How to drill the hole in turned tool handles

[Staffan Hamala]

I recently bought a used lathe, and am currently practicing on scrap pieces. I plan to turn some tool handles but I don't know how I'll do all of that yet.

I've watched some videos on youtube, where they start by mounting the wood in the lathe chuck, and drill using a drill mounted in the tail stock chuck.

In my lathe, it's not possible to mount a drill chuck into the tail stock (and I actually don't have a chuck for the other end either).

I guess I could just use any hand held drill to make a hole in the finished piece, as it's probably not that important to get the hole perfectly centered.. But I'd like to try, anyhow.

I remember seeing a video somewhere, where they used a drill bit mounted in a wooden handle, for drilling a hole while the lathe was turning the work piece. I think they used it to mark the depth of a bowl or something (can't find the video now). My thought is, could something like this be used?

And if so, where can I find such a drill? Would just any drill bit mounted into a wooden handle work? Or do I need a special drill bit to make it find the centre?

Edit: Another idea I have: in my tail stock, there's a (permanently mounted) hollow cup with a removable pin in the centre (the pin is actually not there anymore, just a hole - but a similar pin in the head stock fits into the hole). I wonder if it's possible to somehow put a drill bit into the hole... Don't know if this is feasible, but it's an idea..

[Robert McGowen]

I always drill the hole first. I then use a point in the tail stock to go inside of the hole in the wood. This way you will be turning the wood around the hole, so that the hole will be centered when you are finished. YMMV

[Brian Effinger]

Steffan - I'd make a dimple in the center of the ends of the blank, then carfully drill the blank off the lathe with a hand held power drill. Just make sure to clamp the blank to something secure so you don't have to hold it and drill it. Use a square of some kind of template to assist you in keeping the hole parallel to the length of the blank. To drill it out on the lathe, I think you would need some sort of chuck to hold the other end in the headstock.

[Thom Sturgill]

I have seen handles drilled by mounting the drill in a jacobs chuck on the headstock and lining the blank up with the ways to keep it straight while pushing it onto the bit. Harbor Freight sells a jacobs chuck on a MT2 taper for about $10. As Robert said use the tail stock live center's point in the hole to keep the stock aligned while turning the blank to shape.

[Mikail Khan]

Jacobs chuck with drill bit in headstock. Adjust your tailstock without a center so that the distance between the tailsock and the tip of the bit is about 1/4 longer than the handle.

While drilling the handle use your left hand to keep the handle centralized using the tailstock as a guide. You can stop and adjust the tailstock forward as the hole in the handle gets deeper.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-hal...uck-42340.html

If you don't have a jacobs chuck or a drill press a normal drill bit epoxied into a wooden handle can be used while the blank is mounted on the lathe.

MK

[Bernie Weishapl]

I mount the handle in the headstock thru a steady rest with the drill in the tailstock jacobs chuck and drill my hole first as Robert does. Once drilled I put my livecenter in the tailstock and bring it up to the hole. Once turned it is dead center.