Will This Work?

[Spec Grade]

Since I'm having a hard time drilling a straight hole in my pen blanks with my old drill press, can I do this instead?
I was thinking I could mount a pen blank in my 4 jaw lathe chuck & drill a hole using the tailstock with my drill chuck & bit mounted in it.
Would this work?
Thanks for any help.

 

[skiprat]

Yep. Probably the best way to do it too.:biggrin:

 

[ldb2000]

Yes it will work and it's called "Drilling on the lathe" do a search for a bunch of info on it and a great tutorial by Texatdurango (George)

 

[Spec Grade]

I should have been a little more specific. I want to drill square pen blanks, not turn them round first, then drill them.

 

[pryalls]

do it that way all the time

 

[Monty]

It'll work with square blanks if they are straight. Do it all the time.

 

[leehljp]

I should have been a little more specific. I want to drill square pen blanks, not turn them round first, then drill them.

Yes, there are still two ways to do it.
1. Square will work, the entrance hole can be guaranteed but the exit will be somewhat "iffy" - depending on the precision of the squareness of the blank in the chuck end. When I say "iffy" it could be off center by a small amount depending on the unsquareness of the blank or any chuck variances.

2. If the chuck end of the blank is not perfectly square, go ahead and chuck it anyway, but on the tail stock end, don't use the drill just yet.
• Use the live center and turn that end round for about 3/4 of an inch.
• Take the blank out and put the round end into the chuck.
• Mark the tail stock end for your entrance point and use the drill chuck and bit to drill your hole.

I know you said you didn't want to turn it round first, but the second method only involves a small amount.

 

[fernhills]

Gosh Hank, i never ever thought to do it that way, good idea. Great question. Carl

 

[rjwolfe3]

It can be difficult to get a straight hole using a four jaw chuck with a square blank. I know most will disagree with me. But that is the reason I turn mine round and use a collet chuck. Never had a problem since.

 

[Rangertrek]

I drill square blanks all the time and have had few problems. If I am doing a segmented blank, I usually turn it round first and then drill.
When doing two part pens (short barrels) I do all of them with square blanks. I do use a center bit for a pilot hole. This works for me.

 

[Troy Cleckler]

What about putting the drill in the drive side, mark each end where you want to enter and exit the blank, use the tail to keep it in line and to push the blank onto the drill bit until you get close to the end then just continue to push by hand (holding chanel lock pliers) until you exit the blank. This is how I drill antler or odd shapped pieces, it'll work with round or square. That way you determine where you want the hole to start and come out.

 

[Spec Grade]

OK, here's a curve ball. I have THIS chuck, and the jaws won't close tight enough to hold a pen blank. Any sources for smaller jaws or inserts for this chuck?

 

[JBCustomPens]

These jaws should work.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020042/18875/1-Jaws-for--Chuck.aspx

Have a good one!

 

[bitshird]

That looks like a Barracuda chuck, if it is, you should be able to take your jaws off and just use the the 4 v shaped things the jaws screw on to and clamp down, you're still able to get your blank in nearly a half inch before it bottoms out on the spindle, if you use your drive spur, mark centers and turn the blank round which makes it easier your blank will seat a little bit deeper, or get out the wallet and get a set of the pin jaws.

 

[alphageek]

These jaws should work.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020042/18875/1-Jaws-for--Chuck.aspx

Have a good one!

Yep - i have the same chuck and these jaws - I use them ALL the time for my drilling (and I don't round the blanks normally either.)

 

[Spec Grade]

Yeah, I found the extra jaws that came with this chuck. They work fine, but PSI sold me a bent bit. It's worse drilling on the lathe than on my drill press. I have to call them tomo about this bent bit they sent me.

 

[KenV]

Best mounting on a scroll chuck is to turn a tenon on the end WITH A SQUARE SHOULDER. The reason is that the jaws on a scroll chuck have some capability to hold by friction but to reef them down is going to dig in and damage the surface. The SQUARE SHOULDER bears against the face of of the jaws and has lots of strength in compression against the shoulder -- you cannot push the blank into the chuck in normal circumstances. This tenon does not need to be long -- 1/4 to 3/8 inch is adequate and more works. (I mount a lot of bigger stuff with a 1/4 inch tenon or dovetail tenon and square shoulder).

this process allows you to face the tailstock end of the blank (I use the tailstock up to the last bit and assure you have a smooth square entry for the drill bit. Not a bad process to use a center bit to start the hole nice and smoothly.


Lee's second process is spot on for good process and that process is closer to precise as a collet chuck.

 

[PenTurnerfromMaine]

It is the most accurate way to go.

 

[Tuba707]

I chuck the square ones all of the time in the 4-jaw chuck, in the middle part, not with the jaws themselves. Use a bit in the tailstock and I have probably less than a 1% failure rate so far... I was at about 20% with the drill press

 

[rjwolfe3]

It is the most accurate way to go.

I respectfully disagree with this statement. I personally believe that turning a blank round and sticking it in a collet chuck is the most accurate, especially in regards to drilling exactly in the center of a segmented blank. Maybe I just don't have a very good 4 jaw scroll chuck but I had a very hard time getting the blank perfectly centered even using pin jaws.

 

[Mac]

I don't know if you have table saw, or not ,but if you do ,you can make a sled, for cutting blanks mine is 3/4'',to insure that the blanks are square before you mount in the chuck. I know some blanks that I have purchased have been thick on one side from being in a mold,so I trim them on my sled, as the chuck holds four sides and most ,not all, chucks move all jaws at one time, not one by one,you want all sides to make contact,not just two.

 

[titan2]

OK, here's a curve ball. I have THIS chuck, and the jaws won't close tight enough to hold a pen blank. Any sources for smaller jaws or inserts for this chuck?

Try this, 'Chuck Puck'....it should hold the blank tight for you in your present chuck.

http://jrbealltool.com/products/turning/chuckpuck.php



Barney

 

[Mickey]

Seems to me the issue isn't whether the blank is square but whether it's straight. If the blank is straight and mounted in the chuck straight then the drill bit will come out directly in line with where it went in. I've drilled rectangular blanks this way and they work fine.