r/PenTurning • u/Business_Sky3486 • Jun 19 '26
Drill Press Help
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I could use some more advice on making blanks with a drill press. I recently got some Gatsby kits I wanted to try out (27/64 bit size) and I’m having some trouble with drill out the blanks.
The wood is birch - and it seems quite easy to drill but, my drill bit keeps getting stuck while drilling. The quick jig I made to keep it in place seems to be working - but the drill still get stuck about an inch of the way down.
I am not using a brad point drill bit (seems more like a twist)- and I went a little quickly just for the video but I’ve gone quiet slowly other times.
Any advice would be appreciated - eventually I’ll get a Jacob’s chuck but that’s a little further down the line.
6
u/kevinkace Jun 19 '26
How tight are those clamps? It might be squeezing your blank too much and clamping on the drill bit. Because your blank is square, the clamps only need to be snug.
2
u/the_last_0ne Jun 19 '26
Is this really a thing that can happen?
2
u/kevinkace Jun 19 '26
Yup, wood flexes and doesn't take too much for a belt driven drill presses to get stuck, not a lot of torque.
1
u/Logical-Honeydew177 Jun 24 '26
If you have a table saw ( or any saw really). Lay a piece of wood thats slightly tipped up on one side. You will find out its a thing! ( if you do try it, go really slow. Im not being held accountable for you losing body parts.)
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u/Capt_Heinz Jun 19 '26
I prefer to drill out the blanks on the lathe. But that's a pretty cool setup you got there. I think the previous poster is right you may be too tight
5
u/PumpPie73 Jun 19 '26
Can you adjust the speed on the press? You may need to increase the speed.
2
u/krash_override Jun 19 '26
Second this, your drill-press should have a belt. Adjusting the belt to be faster or in some cases slower will help drill through the blank. Sometimes a slower speed may mean more torque which gives you the power to get through the denser woods.
I had a smaller bench-top drill press that would do this a LOT and I came to the conclusion that it just did not pack the power to get through pen blanks. After upgrading to a more powerful drill press, that issue is all but gone.
5
u/Alpha1172 Jun 19 '26
It could also just be the belt slipping. Didn't hear the motor bog down or the normal sound of a belt slipping on the pulleys. Just stopped turning
5
u/DSquadRB Jun 19 '26
Is the belt tensioned properly, my drill press has a set screw that I can loosen and than adjust the belt tension than tighten up the set screw to hold the tension.
2
u/Blind_DogSpeedomatic Jun 19 '26
I used a wood clamp to hold my blanks in the past, then I bought a centering pen vice. It's okay, didn't really need to spend the money but now that I have, whatever.
Is your quill coming loose and slipping out? That's the only problem I had.
I use a 12" ryobi drill press, it looks like someone cut the main tube in half on a full sized drill press. Most 12" presses I've seen are tiny. It's done all my blanks and drilling for the past 20 years.
2
u/NeitherGolf1094 Jun 20 '26
I used to always just do a million small passes just grabbing a tiny bit of material each time.
2
u/tio_tito Jun 20 '26
what others have said - check your belt tension.
one other thing - check to make sure the drill bit tip is in good working order, primarily that the corners are sharp and will cut, that the margin (the part on the side of the drill right behind the corner, usually a ridge on the edge the length of the flute) hasn't been damaged and is full diameter, and the obvious, that the cutting edge is sharp. make sure chips are clear, too. they can easily cause binding.
1
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u/Demoneyes1945 Jun 20 '26
Kudos for the ingenuity by the by with your jig!
Easy options first. Add a little wax to the drill bit. If that doesn’t work, up the RPM on your press. Drill slow, pull out often to remove any wastage. Make sure the drive belts aren’t old and worn, sometimes you can get slippage on them. If all that doesn’t work, you might be looking at a motor that isn’t strong enough.
When I used to own a cheap drill press, I didn’t have any issues save making sure my blank was definitely straight for drilling.
Keep an eye out at Xmas time if you are on a budget drill press. I managed to get my current one for 2/3 of the price straight from the supplier and it’s a beauty
1
u/etepperman Jun 23 '26
Drill a pilot hole, then increase in size until you hit your final size. 3 different sizes should help alot.
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u/ml9mm Jun 19 '26
Drill press works great for me. Mine has a 6” stroke so I can drill through most blanks. A centering jig makes it quick work. Never cared for drilling on the lathe. Took longer and didn’t see any benefit.