Shopsmith Forums

stumpbuster: I like that jig. Know that you will have been copied very soon. Thanks for the post.

One last suggestion on boring through a dowel -- drill the 1/4" hole through a square piece of wood and mount it between centers on the lathe and turn it to the 1" outside diameter. Make the square a bit longer than required and trim it to length after turning. That way you won't run the lathe chisel into the live center in the tailstock. Make a wooden plug with a taper to mount in a drill chuck to drive the stock. Use a 60 degree live center in the tailstock. Clamp a chisel to the tool post so you can slide the carriage back and forth to get a perfectly sized round.

pennview wrote:One last suggestion on boring through a dowel -- drill the 1/4" hole through a square piece of wood and mount it between centers on the lathe and turn it to the 1" outside diameter. Make the square a bit longer than required and trim it to length after turning. That way you won't run the lathe chisel into the live center in the tailstock. Make a wooden plug with a taper to mount in a drill chuck to drive the stock. Use a 60 degree live center in the tailstock. Clamp a chisel to the tool post so you can slide the carriage back and forth to get a perfectly sized round.

After as many attempts as I made at drilling in a dowel, I do believe that if real accuracy is needed - this is the only way other than using something closer to a milling machine.

I got this particular job done but it sure pointed out some things that I need to work on.

Now show us what you're working go...share with the class.

Use a 'D' drill bit. You can easily make one the right size. The initial hole across the diameter becomes a 'catch' when the bit is ground,a nd will engage and help remove the swarf. These drills will not waver a bit. I have used them to drill hole in pipe chanters, and only be out 1/100" at the end of 14" of cocobolo (hard and sometimes wierdly-grained). See drawing.

Using this drill consists of drilling a short starter hole with a regular drill, then introduce this one. Drill a bit at a time, and withdraw the bit to remove the swarf (the wood removed).

[ATTACH]20256[/ATTACH]

Derek

dusty wrote:You who turn will probably scoff at this because you drill blanks regularly but I am about at wits end.

I am attempting to drill a 1/4 through hole in a 5" long 1" dowel. Drilling the hole is not the problem]20238[/ATTACH]

I devised a clamp to hold the dowel on the drill press and it holds the dowel just fine but apparently not straight. I clamp the block to the fence. This squeezes the kerf closed and thus secures the dowel. I am satisfied that the 1" hole in the block is adequately square to the face of the block. I am also certain that the drill bit is square to the table top.

I have had a couple holes break through close but I have scrapped three dowels.

All tips will be greatly appreciated.

Today I picked up a Drill Doctor at a garage sale. One of the settings is the Split Point setting. I had no clue as to what they were or where they would be used. After a quick search I run across this explanation.
I thought this thread would be a good place to post the article

Standard Point Drill Bits



Every woodworker has used countless standard drill bits over the course of multiple projects, and for general construction, these bits should accommodate your needs. The shaft of the bit has two curving grooves, called spurs, that lift debris from the hole you are drilling. The tip of a standard bit is smooth, coming to a slight point, almost as if the bit tip is wearing a small, rounded cap. Unfortunately, unless your wood provides substantial friction and your drill is perfectly perpendicular to the surface, these smooth-cap points can slip off target and gouge your wood. This is called "walking."


Split-Point Drill Bits



Falling into the speed bit category, split-point bits almost completely eliminate "walking." The shaft of a quality split-point bit features three grooves that lift away debris, allowing you to drill holes faster and with less chance of snags. These grooves continue all the way to the tip of the bit, where they cut into the tip's cap, breaking the smooth surface. This creates a grooved bit tip that more easily anchors itself in the wood and keeps your bit on target.


Identification



Many split-point drill bit manufacturers do not specifically mark their bits with the "split-point" designation. This can make these superior bits more difficult to find at your local hardware store or online. Determine if a bit is a split-point bit by closely examining either the image of the bit or the bit itself. The tip should never have an unbroken circular cap. The surface of the bit tip should appear cut into, creating a shape not unlike a pinwheel.