Thru-drilled a bunch of AYC today and.......

[BigFish]

I thru-drilled 20 pieces of AYC today and it went pretty well, however I have a couple of questions. The pieces I drilled are 8.5 inches long, makin' some needlefish soon. I drilled both ends first with the drill press, went in about 2 inches on both ends and then I had to finish with a hand drill. Out of 20 pieces, 15 came out great and five did not. That is a 3 to 1 ratio which considering it was my first time, I do not think I did too bad. Questions are as follows:

1. Do you all have to finish drilling by hand or can you do yours complete all the way through on your drill press?

2. Do you always get yours perfect or do you screw up every once in a while?

3. Do you let your AYC sit for a while to dry before you begin using it? (I notice some of my pieces were quite soft in the center?)

Thanks for any insight you may be able to give.