General Category > General Discussion

Drilling side grain on the lathe

<< < (2/3) > >>

Bill21:

--- Quote from: turningal on February 01, 2023, 03:37:36 PM ---I am happy to drill wood in the square on a drill press before turning.

--- End quote ---

I assumed from that the piece fitted under you drill press?


--- Quote from: turningal on February 01, 2023, 11:33:15 PM ---It needs to be drilled on the lathe, it won’t fit under my drill press

--- End quote ---

If this makes it any easier to make a jig you can buy drill clamps.

Twisted Trees:
When drilling the side of a spindle it is always easier to do it when it is still square, is that possible? controlling the path of a drill bit can be difficult especially when hand held, just measured one of my larger forstner bits about half way down the guide point it is 4mm so I would be aiming to use a 4mm drill bit to create a pilot hole that is deep enough to get the head of the forstner bit into the wood from there it should be much easier to control.

That for you would mean making a guide post for a 4mm drill bit, much easier! then using that to help get the forstner bit into the wood accurately freehand.

Though even then I would probably be looking to get the hole drilled first so I could do it on a solid floor or bench whichever gives me the best access then cutting around the hole to my final shape.

BrianH:
Have you thought of temporary mods to your drill stand? Remove the bed or swing the head out of line with the base perhaps. This might increase the headroom enough for your needs.
Brian

The Bowler Hatted Turner:
I have a pillar drill big enough to cope with the pieces I make, but this post has got me thinking what would I do if it wasn't big enough? The hole through the post is fine until you need to use a bigger drill. You might try making a hole in the stem big enough to take the shaft of the forstner bit But make it wider to take more of the stem than you would think. Use it to start the hole and then switch to a narrower one. This way the start of the hole and the stem with the hole will work together to guide the drill bit.

turningal:
Well thanks for all your help and advice, I followed Duncan’s advice and built a sled to hold my drill steady while drilling on the lathe. It also encouraged me to make the sled adaptable for using a router on the lathe.A success!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page