catch. Hold the blank with a pair of piers or with a glove and push it lightly into the trimmer if you want to use the drill press, otherwise move to a hand drill. Also, use your BS to trim some of the excess off the blank after the tube is glued in so you are just taking a little bit off each end with the trimmer. 1/16" is plenty to square things up.

 

[workinforwood]

I do not like the idea of a barrel trimmer in a drill press.

 

[JimB]

I wear a leather glove and just hold the blank and use a cordless drill for the mill. Fast and easy. How much wood are you trying to remove with the mill?

 

[sbell111]

I've milled thousands of blanks in a drill press with no problem. I believe that the problems in doing so are greatly overstated.

 

[Manny]

Is your barrel trimmer sharp enough?

 

[rherrell]

Put the blank in a vise and use a hand drill, I've been doing it that way for years and never had a problem.

 

[Wildman]

I use a small Taskforce drill press & barrel trimmer and homemade jig like this one to hold blanks.
http://www.hutproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=0275

Only time pull tubes out of blanks trimming when use CA glue. Have had CA glue failures while turning on lathe too.

Never had a glue failures using epoxy or polyurethane glue.

 

[Alzey]

I started out trimming on the drill press. I would use a block of 1x to apply upward pressure and a crescent wrench to keep it from spinning. After I shredded 4 blanks in one day, I got a bunch of ideas from IAP members. Now I use my pen drill vice and a clutched cordless drill.

 

[wouldentu2?]

Use a woodworkers vice with a thin piece of wood at the bottom, close the vice to where the wood is easily inserted yet will not turn and trim the ends with a battery powered drill.

 

[bluesguitar]

Makes sense about the DP being lined up right but the tube in the blank may not be, so I'm creating friction and enough heat to break the bond. I went back to a corded drill.

Thanks to all- learning curve!

PS: My wife convinced me to bring 25 pens to our church craft fair today -- I was reluctant because they were pretty basic PSI stuff - slimlines, designer, comfort, and a couple polaris, sierra, and cigar pens and hey-- sold every one of them and donated $400 to charity! You guys are on to something!