Thread: Is this a router bit?

Well if it was running forwards you'd use a right hand drill. Or am I missing something

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Only if your lathe is running backwards...

Why would the lathe have ro run backwards for a left hand cutter to work????????

Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

Why would the lathe have ro run backwards for a left hand cutter to work????????

Jim

Because when lathes run normally (headstock on the left, spinning towards you), you use right hand drills. Therefore, to use a left hand drill, you must spin the lathe the other way. I'm not sure how else to explain this...

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Well if it was running forwards you'd use a right hand drill. Or am I missing something

Have you tried to bore through the headstock??? I suggest you put a normal drill through the head stock and try to bore a hole in a piece of timber. The answer will become patently obvious.

Jim

Through as in not being held by the headstock? I mean, yes that would need a left hand bit, but a bloody long one as well as a sleeve to keep it centred.

Yep their long and cut left , with a handle on the end like a chisel handle. Its how lamp stands are bored . And I'm pretty sure they self center.
Pretty sure as well its how the long standard lamps were done . The 6' long things . Someone tell me if I'm wrong with that please .

We had one come with a new Woodfast lathe back in the 70s, about 3foot long ? With all the rest of the new gear but I hadn't seen the drill bit for years.

I was asking somewhere here were they left hand twist in the drill or do you re wire the lathe to run backwards .
Although Id used it in the 70s Id B***y forgotten how I did it .

Rob

And thanks to modern technology I got someone to go find the drill bit I'm talking about and send some pictures .
Solving something Ive been trying to figure out a while.

Was our drill bit a left cutter or did we rewire the lathe to run backwards so a normal drill bit would work when passing a drill through the head stock?

I was sent these pics just before I wrote the last post .

Bl***y tricky . Can you see what Woodfast did to that drill bit to make it cut left with normal forward lathe rotation?

They have re ground a right twist normally right cutting drill bit to cut left. It wouldn't take as much waste away, you have to pull it out and clear it more. Ive a vague memory of being shown that part coming back .

That's how they did it !! And that's how I was able to do it !!

Amazing . That makes it easy to build your own with any normal bit that'll fit through a head stock .

Rob

IMG_3461.JPGIMG_3462.JPG IMG_3461a.jpg You can see how they ground and rolled the normal cutting edge (Yellow) and sharpened the back of the other side which gives a bit of a scraping cut .( Red )

Originally Posted by powderpost

Have you tried to bore through the headstock??? I suggest you put a normal drill through the head stock and try to bore a hole in a piece of timber. The answer will become patently obvious.

Jim

Do You have such drill bits Jim ? And have you done such drilling on a lathe?

Rob

Certainly amazing where a thread can go. I'm not complaining - I love it!

Thanks Rob, at least someone here can explain themselves

This one of mine by the Grand Rapids Sash Pulley Co, uses left and right hand centre bits, sadly missing one of the left handers. I've also seen one with five bits. Cheers,
Geoff.

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

This one of mine by the Grand Rapids Sash Pulley Co, uses left and right hand centre bits, sadly missing one of the left handers. I've also seen one with five bits. Cheers,
Geoff.

It must be a mortising aid Geoff, what diameter does one of the drill bits cut ?

Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

Do You have such drill bits Jim ? And have you done such drilling on a lathe?

Rob

Yes Rob, I have two, on is 5/16" and one is 3/8", used them for making standard lamps. Used them in conjunction with a shell augur from the tailstock end, not at the same time.

I had intended to provide an explanation last night but was called away.

Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

Yes Rob, I have two, on is 5/16" and one is 3/8", used them for making standard lamps. Used them in conjunction with a shell augur from the tailstock end,

Thanks for that Jim . Shell Auger is the key word . I just searched for that and a few long ones for use on the lathe show up . So there is left and right ones and some people do it from either the head stock or tail stock end depending on your lathe.

I saw a video this morning of a guy doing it through his tail stock . In here at the 4 minute mark .

YouTube


Rob