Drilling on the lathe

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One thing about the non-live drill chuck. If you get one, make sure that the end of the morse taper is drilled and threaded. You can get a properly sized piece of all-thread, a wingnut and washers and use the all thread as a draw bar to hold the chuck into the head stock.

[Brice Rogers]

Bill and Neal hit the nail on the head - - that chuck is a "live" chuck and is meant to spin.

I bought a cheap 1/2" MT2 drill chuck from Harbor Fright for about $15 (or $12 with a coupon). Works fine. Has very little tendency for MT to spin.

Keep your live chuck as it is good for holding small things that a center might have trouble gripping. Might work okay with pens.

[Prashun Patel]

I feel like an idiot.

Had no idea there was a difference. The past 5 years I've been doing it all wrong.

Reminds me of my neighbors that were flabbergasted seeing me refill the water bottle machine by removing the cap and then flipping the bottle over onto the dispenser. They confessed that for many years one would hold the bottle upside down, while the other removed the cap quickly and then they'd slam the bottle down into the dispenser. If they lost less than a couple quarts to the floor, it was a good day...

[Bill Boehme]

I feel like an idiot.

Had no idea there was a difference. The past 5 years I've been doing it all wrong.

Reminds me of my neighbors that were flabbergasted seeing me refill the water bottle machine by removing the cap and then flipping the bottle over onto the dispenser. They confessed that for many years one would hold the bottle upside down, while the other removed the cap quickly and then they'd slam the bottle down into the dispenser. If they lost less than a couple quarts to the floor, it was a good day...

Well, it's good to mop the floor with spring water now and then.

....... Unless it's carpet.

[Bob Mezzatesta]

I agree with the above but here's my 2 cents (Canadian). I mount the square blank in the chuck using a live centre on the tailstock end to make sure it's centred before I tighten the chuck. I pull the tailstock away and put a proper drill chuck in the tailstock and drill my hole. I put the live centre back in the tailstock and fairly gently engage it into the drilled hole. I then turn down the end for the ferrule l. I put the ferrule on and then tighten the live centre against it firmly. You can then turn down the rest of the handle quite safely. And yes, a sharp drill helps. BTW I use brass Pex fittings for ferrules (with the narrow end cut off. As we say up north "strong like streetcar". Cheers.

[Bill Jobe]

I don't see how you could ever get the hole in proper alignment with the chuck without turning at least part of the way through before using a drill.

[Bob Mezzatesta]

I don't see how you could ever get the hole in proper alignment with the chuck without turning at least part of the way through before using a drill.

Not sure I understand your comment. A sharp drill and a centre punch mark on the end and away you go. Are you thinking the drill would wander? It doesn't. A small forstner bit works very well also. I've made a lot of handles without any problem.

[Bill Jobe]

Not sure I understand your comment. A sharp drill and a centre punch mark on the end and away you go. Are you thinking the drill would wander? It doesn't. A small forstner bit works very well also. I've made a lot of handles without any problem.

Yes, I think it will wander. But your suggestion looks convincing. Perhaps if I had paid more that $150 for my mini lathe.....
Your suggestion is correct. My response is looking back over the many years machining core holes in nodular

I can still remember the first multi-drill lathe fixture I had ever seen. Very hard to get my mind around.

[robert baccus]

Bob is doing it the correct way for sure.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I agree with the above but here's my 2 cents (Canadian). Cheers.

Thanks for making public the conversion!

[John K Jordan]

Not sure I understand your comment. A sharp drill and a centre punch mark on the end and away you go. Are you thinking the drill would wander? It doesn't. A small forstner bit works very well also. I've made a lot of handles without any problem.

The absolute best thing I've ever found for starting a hole in the end grain to have a good chance of it drilling straight - first use a center drill. These are so short and stout they can't possibly flex. I keep a large one ready in a separate chuck and use it on every hole.

A set of center drills is cheap, made for machinists to put the properly shaped hole in the end of a piece of metal for mounting on a metal cutting lathe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MOJVKU
center drills.jpg

I also occasionally use an NC Spotting Drill, probably better for small diameter holes but more expensive.

If the hole is large, I will drill a short smaller diameter hole then follow with the larger hole. This helps get the large hole started straight. If it wobbles or follows the grain right off the bat the hole will be a mess.I

f the hole is not too deep is use screw machine drill bits. These are shorter and stiffer than the standard jobbers bits and not prone to flexing in the wood. For a longer hole I might first drill partway with the shorter bit.

The third thing I do if possible is eliminate the Jacobs chuck by using taper drills.

taper_1_IMG_20160919_094408.jpg taper_2_IMG_20160919_094945.jpg

Look at how much shorter the taper drill bit is than a bit in a Jacobs chuck - less chance for flexing and for slop, er, accumulated tolerance errors. Also handy if drilling on a short lathe where you need every inch.

The largest taper drill bits I use come in an MT2 taper and I put them directly in the tailstock.
The smaller taper drills come in an MT1 taper so I use an inexpensive precision hardened and ground MT1-MT2 adapter.

The last thing I do if I need holes perfectly concentric:
- chuck and turn the blank to shape but a bit oversized
- drill the hole
- mount the same drill bit in the lathe headstock spindle and use it as a jam chuck
- supporting with the tailstock, turn to the final profile.

I often use this method on handles I make from 8" long stock. An important advantage is with the piece jammed on the bit I can remove the tailstock and clean up the end.

crops_2015_comp.jpg

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

I just did it the usual way for me.

Turned a small tenon on the butt end to hold the handle. Put a drill bit in the live chuck and then clamped the chuck with a quick grip. Works well enough.