Drilling snake wood

[LouLeggett]

Re drilling snake wood pen blanks w/7mm brad point bit. Even with careful use of a brad point drill, i.e., removing 1/4 inch material on each thrust of drill, a quick 3 count to allow for cooling, I am still breaking 50% of my blanks. Have any of you used the Fisch Vortex Drill Bit? If so, is it better at minimum cracking of the blanks. Any other suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks,

Lou

 

[Rifleman1776]

It is snake wood. If it doesn't break and crack now, it will later. Unlikely you are doing anything wrong.

 

[jthompson1995]

Your 3 count may not be enough, snakewood heats up really fast so you may need to wait longer or drill less on each thrust.

If the blanks are breaking as you break through the bottom, you may want to try cutting the blanks long and not driling all th way through, then trim to length after you drill.

I don't like using brad point bits either, I've found they heat up a lot faster than split point bits.

 

[barrels]

Welcome to the world of snakewood. Tough stuff, I turn some snakewood and the only way i can get a finished pen out is to follow some directions posted by Don Ward a while ago. What he indicted and I have used to success is drill and turn down, leave the blank at about 3/8 inch proud and let it sit unfinish until it cracks and it will crack at that point put back on the lathe do a CA / dust fill process and then finish the pen. I have had success and I hae seen some beauties from Don.

Good Luck.. its worh it snakewood is ery nice finished


Thanks Don

Eric Spatt
www.picturetrail.com/barr

 

[Ligget]

Snakewood can make a beautiful pen, but in my opinion it isn`t worth all the hassle![]

 

[leehljp]

Originally posted by ligget
<br />Snakewood can make a beautiful pen, but in my opinion it isn`t worth all the hassle![]

That has been said by different ones several times before! [:0]

Patience is a huge virtue in working with snakewood. There is a sense of accomplishment in making a snakewood pen not unlike making par in golf! It is a mental and patience game.

Once done, it is worth the hassle IMO. But that doesn't mean that the next two or three will be fine or easier without the same patience. I learned a lot about pen making by deliberately and forcefully being patient enough to make a snakewood. Once made and accomplished, I learned that the next one required the SAME patience - no short cuts!

Snakewood helps a person's skills improve in a similar manner to the way a child teaches an adult how to be a parent! []