Warning about drilling on a VSR lathe

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CREID

CREID

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I have it from a very reliable source that drilling on a variable speed reversing lathe in reverse mode is a BAD idea. For one thing, the drill bit manufacturers only make these bits to cut in one direction. WHY?:confused:
Second, the jaw chuck you are using may or actually will come loose, creating wobble and possibly bending or breaking the bit. Worst case is the Jaw chuck may even come off the lathe and put a big dent in your head.:crying:
Just thought I would pass off this warning from a very reliable source.
 
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I have drill bits that are designed to cut in reverse. Not sure where they were purchased, my dad was a machinist and they were in his tools when he passed.
 
You can readily buy left-handed drill bits.

The other point about the risk of putting a lathe in reverse rotation is very valid.

You have to KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING !!
 
magpens said:
You can readily buy left-handed drill bits.

The other point about the risk of putting a lathe in reverse rotation is very valid.

You have to KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING !!
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Now you tell my source. I think someone was playing with the lathe though, I have never put, I mean my source has never put the lathe in reverse.
 
I don't know, I've seen people, I mean sources do some strange things with metal lathes in more than 30 years as a machinist.

Making pins for water tight doors aboard ship, out of bronze, an older wiser 1st class petty officer reached up and grabbed one of the pins as I was parting it off. Of course I asked him if it was hot as he immediately dropped it. He said, "No, it just didn't take me long to feel it."

Of course it was smoking hot as I was making a pin every 30-40 seconds without coolant. I guess the pin was HOT!
 
Why would you want or need to drill in reverse? I can see it in a production process but on a wood lathe or home drill .... why?
 
campzeke said:
Why would you want or need to drill in reverse? I can see it in a production process but on a wood lathe or home drill .... why?
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You all are overlooking a bit turning backwards as just another surface embellishment tool for those whom like to decorate things they make.
This technique puts the "burn" in burnish". Burnished divots! And bits can be ground to create different shape burnishments.
 
CREID said:
I have it from a very reliable source that drilling on a variable speed reversing lathe in reverse mode is a BAD idea. For one thing, the drill bit manufacturers only make these bits to cut in one direction. WHY?:confused:
Second, the jaw chuck you are using may or actually will come loose, creating wobble and possibly bending or breaking the bit. Worst case is the Jaw chuck may even come off the lathe and put a big dent in your head.:crying:
Just thought I would pass off this warning from a very reliable source.
Click to expand...


Oh, it can be done. I know a reliable source that has done it. And with no special tools either.:eek:

I won't name names either but he is very reliable...
 
alankulwicki7 said:
CREID said:
I have it from a very reliable source that drilling on a variable speed reversing lathe in reverse mode is a BAD idea. For one thing, the drill bit manufacturers only make these bits to cut in one direction. WHY?:confused:
Second, the jaw chuck you are using may or actually will come loose, creating wobble and possibly bending or breaking the bit. Worst case is the Jaw chuck may even come off the lathe and put a big dent in your head.:crying:
Just thought I would pass off this warning from a very reliable source.
Click to expand...


Oh, it can be done. I know a reliable source that has done it. And with no special tools either.:eek:

I won't name names either but he is very reliable...
Click to expand...

When I started this thread, I didn't know we would be uncovering so many reliable sources. Isn't this forum great.:biggrin:
 
I am going to have to check with my sources if they know any of these other rouge sources??? I am smelling something fishy:rolleyes:
 
A friend of mine is an electrician and was working on a big mill job. He had some wires to run over some big I-beams. It was all staged and he wanted to get at it but was told they had to wait for a laborer to drill the holes. So he waited .... and watched ... and waited. Finally after an hour he couldn't stand it anymore and climbed up to lend a hand. Yup, the kid had the drill in reverse the whole time! :biggrin::eek:
 
Lenny said:
A friend of mine is an electrician and was working on a big mill job. He had some wires to run over some big I-beams. It was all staged and he wanted to get at it but was told they had to wait for a laborer to drill the holes. So he waited .... and watched ... and waited. Finally after an hour he couldn't stand it anymore and climbed up to lend a hand. Yup, the kid had the drill in reverse the whole time! :biggrin::eek:
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Oh I had witnessed this first hand myself and I refused to tell him. ( not even an apprentice, a full fledged journeyman and making the same money as me) Just wanted to see how long it would take. Over an hour he finally walks over to me and tells me the drill bit is bad. I took the drill from his hand flipped the switch and told him to try again. Scary to say the least. We have our share of incompetence. I am so glad I survived 42 years and still here to talk about it. Oh the stories.:biggrin:
 
You guys need to take your entire act on the road....one of the funniest threads in a long, long time.
Thanks for the laughs~
 
bobleibo said:
You guys need to take your entire act on the road....one of the funniest threads in a long, long time.
Thanks for the laughs~
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It wasn't funny when I actually realized the lathe was in reverse and that is why my brand new bit wasn't drilling through a piece of wood.
I can laugh about it now though. :eek::biggrin::laugh:
I was quite embarrassed and very lucky nothing more happened than to create a lot of smoke burning that bit into a piece of Angelique.
 
CREID said:
bobleibo said:
You guys need to take your entire act on the road....one of the funniest threads in a long, long time.
Thanks for the laughs~
Click to expand...

It wasn't funny when I actually realized the lathe was in reverse and that is why my brand new bit wasn't drilling through a piece of wood.
I can laugh about it now though. :eek::biggrin::laugh:
I was quite embarrassed and very lucky nothing more happened than to create a lot of smoke burning that bit into a piece of Angelique.
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At least so my sources tell me. :biggrin:
 
Oh, and Jttheclockman. If you smell anything else funny, be careful. My sources are making chili tonight.:eek:
 
Happens to the best of us, uh, I mean best of them. Yeah, that's what I meant. My source has not done this in a lathe, but was showing one how to change the saw blade on one of the big saws in the shop. He came and told me it wasn't cutting very well and would I come look at the saw. Yep, teeth going the wrong direction. sigh.
 
Neighbor wanted to remove a tree from her yard. Told her I would do it in two days.

SHE COULDN'T WAIT!!!!!

Went to Harbor Freight and bought their electric chain saw that was on sale. Started to cut the tree down and had the saw smoking after a couple of minutes working on the tree. The saw stopped. She took it back and they replaced it after showing her where to put the oil in the saw. Full of that knowledge she comes back home to cut the tree down. After an hour, she walks over to me and asks if I would take a look at how she is downing. I walk over and she has made one cut about 2 inches deep. At this rate she is guessing she will have the tree down in three days.
I told her I would tune it for her......took the saw home. Took the chain off and cleaned the bar and replaced the chain in the right direction. Took the saw back afetr an hour so she was rested again. (She is in her 60's and thinks she can do anything) She started the saw up and her face lite up like a candle. Told me a big thank you and waved me to go home. Less then 30 minutes later she had managed to cut the tree down. Sadly she didn't have a clue on how to 'drop/aim' where it would fall. She hit her neighbors garage when the tree fell off her property.

All in all a great little story I wish I could have watched but I was busy with my 'honey do.......' List at the time.
 
I have found left cutting bits to be the best Eaz-E-Out around. Center punch the broken bolt and run in a left handed bit. When it starts to cut, out comes the remains of the bolt.

Chas

PS. Wonderful thread. Loved it all.
 
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