link to any through drilling how to's :read: on the Jet mini with a jacobson chuck. I ruined to many blanks this week:( . Those bits are too flexible I am buying or I have something mucked up. Please help, thanks Flapster.

Steve I feel your pain.:( i screw up 3 or 4 outa 12 off center holes. Jigman put me onto drilling both ends with a small bit on the lathe verrrrry, verrrry slowly, on both ends first, then using a Cape Cod Tackle long bit by hand verrry verrry slowly again. Helped alot, but i still get antsy with the slow stuff and fowl some up. :smash:

I don't know about a jet , My tail stock end slides easily , I start with my finish blank , Thats the ends cut off . Then I mark the centers with a awl, making an impression so bit stays right there. If your really having trouble drill your belly hole first, so drilling stops there . Don't hold your hand over that hole while drilling ,,alot of heat comes out of there, burns your hand and you'll let go . I hope you have your drill chuck in the live center , not the dead end . Drill bit spins not the blank . Ok holding the blank center on the dead end center slide towards spinning drill bit and align drill and blank center. go in just a litlle , back out and clear the chips . Depending on how good your drill bit is you can only go in like 1/4-3/4" before backing out and clearing chips . repeat . In a little(1/4"-3/4") back up and clear chips . If you do not clear the chips they jam up in there ,cause heat , and distort drill bit ,sending it off center. After you get the blank drilled half way thru , turn end for end and repeat all this . You'll feel the ends connect or if you've drilled belly hole 1st you can use it as a veiwing window and see it .. Hope your wearing a face shield . I don't like gloves on machinery,, your call, but if you do make sure they're not tattered . Another biggy is drill bits .. How much of a flute do they have .. The ones I use are flutted only about an inch .. Tried some that were fluted all the way and to wobbly for my liking .. 1" flute stiffer .. Ok assuming your using 1/8" or 3/16" drill bits ,,, 6-8 inches long .. What your drilling is a biggy too .. white pine is a can of corn to drill like butter.. Hard maple is difficult bits heat up , distort, they have to be really sharp (drill doctor).. Even then it can be dangerous if a piece gets away from you .. comes out of your hand like a lead pipe. A firm grip helps and again a face sheild .. Drilling hard wood, I've even started with a shorter drill bit like 3" because its stiffer,, drilled both ends to get it going center-center. Then put 6"-8" bit in chuck and even free hand from there. Free hand ? yea .. I'd start this way first ,, no free hand just yet . . Larger Bits ,, drilling for arse weighting I use a Cordless drill .. I think you'd be crazy to put a large bit in your lathe chuck ..

"Drill the belly hole first":shocked: :wall: Uhhhhh, I knew that..

Why do the simplest this like this get by me?

Great stuff Tagga,:btu: nows i gotta go out and buy a freekin drill doctor too. :huh:

Great stuff Tagga,:btu: nows i gotta go out and buy a freekin drill doctor too. :huh:
doesn't seem to do as well on 1/8" bits.too small ,,,,flattens them . . borrow one first see if you like it .. You can probably afford to just keep buying bits . I do alot of door hardware in work so I don't mind owning one .

I don't like gloves on machinery,, your call, but if you do make sure they're not tattered .

You should NEVER wear gloves using when using a lathe, or any machinery really.

An old PM post.....

Gloves
I second the thought of no gloves around machinery. I have been in the machine shop for almost 30 years and have seen some nasty accidents. I have got plenty of stitches to prove it. A fellow worker was just polishing 1" dia. shafts with sandpaper in a lathe and like a fool he was wearing gloves, he did not want to get dirty. Well when you sand the outside of something never grab your hand around the part being sanded because the paper can bind up or grab itself. If possible hold both ends of the paper to sand or polish that way you can let go when this happen's, and it will happen. He was sanding at high speed with gloves and using one hand around the shaft. Disaster struck and the end result was he pulled his finger off, not sliced it off but pulled it right off his hand when the glove got caught in the sandpaper. I saved the finger from the bed of the lathe but they could not reattach it. Needless to say he lost the finger. Machinery is very unforgiving so don't cut corners and rush. I know a little wood lathe doesn't look very dangerous but they bite. Just a little food for thought. P.M.

You should NEVER wear gloves using when using a lathe, or any machinery really.

An old PM post.....
I agree, brother-in law was degloved in sheetmetal rollers. Machine took the end off a couple of fingers, thumb and ripped all the skin off his hand only because he had no glove on and was able to rip his hand free. If he had been wearing a glove he'd be pulled in up to his shoulder . I'd rather get bit than mauled .. No gloves for me .. Recently heard a tool talk where wearing gloves was recomeded..

Thanks.

I use a laser beam burns a hole staight thru.:gu: :as:

lathe speed is criticle IMO- that huge batch of darters i did last year forced me to learn real fast that the slower you go the better. Less wandering... once i slowed down i hit center every time.

lathe speed is criticle IMO- that huge batch of darters i did last year forced me to learn real fast that the slower you go the better. Less wandering... once i slowed down i hit center every time.
Damm .. never thought of changing speeds for drilling .. it works better on the hard wood ? good one .

Steve, I'll come over and show ya

Damm .. never thought of changing speeds for drilling .. it works better on the hard wood ? good one .

works much better- go as slow as your lathe can go.

Once I get the plug turned with the square ends still on, I drill each end with a drill the same dia. as the nose grommet. This picks up the ACTUAL turning center and puts it into the blank. THEN;

After you have cut your ends off and oriented and drilled your belly hook hole you can go ahead and continue to drill the center hole using Taggers method.
If you buy a parabolic drill you will do very well. The parabolic shape in the flutes allows the chips to pass back better with less drill deflection. Use this drill once you have your 2 pilot holes in as far as possible runnig each end to the hook hole as needed.
Once you learn the method you will not be ruining anymore blanks!

Also spindle speed is very important when drilling, cupping etc. Turning speeds are entirely different. Pay attention to what the tool is telling you. If the drill is squealing you have chips built up and the drill is overheating and beginning to walk off!
We have had numerous debates over why a Variable speed lathe may be benificial. Well here's one of those reasons! ;)

Steve you can always stop by the shop and I will show you what to use and how. 99% success rate. I will even give you the drills. It is a metal lathe but you can incorporate it into your home stuff. No gloves please. Stop by. Paul

Once I get the plug turned with the square ends still on, I drill each end with a drill the same dia. as the nose grommet. This picks up the ACTUAL turning center and puts it into the blank. THEN;

After you have cut your ends off and oriented and drilled your belly hook hole you can go ahead and continue to drill the center hole using Taggers method.

Bill .. I noticed especially on needles my nose grommet off center, leaving the blocks on . Don't ask me how that can possibly happen ? don't know ? Thats why I go through all that . use to leave them on .

Pay attention to what the tool is telling you. If the drill is squealing you have chips built up and the drill is overheating and beginning to walk off!


Bill, would that be when the plug is too hot to handle, smoke is coming outa the belly hole and the drill comes out the side of the plug and gets ya in the hand. :huh: :D

Slowing down the lathe speed has made a big difference. Thanks Eben.:btu:

in granite....requires some skill ....and if you don't constantly clear your bit....the bit either gets stuck or it walks from the chips...
getting 80 feet of drill steel stuck is a total bitch....let me tell ya..

so in and out slowly gaining a little depth each time is the trick.
wood is only different because its softer and once the bit walks
every plunge afterwards goes in that walked direction....
so its even more necessary to prevent it from walking to softer wood by clearing your cuttings ....sawdust or chips.... :boots: