Socket extensions on forstner bits for boring on a lathe

[Clarence Martin]

Took a look at the Sears website and they have 20 inch long socket extensions 3/8" . Has anyone used this to connect a Forstner Bit to it so they can bore a hole through a piece of wood on a wood Lathe ? Any chance it could be doubled up giving a 40 inch depth of cut on a wood lathe?

[Phil Harris]

Many woodturners use shorter extensions for boring peppermills, I use a nine inch extension and it works quite well. I cant think of any reason why longer extensions wouldn't work all right. I do hope you provide pictures of your setup when you are boring a 40 inch piece of wood with a 40 inch drill setup. I would have to have a steady rest for the wood. And, if I could figure out how to do it I would want one for the extensions as well. at least to start with.

Anyway, have fun and turn safely.

Phil Harris

[Paul Gilbert]

Recently I have been practicing my skew skills, or more correctly the lack of same, and making jackets to slide over all of my lathe tools as protectors. I embellish the rough turned jackets with beads and coves on my way down to final thickness. If I am doing really well at the moment, I turn a few beads on the final jacket. I bore the hole in the jacket blank with a forstner bit on an extension. The extension is designed specifically for a forstner bit and has two allen screws to fasten the bit into the extension. A socket extension would work in the drilling phase of your work, but when you tried to pull the drill out of the hole to clear the chips you would end up with a difficult fishing expedition.

Another thing I learned the hard way is that it is very difficult to start a drill in end grain and get it exactly in the center with out run out. When I use a ship auger for holes less than 5/8" that little dimple left by the cone center is not enough to get the bit to start true and if it isn't true to start it will wander badly as it goes through the blank. To drill a pilot hole to start my ship auger I use a collet chuck to hold a short drill bit in the tail stock which protrudes out less than an inch from the chuck. This rigid drill gets the hole centered and the drill then runs true with very little wandering as it goes through the blank.

[Cliff Hill]

I use the center drills that are designed for metal lathes. -- They are inexpensive and they also work work well in wood. Check them out here:
http://littlemachineshop.com/product...ory=-390856429

[Roger Chandler]

An extension that long will produce radial runout...[wobble].....you will end up with an off centered hole. You need to start the hole with a bit, then put on a short extension and drill some more........clearing chips every few seconds........the finally use a longer extension if it is needed........getting the hole on the right plane [centered and running true] is crucial to most drilling operations on the lathe. The long extensions generally allow for wobble from the tailstock morse taper. The less flex starting out and to the middle of the cut is most important......then once the plane is established with a stiff shafted bit, then wobble is less likely once transitioning to the extensions.

[Stan Smith]

...snip...

Another thing I learned the hard way is that it is very difficult to start a drill in end grain and get it exactly in the center with out run out. When I use a ship auger for holes less than 5/8" that little dimple left by the cone center is not enough to get the bit to start true and if it isn't true to start it will wander badly as it goes through the blank. To drill a pilot hole to start my ship auger I use a collet chuck to hold a short drill bit in the tail stock which protrudes out less than an inch from the chuck. This rigid drill gets the hole centered and the drill then runs true with very little wandering as it goes through the blank.

Great idea, Paul. I'm going to give the collet chuck a try. I would think the same thing would apply to pens. I've been using a drill chuck in the tail stock.

For the pepper mills that I've done. The instructions say to reverse the blank after drilling half way through. That has worked so far. I do have an extension, but haven't tried it yet. It does seem that the hear expands the wood and it's sometimes difficult to pull the bit back out--even after clearing frequently. This is true the further in the mill blank the bit is.

Update: Oops! My collet chucks screw onto the headstock and do not have morse tapers

[Don Bunce]

For drilling deep holes you need a gun drill. Here's a video that shows the setup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3H5o2DHloc

[Roger Chandler]

For drilling deep holes you need a gun drill. Here's a video that shows the setup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3H5o2DHloc

I guess that is a nice tool if you want to bore a lot of flute blanks................perhaps overkill for peppermills!

[Don Bunce]

Yes, it may be overkill for a peppermill, but the OP was talking about drilling 40" deep holes!

[Jak Kelly]

Lennox does make some extensions for their hole-saws, not sure if that is what you are looking for, or if it will work?
Take a look here https://www.google.com/#q=lennox+hole+saw+extension
From what I remember I think you can keep stacking them, may not be stable enough after they are stacked a few times.............

[john taliaferro]

Colt bits from packard work good . start with no extension to get pilot going stright then add extensions . The 6" extension doesn't work well the furrel is not fitted write i have stripped 3 ,but the 10 " will pull a 2 1/4 60 " with small cuts and a lot of cleaning {2"} in walnut and was only off 1" .

[Don Bunce]

For drilling pepper mills, etc, this may be of some interest. The make a 6" and a 10" extender.

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/...l-Bit-Extender