Recommendations sought for holding forstner bits while drilling out vases? Any thoughts appreciated, THANKS.
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Drill Chucks...
- Thread starter John Grace
- Start date
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
If you use a keyed chuck you can use the round end of the handle in one of the 3 holes let the other end slide along a tool rest to prevent the morse taper from loosening and spinning. This will prevent damage to the taper bore and also can be used as a handle when retracting the bit from the hole,especially if you don't clear the chipps often enough.
See Packard Woodworks catalog, Item number 111011, Arbor key chuck. I have a YouTube video on how to secure it in the tailstock for drilling. I put a pin in it to prevent it from coming out f the quill when pulling the drill out.
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- Nov 11, 2009
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I use this with a MT2 keyless chuck and 3-1/2" forstner bit. I put the chuck in the clamp and let the arm slide back and forth over the tool rest. Clamp info
Can you get the keyless chuck tight enough for the forstner bits?
The shafts are hexagonal going in to the drill chuck on my forstner bits. If the chuck can’t hold hex bits then, IMO, it’s time to buy a new chuck.
Drill it out with a small bit and then switch to hollow tools. Then you don’t have to worry about cheap bits, cheap chucks, and slippage.
I have this 1/2" keyless chuck and use it with hexagonal and smooth shaft forstner bits for boring ... appears to be on sale at the moment .... works great.
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
Yes, I haven't had a problem with it so far. I've used Forstner bits for Crushgrind pepper mills but nothing larger (about 1 1/8 as I recall)
I just recently watched a demo on peppermills. The presenter was using something like this:https://infinitytools.com/products/...ex-shank-forstner-bits?variant=46847655182625
I looked that up and it showed me a #1 morse taper keyed chuck and said it could be used with a 1/4-20 draw bolt, then said it couldn't be used with a draw bar seems like some confusion going on and nothing was said about a hole for a pin.
I would buy a tapered chuck that takes a draw bar if you plan on doing a lot of heavy drilling.
I was finally successful in drilling out this vase with a forstner bit but I should have been provided full disclosure when I asked my initial question...the forstner bit is 2 1/4 inches.
Second question...does anyone drill out their vases first on the drill press before mounting the blank on the lathe?
Second question...does anyone drill out their vases first on the drill press before mounting the blank on the lathe?