Need Opinions

[jleiwig]

Is this feasible or am I just being crazy? I saw something similar in an article by david reed smith.

A 2 jaw chuck for drilling call blanks on the lathe. I don't have the money right now for a real chuck or drill press, so I thought this idea up last night. It wouldn't take long to whip it up, and I could be drilling my call blanks and practicing making calls

Here is the base. A 4" Dia. 1" thick piece of hardwood screwed to a faceplate with two grooves routed in it to hold pieces of t-track.

Here are the jaws. 2 pieces of 3.5" dia hardwood 2" thick with a square hole cut out in the middle that is just slighly smaller than 1 1/2" square. I think I will make one side non-moveable and the otherside moveable with some adjuster knobs. Just have to make sure I get them centered so I can drill centered.

Since this is only for drilling I think it would work. What say you?

 

[bitshird]

Justin, don't laugh, but I use a similar device for turning the tangs on my woodchucks, since I'm too cheap to buy a 4 jaw chuck, my thing is made from 1-1/2 hex stock and wire EDM machined with a .505 square in the center, with slots cut so my poor dilapidated Jet 3 jaw chuck will clamp down on it, The only thing I see that might help is make some way of tightening the jaws in case your blank isn't exactly square, or you could shim the sides with folded paper to make the fit tighter.

 

[jleiwig]

Justin, don't laugh, but I use a similar device for turning the tangs on my woodchucks, since I'm too cheap to buy a 4 jaw chuck, my thing is made from 1-1/2 hex stock and wire EDM machined with a .505 square in the center, with slots cut so my poor dilapidated Jet 3 jaw chuck will clamp down on it, The only thing I see that might help is make some way of tightening the jaws in case your blank isn't exactly square, or you could shim the sides with folded paper to make the fit tighter.

I thought about making it 4 independent pieces like a 4 jaw chuck, but that's just too complicated for a little bit of drilling! :biggrin:

 

[nava1uni]

I think that both sides should tighten to ensure that it is centered. If not it will be off center with any variation in the size of the blank.

 

[ldb2000]

How about using a stainless steel hose clamp to tighten the two jaws to the blank . Just make sure that the free end of the clamp is pointing away from you , those things are nasty when spinning at 3000 rpm , DAMHIKT

 

[mickr]

watch your hands & fingers...but idea is good

 

[Robert Taylor]

why don't you mount your call blank between centers and turn a 3/4" tenon on one end and then mount it in your collet chuck and drill away. use that dollet chuck, i don't believe you could wear it out lol.

 

[Rick_G]

What I've found works for me, especially with stuff that is not straight such as antler. Drill bit in headstock, live center in tailstock. lathe at lowest speed, in my case 450 and hold the blank with channel lock or vise grip pliers to keep it from spinning. Slowly advance the blank on to the drill bit using the tailstock. A little firm pressure on that last little bit with the pliers keeps you from hitting the live center with your drill bit. When I'm doing this I generally start with my 7mm brad point and work my way up to the correct size if a larger hole is needed.

 

[jleiwig]

why don't you mount your call blank between centers and turn a 3/4" tenon on one end and then mount it in your collet chuck and drill away. use that dollet chuck, i don't believe you could wear it out lol.

The blank is too small once the tennon is turned, or I would.

 

[jleiwig]

What I've found works for me, especially with stuff that is not straight such as antler. Drill bit in headstock, live center in tailstock. lathe at lowest speed, in my case 450 and hold the blank with channel lock or vise grip pliers to keep it from spinning. Slowly advance the blank on to the drill bit using the tailstock. A little firm pressure on that last little bit with the pliers keeps you from hitting the live center with your drill bit. When I'm doing this I generally start with my 7mm brad point and work my way up to the correct size if a larger hole is needed.

I do that for my bottle stoppers, but game calls need a bit more accuracy