# Drill chuck too big



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

i'm in the process of making handles for my new Rus tools.
I have a 46-460 and the bed is too short and the drill chuck and bit is too long to allow me to drill my hole while it's on the lathe.
I've been using my drill press to pre drill but was wondering if there's another way to drill since I don't have a cone ..............yet:laughing:


----------



## ghost5 (Aug 19, 2012)

Same problem here. Small lathe and no chuck.I could have put them in a vise then used a level to keep a drill straight and drilled them before turning but I did a laminated handle instead. This allowed me to cut a slot in the middle piece of wood slightly larger than the tool. Glue the sides on and there you have it a square hole at the correct depth. 

Not great for a single wood handle but it works for the style I made in fact I am turning one today. I do make a small jam chuck to put in the hole which I point toward the tailstock while the other end I put in my chuck. this one I might turn between centers though.


----------



## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*guide block?*

For round handles, drill a hole in a square block the same diameter, but not all the way through leaving the center spur as the location for the small hole. If necessary stack some blocks with through holes to get enough length to slide over the handle with out any slop. Then on the last block drill the small hole for your tool steel. Glue them together so the holes are concentric. 
OR you could use a PVC pipe that slides over the handles and use PVC adaptors to neck down the diameters to drill the center hole in the desired diameter. If the PVC is slightly large wrap the handles with some tape to center them.

I've never had much luck trying to drill a perfectly concentric, vertical hole in the end of a round dowel/handle, they are always off center and not vertical. :thumbdown:


----------



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

I have a Jacobs chuck for drill bits with a Morse taper on the other end. It fits into either the headstock or tailstock of the lathe.

For really long pieces, I put this into the headstock with the drill bit. Remove the tailstock from the lathe ways ... after making a starter dimple (with a hand-held drill) I just push the piece into the drill bit, trying to hold the tail end above the lathe ways at the height the tailstock would have been.


----------



## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

sucks dont it :yes:
we need to buy extensions for sure
drill it on the drill press before turning it that way your hole will be centered :smile:


----------



## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

Why not make an extension jig out of wood, I was planning on making one before I was able to buy the extension for my delta


----------



## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

In one of Bob Hamilton’s videos he shows making a cone for the tailstock (bobham5 on youtube).


Chuck up a blank maybe 2” square and 4” long. Drill or turn a recess that will slip over your live center snuggly.

Bring up your tailstock with the live center in the stock and turn a cone from the tailstock. You should be able to get it down to less than 1/8” before you part it off.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

duncsuss said:


> I have a Jacobs chuck for drill bits with a Morse taper on the other end. It fits into either the headstock or tailstock of the lathe.
> 
> For really long pieces, I put this into the headstock with the drill bit. Remove the tailstock from the lathe ways ... after making a starter dimple (with a hand-held drill) I just push the piece into the drill bit, trying to hold the tail end above the lathe ways at the height the tailstock would have been.


That sounds a little shaky but I've done stuff like that before in my career.
Is the idea that the drill bit wants to find the center as the bit is spinning ?


----------



## brianwoodturner (Feb 9, 2013)

You can get drill bits with morse tapers on them. Depending on the size hole you're drilling you might look into one of these. You can find them for about the same price as a regular drill bit from discount machinist suppliers and they take up a lot less space and the bit, drill chuck and morse taper.


----------



## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

tcleve4911 said:


> That sounds a little shaky but I've done stuff like that before in my career.
> Is the idea that the drill bit wants to find the center as the bit is spinning ?


In theory ...

If the tip of the drill bit enters the wood at the center, and the tail of the workpiece is held level and on-center ... the drill will cut a centered hole.

It's better if you've got enough space to bring up the tailstock behind the butt of the workpiece, more to keep it correctly oriented than the drive it into the drill bit.

The reason I make the dimple first is to give me a clear target when I'm pushing the workpiece onto the tip of the spinning drill bit.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I took the table off my drill press and rough turned the handle to fit inside the hole that holds the table

















I worked really well and stabilized it nicely


----------



## RusDemka (Jun 9, 2012)

tcleve4911 said:


> I took the table off my drill press and rough turned the handle to fit inside the hole that holds the table
> 
> I worked really well and stabilized it nicely


Very creative...


----------



## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

tcleve4911 said:


> I took the table off my drill press and rough turned the handle to fit inside the hole that holds the table
> 
> I worked really well and stabilized it nicely


I love adapting equipment to meet a need.

Great idea. That is using your noggin - and a feature of your drill press. :thumbsup:


----------



## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

robert421960 said:


> sucks dont it :yes:
> we need to buy extensions for sure
> drill it on the drill press before turning it that way your hole will be centered :smile:


Ditto! :thumbsup:


----------



## Gary0855 (Aug 3, 2010)

tcleve4911 said:


> I took the table off my drill press and rough turned the handle to fit inside the hole that holds the table
> 
> View attachment 62466
> 
> ...


Well done and a great idea.


----------



## pvechart (Dec 14, 2011)

Here's a link to a homemade extension...I have been thinking of making one for turning handles.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?178361-Another-Midi-lathe-homemade-Extension


----------

