SS drill mode

This is a forum for intermediate to advanced woodworkers. Show off your projects or share your ideas.

Moderators: HopefulSSer, admin

scollins
Gold Member
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:15 am
Location: Chapel Hill, TN

SS drill mode

Post by scollins »

Got ready to drill a hole in a table leg in horizontal mode which was going to be so easy on my SS. Oops the table won't go down far enough! Switched to vertical position and had a perfectly centered hole in no time. Metal base in which I had previously drilled the table leg hole, plus top and base countersunk attachment holes. Now the metal part of the base has been welded and I needed to drill a matching hole thru a wood beam in the middle of the metal part of the base.

I do not like to drill metal with my SS, but that is the only drill press we have. It did quite well, although, about halfway thru the original 40+ holes I was wishing for the big industrial drill press that I grew up with where you could bring the handle down so far, squirt a little oil and walk away to let the weight of the handle do the work.
Attachments
HORZ - OPPS.jpg
HORZ - OPPS.jpg (315.73 KiB) Viewed 2488 times
VERT.jpg
VERT.jpg (322.2 KiB) Viewed 2488 times
DONE.jpg
DONE.jpg (167.83 KiB) Viewed 2488 times
BARNWOOD TABLE.jpg
BARNWOOD TABLE.jpg (161.04 KiB) Viewed 2488 times
Last edited by scollins on Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
JPG
Platinum Member
Posts: 34610
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:42 pm
Location: Lexington, Ky (TAMECAT territory)

Re: SS drill mode

Post by JPG »

scollins wrote:Got ready to drill a hole in a table leg in horizontal mode which was going to be so easy on my SS. Oops the table won't go down far enough! Switched to vertical position and had a perfectly centered hole in no time. Metal base in which I had previously drilled the table leg hole, plus top and base countersunk attachment holes. Now the metal part of the base has been welded and I needed to drill a matching hole thru a wood beam in the middle of the metal part of the base.

I do not like to drill metal with my SS, but that is the only drill press we have. It did quite well, although, about halfway thru the original 40+ holes I was wishing for the big industrial drill press that I grew up with where you could bring the handle down so far, squirt a little oil and walk away to let the weight of the handle do the work.

So hang a weight on the handle! :D :cool:
╔═══╗
╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝

Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
User avatar
benush26
Platinum Member
Posts: 1104
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:06 pm
Location: Montana

Re: SS drill mode

Post by benush26 »

Not certain JPG's idea is safe, but we actually did something like that when boring through 1/2" steel plate with old bits.
I found an old leg weight (fabric filled with lead shot). Had to using mechanical wire to loop over the handle, tighten so it would not slip off and then a loop through the leg weight. It was heavy enough to keep pressure but light enough to keep from jamming the flutes of the bit.

Probably neither safe nor sane, but it worked.

If I was to try something like that again, I'd probably try using a spring for tension attached to the handle, but since I'm not planning on ANYTHING like that again, it's pure old fart speculative ramblings!

Be well,
Ben
User avatar
JPG
Platinum Member
Posts: 34610
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:42 pm
Location: Lexington, Ky (TAMECAT territory)

Re: SS drill mode

Post by JPG »

benush26 wrote:Not certain JPG's idea is safe, but we actually did something like that when boring through 1/2" steel plate with old bits.
. . .
Be well,
Ben
Hey it was 'his' idea! :rolleyes:
╔═══╗
╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝

Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
User avatar
reible
Platinum Member
Posts: 11283
Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:08 pm
Location: Aurora, IL

Re: SS drill mode

Post by reible »

Keep in mind work hardening while drilling. Cutting depends on the drill continuing to cut and not setting there spinning. I could go in to more detail but you all know how to use google so I'll let it go with the key word.

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
User avatar
jsburger
Platinum Member
Posts: 6397
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:06 pm
Location: Hooper, UT

Re: SS drill mode

Post by jsburger »

reible wrote:Keep in mind work hardening while drilling. Cutting depends on the drill continuing to cut and not setting there spinning. I could go in to more detail but you all know how to use google so I'll let it go with the key word.

Ed
Exactly! Bunish26 said "using old drill bits". To me old implies dull. Why would one do that. Dull drills in wood is one thing but in metal. :eek: :eek:
John & Mary Burger
Eagle's Lair Woodshop
Hooper, UT
User avatar
benush26
Platinum Member
Posts: 1104
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:06 pm
Location: Montana

Re: SS drill mode

Post by benush26 »

jsburger wrote:
reible wrote:Keep in mind work hardening while drilling. Cutting depends on the drill continuing to cut and not setting there spinning. I could go in to more detail but you all know how to use google so I'll let it go with the key word.

Ed
Exactly! Bunish26 said "using old drill bits". To me old implies dull. Why would one do that. Dull drills in wood is one thing but in metal. :eek: :eek:
Dull would have a step up! :eek:
We needed to drill four 5/8" holes times 8 pieces of 1/2" cold rolled. We used what we could find and really didn't have the money to buy a new bit. :o . I remember using 3in1 oil (the red can with the white plastic spout) as a lubricant, thinking more oil made for better cutting!! Huge mess all over the table. :rolleyes: . My new 1980 500 did eventually get it done but then I fired up the bandsaw to cut aluminum blocks. Finished some of those cuts with an aging hack saw.

Yes, I turned my Shopsmith into a metal working machine. I think we used the belt sander to take some of the sharp edges off the aluminum after it was cut out. But we did get the project done with what we had. Can't say that alcohol made any stupid decisions..... We made enough of those on our own. :D :rolleyes:

Sometimes I look back at those days and wonder "How in the world did I survive?"

Be well,
Ben
ERLover
Platinum Member
Posts: 3914
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:19 pm
Location: Greenie and Goldie Country not to metion the WI Badgers!

Re: SS drill mode

Post by ERLover »

Step drill bit!! HF sells em cheap.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. Albert Einstein
The Greatness officially starts :D :D :D :D :D :D
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them. :)
User avatar
JPG
Platinum Member
Posts: 34610
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:42 pm
Location: Lexington, Ky (TAMECAT territory)

Re: SS drill mode

Post by JPG »

ERLover wrote:Step drill bit!! HF sells em cheap.

1/2" cr steel? 'maybe'. :eek:
╔═══╗
╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝

Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
lyall
Gold Member
Posts: 171
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:17 pm
Location: State Center, Ia

Re: SS drill mode

Post by lyall »

step bits are for sheet metal less than 1/16"
drilling any hole in metal I start with 1/8" drill bit, then 1/4", then 3/8", then 1/2" etc. up to 1".
my drill bit last longer that way.
for drilling metal of any type I go to my old post drill (blacksmith)
Post Reply