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Fishpart · 10-29-2001, 01:15 PM

Thru-drilling plugs on the lathe.

To through drill plugs on the lathe I use a drill chuck that is mounted on a Morse taper that fits in the HEADSTOCK of my lathe. After I finish turning and sanding a plug and cutting it out of the blank with my parting tool, I dress the ends up with a knife or chisel to remove any nub that might be left. I remove the tool rest and I put the drill chuck into my headstock with the appropriate sized drill. I am using a 1/8" standard twist drill, but some people prefer to use a brad point drill becuse they wander less. I take my center out of the tail stock and move it up to where the plug is almost touching the end of the drill bit when it is held with one end on the tailstock. I usually drill the "head" first because the shape of the tail centers nicely in the tailstock. I start the lathe in low speed and center the plug on the drill bit. Then I use the crank on the tailstock to push the plug straight onto the bit, this keeps the hole straight along the axis of the plug. Then I turn the plug around and drill it from the other end. If the plug is too long for the holes to join in the middle you may need to drill it with a longer drill. I made one by cutting a straight piece of coathanger and filing it on an angle to a point. The trick is to file it all from one side so it looks like a ramp rather than a wedge. I then put my coathanger in the chuck and start the lathe. I hold the plug freehand and gently complete the hole. The holes you drilled with the drill bit center the coathanger and guide it through the plug.

So far I have only made plugs with mahogany, but I have drilled countless tool handles this way with no trouble. When I first started I tried drilling with the chuck in the tailstock, but I found it difficult to properly keep the spinning object centered as I started my hole.

I can get pretty close by eye with a couple of sets of calipers to match diameters in key locations. I have thought of making some templates once I really get into it. I'll go from being banished to the garage to being banished to the house.

I made three bodies in about an hour on my lathe the other night. I could have gone much faster if I had turned them all and drilled them all at the same time. It takes a few minutes to change setups every time.

10-29-2001, 01:15 PM	#4
Fishpart Keep The Change iTrader: (0) Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Road to Serfdom Posts: 3,275	Thru-drilling plugs on the lathe. To through drill plugs on the lathe I use a drill chuck that is mounted on a Morse taper that fits in the HEADSTOCK of my lathe. After I finish turning and sanding a plug and cutting it out of the blank with my parting tool, I dress the ends up with a knife or chisel to remove any nub that might be left. I remove the tool rest and I put the drill chuck into my headstock with the appropriate sized drill. I am using a 1/8" standard twist drill, but some people prefer to use a brad point drill becuse they wander less. I take my center out of the tail stock and move it up to where the plug is almost touching the end of the drill bit when it is held with one end on the tailstock. I usually drill the "head" first because the shape of the tail centers nicely in the tailstock. I start the lathe in low speed and center the plug on the drill bit. Then I use the crank on the tailstock to push the plug straight onto the bit, this keeps the hole straight along the axis of the plug. Then I turn the plug around and drill it from the other end. If the plug is too long for the holes to join in the middle you may need to drill it with a longer drill. I made one by cutting a straight piece of coathanger and filing it on an angle to a point. The trick is to file it all from one side so it looks like a ramp rather than a wedge. I then put my coathanger in the chuck and start the lathe. I hold the plug freehand and gently complete the hole. The holes you drilled with the drill bit center the coathanger and guide it through the plug. So far I have only made plugs with mahogany, but I have drilled countless tool handles this way with no trouble. When I first started I tried drilling with the chuck in the tailstock, but I found it difficult to properly keep the spinning object centered as I started my hole. I can get pretty close by eye with a couple of sets of calipers to match diameters in key locations. I have thought of making some templates once I really get into it. I'll go from being banished to the garage to being banished to the house. I made three bodies in about an hour on my lathe the other night. I could have gone much faster if I had turned them all and drilled them all at the same time. It takes a few minutes to change setups every time. Last edited by Fishpart; 10-29-2001 at 01:21 PM..