Drill, baby. Drill! 5 inches?

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WildcatHollow

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Joined
Nov 4, 2009
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104
Location
Boyce, Virginia, USA
What's the best way to cleanly and accurately drill a blank for a 5 inch brass tube when my drill press only has 3 inches worth of downward reach?

I thought about flipping the blank, but realized that any minor change in any one of the adjustment variables would mean the two holes would be slightly off.

Other than ordering pre-drilled blanks, are there DIY options?

Thank you for your help.

Regards,

t.
 
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Rmartin

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Jan 14, 2007
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1,263
Location
Columbus, Ga, USA.
I have had the same issue. I will drill as deep as possible, and then raise my drill press bed. It takes time, but it can be done. Sometimes you have to lower the bed to clean the debris, and then lower and drill some more.

Also, think about segmenting bands which can be drilled seperately and then glued as one on the blank.
 

DurocShark

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Jul 26, 2008
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3,622
Location
Anaheim, CA
Drill on the lathe


My lathe doesn't have 5" of tailstock travel. So I end up in the same boat. The difference is I can just loosen the tailstock, retract the quill, and slide it right in and go again. I've gotten pretty quick. . .
 

dow

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Jun 25, 2009
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Location
Boerne, TX, USA
My lathe doesn't have 5" of tailstock travel. So I end up in the same boat. The difference is I can just loosen the tailstock, retract the quill, and slide it right in and go again. I've gotten pretty quick. . .

Neither does mine, so I drill to the amount of travel that I do have, and then spin the chuck back into the tailstock and move the tailstock towards the end of the blank and drill further in. Works like a charm. I drilled a BOW blank for a long click last night, as a matter of fact.
 

Chief Hill

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Aug 26, 2009
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635
And mine also only has a 3" plunge as well. Simply just do the 2x4 thing raising the blank up into the bit.
Or raise the bed as others have said.
 

mrcook4570

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Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Messages
4,098
Location
Mason, WV, USA.
The holes in the pre-drilled blanks are slightly off set because they are drilled from each end (at least the ones I have seen).
 
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