A boring q for 'real' turners

[rsser]

The task is to drill a 1/2" hole in a tool handle.

The handle is a rather nice job without a hole, got cheap at a WWW show.

Both ends have small centre depressions.

At the business end the depression is too big to centre either the points of a saw-tooth or brad point bit. Those are going to go off centre.

I have a 1/2 twist drill, Viper style, which IME wanders, or a conventional style 1/64 less than that.

I have a removable point cup centre but the point is far too long to allow the centre to embed to the cup rim in order to get a long drill bit in to improve the shoulder so that a twist drill might centre and then track true.

What would you do?

OK, so this is faintly obsessive cos few will notice off-centre but hey, it's another opportunity to learn something new

[stuffy]

Hi Ern,
Can you put the viper bit in a drill chuck in the headstock and feed the handle in with pressure from a cone centre in the tailstock?

[RETIRED]

If the centres are true, this is the way I do it.

Fit a Jacobs chuck in the headstock and as the cup centre will not locate in the hole at the "blunt end", use a cone centre. Live or dead doesn't matter.

Fit the preferred size twist drill (I use these as they are generally strong and straight) in the Jacobs chuck.

Fit handle loosely between drill and tailstock centre. Back off tail stock so that handle is not held and lock to bed.

Start lathe. Hold the handle in your left hand and fit to centre in tailstock, bring tailstock up using the hand wheel, locate drill on centre and wind the hand wheel in to desired depth whilst holding the handle.

When depth is reached, wind out hand wheel but keep pressure on the handle so that it does not spin free.

Quicker to do than type.

[RETIRED]

Bugger, Stuffy beat me to it.

[rsser]

Snap!

Thanks guys.

Have seen this method somewhere in webland so can visualise it.

Would you go for the 1/2 Viper style bit or go the 1/64 under? My guess is that there'll be a bit of slop so go under.

[Jim Carroll]

Another addition to robbos idea is to bring your toolrest under the handle.

This gives support to the handle and helps in alignment.and also something else to hang onto.

The main thing to do is go slowly if you feed too fast then there is the chance the drill will wander.

[stuffy]

Snap!

Thanks guys.

Have seen this method somewhere in webland so can visualise it.

Would you go for the 1/2 Viper style bit or go the 1/64 under? My guess is that there'll be a bit of slop so go under.

I suppose you could start with the smaller size to be on the safe side. I usually use epoxy so I need a bit of room for that. Bit tricky if you want to use the handle again though!

[GoGuppy]

I suppose you could start with the smaller size to be on the safe side. I usually use epoxy so I need a bit of room for that. Bit tricky if you want to use the handle again though!

The only prob with starting with a bit that is a poofteenth undersized, is that if required subsequently, drilling with the correct size will cause the bit to bite in and you may find it hard to hold on to the handle.
Cheers

[joe greiner]

Add a ferrule to hide the evidence of your "crime."

Also strengthens the connection and looks better than bare.

Cheers,
Joe

[rsser]

Done and dusted; thanks guys.

Went undersize expecting a bit of play but nope, too tight, so I reamed it out with the 1/2 Viper. Centred and straight.

[NeilS]

If the centres are true, this is the way I do it.

......

Quicker to do than type.

Got Robo's method from him at first Horsham Youturn. It was quick and has worked well for me.

.