I drill mine on the lathe, still square and so far its been pretty accurate...
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Drilling Pen Blanks
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Neil
Fellow
David, haven't checked out the axminster catalogue but suspect that this price doesn't include the morse taper arbor. Check out props brothers here. Proops Brothers Limited Drill Chucks Drill Chucks.
Haven't built a longworth chuck, nor ever felt the need to, it wouldn't help with blank drilling unless there is another longworth chuck that isn't used for turning off mounting spigots.
Neil
Fellow
Drilled thousands of blanks, always using a pillar drill and centre ring v jaws. Never had a problem, only if I am too hasty and force the drill or have been too lazy and haven't sharpened or replaced the drill bit. Drilling on the lathe too damn slow.
Jim, what do you achieve by rounding the blank before drilling on the lathe?
Jim, what do you achieve by rounding the blank before drilling on the lathe?
Neil, that's exactly where I ended up buying mine! £9 including an MT 2 arbour if memory serves. Bargain!
Funny, I've been thinking about doing this in future! My reasoning: using drive centre and live centre I can get as near as dammit to the 'true' centre of the blank along its length. Then when clamping and drilling (on lathe) it increases the chances of being very close to central. Since I do a fair bit of segmenting (as does Jim) getting the hole to run central along its length is a whole lot more critical than with a plain wood blank.
I hold the blanks (square) in pin jaws in the lathe chuck and very rarely have a problem but I no longer use the colt drill as for me it's too long and it tends to whiplash. Never had any problems with ordinary bits turned at about 500 rpm and withdrawn at regular intervals. In truth drilling the blanks is probably the most difficult operation in pen making so it's worth taking a bit of extra time.
Ray
Ray
I use both methods. not got a preference really.
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- Terry
I agree entirely with what you say Ray!!!!
naxie
Registered
I used to really struggle with drilling blanks properly, I have a donated Draper drill with only a 50 mm travel. To be honest that's why I only ever turned a couple of pens when I got my lathe. A few months ago I was given an old Tauco pillar drill circa 1940 with a real Jacobs chuck. It was in a sorry state, still needs a bit of work and a piece or two making to get it back to its former glory but it is by comparison extremely accurate. It also has around 3 1/2" of travel. Now the drilling is easy, right speed, sharp bit and I'm away.
Now it's everything else about turning pens I struggle with.
Now it's everything else about turning pens I struggle with.
Jim
Grand Master
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I don't do this all the time, i am selective on what blanks i choose to turn round before drilling. As David points out it increases the chances of being very close to central this decreases the chance of ruining a decent blank...
I have been using an engineers pillar drill with a cross vice and a small set square to get the blank upright I have used this system for over 20 years without any problems whatsoever but now I have a much smaller workshop I am going to start drilling on the lathe which I always found took a lot longer than using a pillar drill but thats me happy turning
I don't do this all the time, i am selective on what blanks i choose to turn round before drilling. As David points out it increases the chances of being very close to central this decreases the chance of ruining a decent blank...
Now that is what I call a good tip, especially useful on segmented blanks, one I will certainly try if I can remember it when I wake up.
Neil
Fellow
I don't do this all the time, i am selective on what blanks i choose to turn round before drilling. As David points out it increases the chances of being very close to central this decreases the chance of ruining a decent blank...
Segmenting - get the drift (pun totally intended) worth drilling on the lathe to get the hole down the middle. Never dabbled with this so hadn't reasoned with this logic but I am about to acquire a fox thicknesser/planer for a very good price and want to have a crack at it so thanks for the tip!
Jim
Grand Master
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Neil, a planer/thicknesser is top of my to buy list once i get the lean-to finished, just to assist with segmenting ...
sbwertz
Full Member
Most of the time I use the drill press and a self centering dedicated pen vice. If I have a blank under 3/4" (20mm) I drill it on the lathe. Also I do antler on the lathe.
I have been having some problems with drilling blanks with the drill running off centre from end to end. So I thought I would try turning them prior to drilling, I bought a 3/8 4 prong drive from Axminster, marked the centre of the of both ends of the blank, mounted the blank between the prong drive and a revolving centre turned them to size. After they had been cut to length I mounted them in a self centring chuck and drilled them and they are spot on. Thanks for the tip Jim
When i was setting up shop a month or so back it was a toss up between a cheaper pillar drill ( which I thought wouldn't be accurate or reliable ) or a dedicated Pen blank chuck, for using on the lathe. I chose the chuck and I'm glad I did ..perfect centralised holes every time ....so far !!!