drilling blanks

[Keith Christopher]

What would you recommend for drilling through the dense hardwoods without burning ? This pink ivory is giving me you know what !

[John Hart]

It seems to me Keith that the burning mostly comes when the flutes get clogged on the bit and you continue to drill. The bits I use came from Berea Hardwoods. They are sharp and the flutes clear fairly easy....but I do many plunges especially for the very hard and oily animals.

[Dennis Peacock]

Keith,

John has you on the right track. Many plunges and use the fingernail of your index finger to rub again the shaft part of the bit to help the wood come out of the flutes if it packs in there. I do a plunge, remove the bit, plunge again, remove the bit, tap with the fingernail, plunge....and I keep doing this until I'm all the way through. You may also want to make sure your bit is good and sharp. I use my DrillDR on my bits to touch them up from time to time. It seems to help.

[Robert Watsek]

Keith,

Both John and Dennis are pretty much right on, I've been drilling some bloodwood and having the same problem, my solution is just as they describe but I use a scrap piece of oak and rub against the side of the drill flutes this will clean them out most of the time. I also start my blank off with a bradpoint then switch to a bit that I can sharpen with the drill doctor....... easier to keep a very sharp bit, then I finish the drilling with a parabolic mm bit. It takes a little time but by using the extra bits they also stay cooler thus stay sharper longer. That is what works for me.

[Andy Hoyt]

I've never tried this, but the thought occurs to me that if you held a chunk of beeswax against the spinning drill bit it might help lubricate things just enough to provide some benefit.

[Keith Christopher]

What I'm doing atm is drilling with a smaller bit, then reaming the hole to diameter. working so far, got a couple of 10mm brad points on the way so I'll take more time in drilling them. I was thinking I was going slow enough but apparently not.


Keith

[Kurt Forbes]

I've never tried this, but the thought occurs to me that if you held a chunk of beeswax against the spinning drill bit it might help lubricate things just enough to provide some benefit.

I would think that would mess up your glue up by getting a thin coating of wax on the inside of the blank Preventing the glue from bonding properly otherwise it would be a Terrific idea.

[Keith Outten]

Keith,

Use your Shop Vac, place the end of the hose right against the drill bit while drilling. It will pull cool air across the bit and clear the chips keeping the hole free from buildup. You will have less cleanup as well since the chips won't hit the floor. I use this technique for drilling Corian pen blanks and it actually helps to keep the drilled hole straight.

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