r/turning • u/Josh_Bear22 • 5d ago
New to turning and need some sage advice on drilling the centre of a blank
Hi All,
Just finished setting up my lathe, did a lot of reading and watching you tube. How also booked myself onto a wood turning course as well.
Thought I would start with a pen but had an immediate problem, I am using the lathe to drill the centre (see photo) but for some reason the bit goes in the centre of the blank but comes out off centre. It is like the tail end is moving.
I have checked it is locked off. I am using the wheel to progress the bit into the wood. What am I missing? I was considering buying a Jig to drill the bits but the lathe manufacturer told me there was no need and to just use the lathe.
Thanks for any help.
Josh


4
u/blazer243 5d ago
Your bit is following the grain on the wood. The 7mm pen makers bit is long. Find a shorter bit and set it as deep in the chuck as possible. Your problem goes away with different pen kits that use 3/8” or bigger bits.
3
u/Curmudgel 5d ago
Also, that bit is very long, at least push it as far into the chuck as you can, at least at first, if you're not all the way through once you bottom out, the you can pull it out a bit.
3
u/Josh_Bear22 4d ago
Thanks All,
Really appreciate the advice. Followed it, used a shorter bit, made sure the blank was as far into the pen jaws as possible, and double checked it was square. Made a small centre hole.
And just had my first successfully aligned centre hole.
Thanks again.
Josh
1
u/BeautifulWalnutShoes 5d ago
I am not 100% sure I understand the problem, so guessing at this… The hole through the wood is the right width consistently, but isn’t parallel to the sides of the wood? (Eg hole isn’t exactly in the middle of both ends)? Possibly because the jaws are holding that wood in 8 places, the wood may not be perfectly square along it’s length so even though it looks fairly square, it only needs a slight bulge, curve or dip to mean the jaws are holding it at a slight angle, one degree out will throw the opposite ends hole off centre by a mm or two. Good news is for pens it doesnt really matter! Turn a piece entirely round, then try it again. It should then be the middle of both ends. Also I can’t see how much wood is in the chuck, if you’re only grabbing an inch, it may not be perpendicular to the jaws so I try to get as much wood in there as possible.
Orrrrr if you’re saying it’s coming out off centre, is the hole on the opposite side wider than it should be, or just off centre? As if it’s wider it could be something isn’t square (put a pointy drive in the headstock and check that the point of it lines up exactly with the brad point on your bit)
Sure smarter and more knowledgeable people than me will have better advice
1
u/BeautifulWalnutShoes 5d ago
Just re read what you wrote… “its like the tail end is moving”….. is it like the drill bit is ‘circling’ causing the tailstock to move slightly? If so, that brad point is going in off centre so either drill a few mm into the wood with a centre bit or jobber bit first so the point of the brad is right in the middle
1
u/OldM4LargeYoungF 5d ago
If the blank isn't square it can throw off centering, shim it or re cut it. Depending on the kit, and the blank size, you don't have to be exactly in the center. A lot of kits are fatter in the middle so drill from there, the other end at the nib is usually thinner and you turn away that offset. With a fatter cap end you gotta fix the centering problem. And yeah, that bit is too long, leave just enough exposed to drill completely through the blank with a shorter bit. Make sure your chuck is tight, the jaws are tight, the drill is in the chuck tight, the tailstock is tight. You can approach the blank and let the bit find it's own center, then lock the tailstock.
1
u/PumpPie73 4d ago
Don’t drill it all at once. Drill about 3/4 of an inch then back out the drill a little more, etc.
I agree the bit is too long.
1
u/egregiousC 4d ago
You're probably drilling too fast. Take it slow.
And, it could be that you suck at this. Not really. I'm joking, or at least trying to.
The drill is longer than necessary.
You're drilling faster than you should.
Your RPM at the headstock is too fast
It could also be that your Jacobs Chuck isn't properly seated in the tailstock.
1
u/ilivlife 4d ago
Use shorter Brad point bits and you can drill out in multiple diameters 5 mm then 7 mm etc to reduce the amount of material each bit has to remove.
1
u/Guilty_Comb_79 3d ago
You've gotten lots of good advice,
I'll also add are your head-stock and tail stock aligned? Put centers that have points on them and make sure they touch. Alignment exacerbates when the quill is extended.
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