Keeping Drill bit Flutes clear

[randyrls]

I sometimes have problems with the drill bit flutes getting packed with chips. This happens mostly with oily or dense woods.

I have a swarf brush, and sometimes have to use the wooden handle to clear the flutes. It gets packed in there tightly!

Has anyone tried to spray the drill bit flutes with something like TopCote or something similar?

All comments welcome.

 

[jskeen]

One thing that I do that helps is, when drilling blanks on the lathe, I hold an air gun in my left hand, and blow a stream of air into the flutes while advancing the bit with my right. This keeps the flutes clear pretty well untill the hole gets too deep, and also helps keep the blank cool.

 

[leehljp]

Drilling pen blanks are totally different than drilling in normal wood and plywood.

Because pen turners use so many different kinds of wood, one single kind of fluted bit and a single speed is not the best for all woods. The numerious varieties of wood that we use place most of us in the unique situation of having to learn different techniques for different woods on the same bits.

Getting packed flutes indicates too much of a bite and/or too fast of a feed rate more than anything else. The alternative is to take smaller bites and pull the bit out, clean it and go in again, take another small bite and withdraw the bit and clean off. I have found that If I take small enough bites, they will auto-eject when I pull the bit out. But that is usually about 1/8 in at a time.

 

[PaulDoug]

I have an old toothbrush I use. Hank has it correct though. And I find the deeper I go the slower I have to go with more withdraws. Sometime, depending on wood, I stop once in a while and vacuum the hole out. Sometime I stop to let the bit and blank cool down also.

 

[DurocShark]

Same as others have posted. The oily woods pack tight if the bit gets hot. I suspect that the oil bakes the dust to the bit. I had one that was so bad I had to soak the bit in blade cleaner then brush it with a brass wire brush to get it clean. Since then I've been MUCH more careful.