jeffbob

[jeffbob]

I am a brand new member. I am a member of the Golden Triangle Woodturners also. I broke down and joined AAW for the imput.

I am making some mesquite lamps that will be about 24" in height. I am looking to find out where I can get a drill bit to drill all the way through. I have a large drill press but just a mini lathe. I have some friends with large lathes I could borrow. Can someone help me.


Jeff

 

[Randy]

Go to Harbor Freight that have some nice long twist drills that you can use as an auger. Remember to keep clearing the flutes as you drill.

 

[Mike Cunningham]

Jeff

You can get long bits with a morse taper from Enco (do a Google) you can also get drill bit extensions as well as twist and forstner bits from Craft Supply.

Mike

 

[Ed_McDonnell]

In the electrical department of Home Depot you can usually find long drill bits.

If your tailstock and live center have a hole through them you can make a handle (or use a jacobs chuck as a handhold) for a long drill bit and drill the hole on your mini-lathe by feeding the drill bit through the hole.

Ed

 

[GA Darling]

Craft Supply USA has this lamp auger.
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...e_Accessories___Lamp_Auger___lamp_auger?Args=


GA Darling

 

[Clifton C]

D bit

Jeffbob,
Saw this on another site and had to try it, thanks John Jordan...
http://www.bagpipeworld.co.uk/MakingBagpipes/Drill.htm
I had some leftover drill rod (5/16) and in less time then it takes to tell had made one that looked like fig 1. I figured if I was going to test it, I'd really test it so I chucked up a 3/4" by 3" by 20" maple board on the diagonal using my stronghold and tailstock and drilled through the tailstock. Results, it was easy to make the bit, it took a few minutes to drill the 20" hole and the hole was arrow straight from one corner to the other. Just another trick for the toolbox...
cc

 

[GeorgeH]

Hey there, Jeff. Hope you enjoy working on your lamps as much as I did my first one. I purchased a hollow center for my tail stock and an auger sized to pass through the hollow center that I could feed through the lamp blank. Here's what I learned.
My auger had a lead screw. The lead screw tended to pick up the path of least resistance in the pass through the blank so the initial hole I drilled was not precisely straight. If the hole isn't too badly curved that can be a minor problem but, in my case, I found that the hole was curved enough to make it virtually impossible to pass the straight brass rod through the lamp without enlarging the hole to "straighten" the path for the hollow rod. I was finally successful but it was quite frustrating.
I'd suggest you pick up a hollow center and a lamp auger (designed specifically for the job) and bore the hold half way through from one end of the blank, then reverse the blank and bore through the second half. Then, start turning hour lamp base after centering on the holes at either end.
This is pic of the lamp (the power cord doesn't really exit the base as high as it appears - camera angle ya know??

 

[Richard Baker]

My old sheet is wrinkly too, but my lamp leans to the left. Pretty lamp, good photo, and good advice (I think). I usually just chainsaw a groove down the center of each half and glue back together.

 

[Jim Keenan]

I recently had to drill a small diameter hole. I had an 12" long 9/64ths bit. I ground it into a "D" drill and held onto it with a pair of vise grips and it came out dead center at the other end. I can still use the drill conventionally since the grind at the shank is only about 1/2" long.

 

[jeffbob]

Thank all of you for your wisdom. I will now go out and conquer the lamp world well armed. Well, at least a small part of it. I didn't quite realize that the lamps all the mesquite folks were selling came from the dead wood that was all white on the outside. Now I know.

It was great to get such a response from my first post. I feel welcome. I will try to be an helpful member of the forum, as I can.

Jeffbob