Thread: Stuck drill

brass is soft pull and twist like the dickens and then you may have to redrill and replace the tube

If you have a drill chuck that will mount in your lathe, then I would try using that to hold the drill bit still (use the tailstock, or use the headstock and the locking pin or spanner or whatever locks it in place). You then have to ability to use vice grips or a clamp or something on the brass to get more leverage. I haven't been in your specific situation, but have done this to remove stuck tooling in the past (bushings rusted to mandrels etc)

Peter

What kind of lather do you have, and what kind of chuck?
Plus, is the lathe reversible?

I'd remount the drill bit in a jacob's chuck - it doesn't matter whether it's in a drill-press, hand-held drill or just on a morse-taper, as it's just to give your hand a better grip. (ie. I seriously don't recommend turning them on. )

Then find a spanner of the right size to hold the wood blank, and finally twist the two in the opposite direction to normal, so it'll "unscrew" with the drill thread.

This usually works, although it can take a lot of heaving and ho-ing to break the initial bond.

With luck, you'll be able to re-use both the blank & bit.

I'd place the drill bit in a metal vise and focus a torch flame to the brass causing it to expand ever so little and rap the brass blank to knock it off. I've broken loose several "frozen" pieces that way.

Originally Posted by BlankBrain

I'd place the drill bit in a metal vise and focus a torch flame to the brass causing it to expand ever so little and rap the brass blank to knock it off. I've broken loose several "frozen" pieces that way.

Thanks for all your replies and advice.
After trying various other suggestions, I tryed the above and it popped of no problems.

I'm glad that it worked!

It is really a simple, but when you think of it, elegant solution. The only time it hasn't worked, for me, is when you over heat the whole thing and both pieces expand. If you hit it hard with the flame and then give it a rap, voila!