Thread: Drilling holes in handles

This method is standard practice in metal work, and like metal work where metal hardness is usually even across a workpiece, I find it works very well in clear wood. However. I have still run into problems in wood with varying hardness across the area being drilled. As an extreme example, just the other day I was using a WW lathe to drill a 40mm diam cylinder of knotty olive into a fixed 19 mm Forstner bit and the hole ended up being about 3 mm out over a distance of about 50 mm. Not that I think it wood be any better the other way either.

Holding a handle in a lathe may not be possible if the handle is asymmetrical. In some cases I have par turned handles and then drilled the hole in the lathe and then attended to the asymmetry aspects. In other situations it requires careful thinking through of the sequence.

Like Peter demonstrates in his video for small holes I found some improvement could be obtained by starting with a much shorter drill bit and then switching to a longer bit to finish the hole, but after battling with this problem on small handles I now usually just drill the hole oversize and hold the blade straight during the gluing in process.

BTW instead of using multigrips to hold the bit like Peter, I find it easier (and I believe its safer) to leave the bit in the chuck in the tailstock and manually slide the tailstock in and out. When pulling the bit out I pull on the chuck rather than the tail stock. Multigrips jaws may also mess up the drill shank.

Originally Posted by BobL

Like Peter demonstrates in his video for small holes I found some improvement could be obtained by starting with a much shorter drill bit and then switching to a longer bit to finish the hole, but after battling with this problem on small handles I now usually just drill the hole oversize and hold the blade straight during the gluing in process.

Bob

I came to the same conclusion, but it took me three failed handles to come to this realisation . 3mm diameter holes are not conducive to easy drilling.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by BobL

...BTW instead of using multigrips to hold the bit like Peter, I find it easier (and I believe its safer) to leave the bit in the chuck in the tailstock and manually slide the tailstock in and out. When pulling the bit out I pull on the chuck rather than the tail stock. Multigrips jaws may also mess up the drill shank.

Yes, true, but I think the vise is used to shorten the attachment, thus making the drilling depth longer.

Pam

I don't have a lathe but may have to invest in a little fella one day. When I'm drilling out handle holes for (say) rasp and files they come pre-drilled with a 3,4 or 5mm hole (done on IanW's lathe). Because of the tapered tangs I then drill out the pilot hole in increments of 1mm diameter, just using a cordless drill with twist drill bits (brad points are no good because they can't be centred in the pilot hole).

So far this method has worked ok, and all the rasps/files are straight (enough) to the handles, so the pilot hole must keep things nice and straight. There was one that was a bit weird but I have a feeling that the tang may have been a little bent (because it did it twice on two different handles).

Originally Posted by Pam

Yes, true, but I think the vise is used to shorten the attachment, thus making the drilling depth longer.

Pam

Sure I heard that on the video but it is also possible to do that in a chuck as well; i.e. Drill most of the hole withe the bit is held firmly in the chuck and then reposition the bit so only a short section is held. I've found I can get away with as little as ~ 7mm of chuck grip and still carefully drill the extra length. A multi grip can get away with a few mm less grip but I would still drill all except the last couple of mm with the chuck and then switch to a multi grip if the last couple of mm was required.

There is another method using a bench drill which I've used to drill holes all the way through handles for hidden tang knives.
Make a steel pin with a point (like a dead centre for a lathe) and clamp it vertically in your vise on the drill bed and align it vertically with the drill. Mark the centres of both ends of the handle. Place one centre on the pin at the bottom and place the drill bit in the centre at the top. Start drilling. You only have to drill to the centre of the handle because you then invert the handle, placing the drilled hole on the bottom pin, and start drilling again. As long as the grain is not too cranky and the drill too narrow they will meet perfectly in the middle. No long drill bits needed.

Hope this is clear enough. If not I could create an illustration.

Regards,
Gadge

Originally Posted by BobL

This method is standard practice in metal work, and like metal work where metal hardness is usually even across a workpiece, I find it works very well in clear wood. However. I have still run into problems in wood with varying hardness across the area being drilled.

Yes indeed, Bob, riffle barrel makers perfected the technique a long time ago.

Cross grain and/or knotty woods create alignment problems with any method of drilling.

Traditionally this problem is reduced by splitting handle blanks ( a similar technique to splitting shingles with a froe ), which will follow the grain.

knife handle blanks.jpg

Originally Posted by BobL

Holding a handle in a lathe may not be possible if the handle is asymmetrical.

It is certainly more time consuming when drilling holes asymmetrically in handles, but can be done.

Originally Posted by Gadge

There is another method using a bench drill which I've used to drill holes all the way through handles for hidden tang knives.
Make a steel pin with a point (like a dead centre for a lathe) and clamp it vertically in your vise on the drill bed and align it vertically with the drill. Mark the centres of both ends of the handle. Place one centre on the pin at the bottom and place the drill bit in the centre at the top. Start drilling. You only have to drill to the centre of the handle because you then invert the handle, placing the drilled hole on the bottom pin, and start drilling again. As long as the grain is not too cranky and the drill too narrow they will meet perfectly in the middle. No long drill bits needed.

Hope this is clear enough. If not I could create an illustration.

Regards,
Gadge

Very clear, thanks, Gadge.

A good method if you have a drill press but no lathe.

Neil

Originally Posted by Gadge

There is another method using a bench drill which I've used to drill holes all the way through handles for hidden tang knives.
Make a steel pin with a point (like a dead centre for a lathe) and clamp it vertically in your vise on the drill bed and align it vertically with the drill. Mark the centres of both ends of the handle. Place one centre on the pin at the bottom and place the drill bit in the centre at the top. Start drilling. You only have to drill to the centre of the handle because you then invert the handle, placing the drilled hole on the bottom pin, and start drilling again. As long as the grain is not too cranky and the drill too narrow they will meet perfectly in the middle. No long drill bits needed.

I wanted to hit the like button but they seem to have disappeared

Originally Posted by BobL

I wanted to hit the like button but they seem to have disappeared

I was just looking for it. Glad I'm not going mad.

Originally Posted by yojimbo

I was just looking for it. Glad I'm not going mad.

Welcome back then.

Originally Posted by Sheets

Welcome back then.

Oh, I've been around. Just not saying much.

Originally Posted by yojimbo

Oh, I've been around. Just not saying much.

Sorry, I did notice that. I mustn't be so direct next time - its confusing. I probably deserve

Originally Posted by Sheets

Sorry, I did notice that. I mustn't be so direct next time - its confusing. I probably deserve

Nah... you're alright, mate.