center drilling?

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what do you use to center drill

  • center drill vise

    Votes: 29 36.3%

  • collet

    Votes: 13 16.3%

  • chuck

    Votes: 22 27.5%

  • something else

    Votes: 16 20.0%
  • Total voters
    80
H

hanau

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Messages
1,394
Location
thomasville, nc, USA.
I still have to get a way to center drill my blanks.
I am not sure which way to go.
vise collect chuck or something else.

so what do you all prefer to use?
 
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Your poll only allows for one answer, so I chose "something else". The reason is because my method depends on my priority. If I absolutely positively HAVE to be in the exact center - regardless of how long it takes, then I drill on the lathe. It takes me longer because I only have a mini.

If I want speed with a high degree of reliability, then I use my center vise that I bought from a member here who makes them. Looked it up, The member is Paul in OKC. His vise is excellent.

.
 
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I started drilling my blanks on the lath using a dedicated chuck and haven't looked back. I feel the holes or straighter and rounder. its easy to set up too. on top of that I have a variable speed lathe so I am have no excuse to not always be drilling at the right speed, not just what happens to be set on the drill press.

Erik
 
I have a new Drill Press and a pen Vice that has a lot of dust on them since I bought a collete chuck and extra Collete's In size 13/16 and MM 19-20. After finding center I turn my blanks between centers to 3/4" round, cut them to size chuck it up and drill. I hit dead center about 95% of the time. On occasion when drilling cast blanks with different materials I get a little wobble.
 
I'm like Greg, if I need real precision, I drill on the lathe, otherwise I just use a center vise and my drill press.

Whether I hold the piece in the pin jaws of my scroll chuck or in a collet chuck is variable.
 
I turn mine round and drill on the lathe using a four jaw chuck, not as good as using the collet chuck to drill, but close and I think better than a drill press. Butch gave me that tip about a year ago (to drill and square on the lathe) and it made an great big difference in my pens. I think they are easier to do that way as well.
 
I currently use a psi scroll chuck with pin jaws, but can't say I recommend it. Wanting to upgrade to a collet chuck and a bigger, name brand scroll chuck. Haven't drilled a blank at either drill press in years. one is a dedicated assembly press, and the other a barrel trimmer about 90 @ of the time.
 
I use a Oneway Talon chuck with #1 spigot jaws for drilling blanks. I round the blank 1st only if it is a really irregular shape.
 
I only use a lathe, with either square or rounded blanks, most of the time I round my blanks between centers and drill them , if I'm in a hurry I mark center with a center square, drill with a 4 jar scroll chuck holding at the spindle and use a drill chuck in my tail stock , other wise I turn them round between centers and basically do the same thing.
 
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