What is wrong with my set up?

[truckerdave]

I am not sure but I think I have a problem when drilling on my lathe.

My drill bit only travels 2" when I extend the ?QUILL? all the way out. My holes are not deep enough to accomodate the tubes for some of the pens I want to turn. I appreciate the accurracy and better control that drilling on my lathe gives me but if I can't drill deep enough, it does me no good.

The problem, I think, is the drill bit ?ADAPTOR? is too long and I lose about 5/8" in travel because I have to extend the QUILL out more to accomodate the drill bit chuck than if I am using the live center.

I will try to attach some photos that may better explain what I am seeing as I may not be clear.

From left to right:
pic 1 shows the MINIMUM extenension needed for the live center to be fully seated in the tail stock.

pic 2 shows the MINIMUM extension needed for the drill chuck to be fully seated in the tailstock.

pic 3 shows two lines where I marked the difference between the two pieces. I lose about 5/8" of travel.

pic 4 shows the two ?INSERTS? side by side. There seems to be no reason as why I am losing the 5/8".


By looking at the pics and my description, what is wrong here???

I am very frustrated!!!
I thought drilling on the lathe would eliminate all the problems associated with owning a junky, cheap drill press but now I am thinking I wasted my money on the ?ADAPTOR? and the drill chuck.
I am wondering if I should have just spent the money on a better, bigger drill press.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Step and repeat. After maxing out the quill travel you stop the lathe, wind the tailstock back up and do it again. Number of times is only limited by the length of your bit.

 

[thewishman]

Dave, when I drill, I pull the tailstock back to clear the bit, screw the quill back all the way and then push the tailstock all the way up so the bit is starting at the farthest depth of the hole. Then I can advance the bit in 1/4 to 1/2" and pull the tailstock back out again and repeat.

The quill doesn't have to travel very far. You could drill blanks with a 1/2" travel, just start with the bit at the bottom of the hole with the quill retracted after you clear the chips.

 

[robutacion]

Hi truckerdave

Your answer in on the last picture, the length to the drill chuck shaft is what is taking the travel distance on your tails stock. You have to cut that shaft to the same length as the other one, and your problems with short reach, are over...!

In fact, both can be cut to allow max. contraction/extension of the quill, you've got the "gaps" to tell you how much to cut...!

Well, I hope that I'm seen this right, being this early in the morning for me (6:00am), I can be seeing the situation all wrong...!

Cheers
George

 

[thewishman]

Gary types (and thinks) quicker than I do.

 

[truckerdave]

Step and repeat. After maxing out the quill travel you stop the lathe, wind the tailstock back up and do it again. Number of times is only limited by the length of your bit.

The problem I have experienced with that is the hole becomes enlarged at the entrance point but I think I just figured that out too.

I wasn't stopping the lathe before winding up the tailstock, and doing it again.:frown:

I was doing all that while the lathe was turning and the tailsstock was free to move quite a bit when I brought it up to reengage the workpiece..

DUH!!!:at-wits-end:
That mistake only cost about $15 and 2 very nice acrylic pen blanks!!!:beat-up:

 

[truckerdave]

Hi truckerdave

Your answer in on the last picture, the length to the drill chuck shaft is what is taking the travel distance on your tails stock. You have to cut that shaft to the same length as the other one, and your problems with short reach, are over...!

Cheers
George

That's counter-intuitive!
Cut the drill chuck shaft to make the drill bit go in farther?

But I see what you are saying.

Then the next question is how the heck would I cut the foolish thing? or would it be better to find a different, shorter insert???

 

[robutacion]

Hi truckerdave

Your answer in on the last picture, the length to the drill chuck shaft is what is taking the travel distance on your tails stock. You have to cut that shaft to the same length as the other one, and your problems with short reach, are over...!

Cheers
George

That's counter-intuitive!
Cut the drill chuck shaft to make the drill bit go in farther?

But I see what you are saying.

Then the next question is how the heck would I cut the foolish thing? or would it be better to find a different, shorter insert???

Well, it the hacksaw isn't enough, a thin cutting disc on the 4" grinder, isn't much that it wouldn't cut...!

You can try to get a drill chuck with a short shaft but it you don't the the tip of the drill chuck for the bench drill, that tip isn't doing anything but giving you grief so, chop, chop...!

Cheers
George

 

[Lenny]

FWIW ....
here's how I do it ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1suUVIQpfQ

 

[Lenny]

I have a chuck with the extended shaft like the left one in the last photo and it's the same situation with my Delta 46-460 ... the quill has to be extended considerably before it will seat. While I haven't cut this one down yet (I keep it setup with a center bit, which doesn't need a lot of quill travel in use anyways)... I have cut centers down before using a cut off wheel in a Dremel type tool. My Proxon rotary tool cut through it in pretty quick fashion.
Most wood lathes have a limited quill travel, so stopping, backing out, unlocking and advancing the tailstock is going to be required to drill most pen blanks on the lathe.

 

[randyrls]

The longer taper on the left is a "tang" type taper. It is intended for applications like a drill press where there isn't any downward / outward force on the taper. The one on the right likely has a threaded hole in the end. Metal working MT tapers often have a draw bar to retain the chuck taper. Metal cutting can exert enough downward / outward force to pull the taper from the head stock.

Use caution if you mount the chuck in the head stock. a draw bar is a good idea in those cases.

You can use a side cutter wheel to cut off the tang. Make sure you don't leave any burrs on the end.

 

[workinforwood]

I had a similar problem. I tried cutting with hack saw and then with dremel. Hack saw would hardly scratch it and the dremel disc almost instantly went red hot and disintegrated. I took it to the bench grinder and got a tiny bit off the end but it was a heck of a lot of work and the whole taper was getting super hot, so I surrendered. My tail stock will advance 4 inches, but this chuck only 3.5. I just stop the lathe, insert the bit and start it back up to advance deeper. I try and never go all the way out with my tail stock either because there comes a point where the entire shaft will pull right out and it's a bugger to get it back in.