How do you modify a wooden hand clamp to...

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Keith Heyer

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use when drilling pen blanks. I have seen the cost of the pen drilling jigs and would rather wait and spend the money on pen kits. I have seen some wooden clamps woth the squares cut in them. How do you cut the squares so they line up?

I have drilled my last few blanks ( 1 wood and 2 acrylic) on the lathe and I have drill straight yet! :frown:

I thought I would try the drill press as an alternative.

Any suggestions are welcomed!

Thanks,

Keith
 
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Keith Heyer said:
use when drilling pen blanks. I have seen the cost of the pen drilling jigs and would rather wait and spend the money on pen kits. I have seen some wooden clamps woth the squares cut in them. How do you cut the squares so they line up?

I have drilled my last few blanks ( 1 wood and 2 acrylic) on the lathe and I have drill straight yet! :frown:

I thought I would try the drill press as an alternative.

Any suggestions are welcomed!

Thanks,

Keith
Click to expand...

If you can't drill staight on the lathe, I don't think you will on a drill press. JMTSW.

Lin.
 
First be sure the bed is square with the drill. Next close the wooden vise and lay it on it's side under the bit. Find a convenient point along where the two jaws meet, usually about an inch from the end and using a 1/4 to 3/8th inch bit drill a hole through where you have half the hole on each jaw. This way when you clamp the blank in the jaw it will be aligned with the bit. Be sure and use the clamp same side up and turned pretty much the same direction as when you first drilled it to ensure any errors in drilling don't show up.
Oh yeah, be sure that scrap wood you use under it is flat and true or it will create it's own errors in drilling.
 
I just closed the clamp and drilled a hole with the drill on center with the centerline of the two clamp halves then squared the holes with a large square file with an edge to the bottom of the drilled half holes.

Worked OK but I wasn't thrilled with it, maybe I should have used something better than a two dollar HF clamp.

When you drill on the lathe: Are you center drilling the blank first (with a center drill or spotting drill)? Drill bits, especially the smaller ones, tend to drift if not started exactly. You could also start it with a center (plunge) cutting endmill for a half inch or so if you have one in the same size as the drill you're using.
 
Except for segmented or inlaid blanks, it really does not matter if the hole is straight (i.e. parallel to the sides of the blank), nor does it matter if the hole is centered. The end result will be the same - a whole bunch of shavings on the floor by the lathe and a nice pen in your hand.
 
I cut a V groove in 2 1x2s and put a hinge on the end. Unless you're doing segments or other fancy it's not really necessary to be perfectly straight. As long as there's enough meat on each side to hit the bushings you're golden. When I need something perfect for segments, I use the lathe.

The key to the lathe is that the blanks are perfectly square and perfectly centered.

Can you post a picture so we can see how they're off?
 
A wooden clamp makes a good blank-drilling vise, but the key is to get the parts lined up correctly.

I started by arbitrarily marking "Top" on one side of the vise. Then, I cut a 'v' groove in a piece of maple stock that was about twice as long as the thickness of the jaws of the clamp using a router, making sure that the groove was parallel to the edges of the maple. Then, I cut that board in half to make the jaws.

I placed the clamp on the bench with the face marked 'top' up. Then, using a framing square to make sure that the jaws were absolutely plumb, I carefully attached the v-shaped jaws to the clamp using double-stick tape.

Now, to use the modified clamp, I place it on the bench with the face market 'top' up, nd put the blank in the v-shaped groove, and with the clamp held in place on the bench, I tighten the jaws. That assures that the blank is perpendicular to the face of the clamp that is on the bench - which in turn means that it will also be perpendicular to the table of the drill press when I move the vise into position for drilling (again, the with face marked 'top' up).
 
If you decide to modify a wooden clamp consider adding "scrap pieces" by gluing them on with CA glue. Just a couple drops here and there will be enough to hold them and they will be easily removed with a sharp chisel should you decide to later on.
 
lorbay said:
Keith Heyer said:
use when drilling pen blanks. I have seen the cost of the pen drilling jigs and would rather wait and spend the money on pen kits. I have seen some wooden clamps woth the squares cut in them. How do you cut the squares so they line up?

I have drilled my last few blanks ( 1 wood and 2 acrylic) on the lathe and I have drill straight yet! :frown:

I thought I would try the drill press as an alternative.

Any suggestions are welcomed!

Thanks,

Keith
Click to expand...

If you can't drill staight on the lathe, I don't think you will on a drill press. JMTSW.

Lin.
Click to expand...

That might seem tru, but I just can't give up.:biggrin:
 
After reading all the replies, I could very well be pushing too fast on the drill bit. When I make my next pen, I am going to slow way down when drilling.

I usually round my blanks because I use them in the collet chuck. I believe it is when I first mount them on the lathe to round them is when I am getting off center.

When I mark the centers on the square or round blanks, what about using a center punch to give me a reference point? Would using a center punch work?
 
Keith Heyer said:
After reading all the replies, I could very well be pushing too fast on the drill bit. When I make my next pen, I am going to slow way down when drilling.

I usually round my blanks because I use them in the collet chuck. I believe it is when I first mount them on the lathe to round them is when I am getting off center.

When I mark the centers on the square or round blanks, what about using a center punch to give me a reference point? Would using a center punch work?
Click to expand...


I just use a scribe and straight edge to mark an x from corner to corner on the ends of a square blank then (carefully) use a hand drill with a center drill in it to make the center holes, where the lines cross, for TBC in a lathe and turning it round. It's pretty easy if your drill has a level on it and you use a level to clamp the blank in a vise. Doesn't have to be perfect to work well, just fairly close.

Same way with round blanks but using a machinists square to make the x so it is exactly centered.
 
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Are your drill bits sharp? The Colt drill bits are excellent! I used a 10 Jorgenson clamp, drew a Line 90 degrees across, measured 45 degree angle on either side of the line on both sides, opened the clamp up and cut the notches with my band saw. Have not had any accuracy problems with the drill press or drilling on the lathe since I got a set of the Colt pen drilling bits.
 
Here is an oldie but goodie for the drill press. I drilled many many blanks with it before I bought a chuck for the lathe. It is made of scrap wood, only cost is a hinge, I had a used one so it cost me nothing. I patterned it after one that was in the video on pen make the guy that use to have Arizona Silhouettes. Simple works great. I made the bottom on it so I could clamp it to the drill press table.
 

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