lamp question

[Benjamin Dahl]

For those who have turned a lamp, is a lamp auger essential or would drilling it with a jacob's chuck and bit also work? (i guess I'd have to find a long bit or do some reversing.) Is the main advantage of the auger that is allows you to drill a longer hole or are there other things I am missing? maybe the auger is faster or more safe?
Thanks,
Ben

[Steve Schlumpf]

Benjamin - I have made a few lamps but never one that was turned - yet! I made some birch log lamps and drilled a hole from each end for the cord. Problem with that is trying to get the holes to match up. A lamp auger is fairly long and may be able to do the job in one shot. As long as you can fish the wire all the way through the lamp - the actual hole doesn't really make much difference - so I would suggest to just use what you have on hand.

[Thom Sturgill]

I found a long 3/8" bit at the orange BORG. I have a Jet midi and it allows a 3/8" bit to pass through the tail stock and center that comes with the lathe. Worked great on the one lamp that I have turned so far. Just used it with an electric drill.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I did the same thing as Thom. I bought a long 3/8" bit for the big box store. Worked great for me.

[Benjamin Dahl]

thanks guys, that sounds like a good plan. I will check out the BORG. not really in the mind set to buy a lamp auger if I don't need to.

[Belton Garvin]

If you have a HF around they have a 3 piece set that has 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 bits that are 25" long. I think I paid around $5 for the set. I figured as little as I plan on using them they were worth it.

[Jeff Nicol]

I found a long 3/8" bit at the orange BORG. I have a Jet midi and it allows a 3/8" bit to pass through the tail stock and center that comes with the lathe. Worked great on the one lamp that I have turned so far. Just used it with an electric drill.
I just took a regular 3/8 bit and welded an extension on of plain 3/8 rod and ground the weld smooth and cheap extendo bit! That is part of my frugal tinkerer innerself rearing its ugly head!

Jeff

[Dan Bertenthal]

On my Jet 1220, the tailstock bore is 3/8" but the lamp pipe needs a 7/16" bore. I drill the initial 3/8" bore on the lathe and then enlarge it to 7/16" off-lathe using a regular drill.

Also, for the initial bore I don't have enough reach to go all the way through since some of the reach is taken up going through the tailstock, so I drill from each side and so far things always seem to line up.

Lamp pipe is something I've always used since it seems like a good idea, though I'm not an expert about whether it's really necessary.

d

[David Walser]

Benjamin,

Are you going to glue up the blank? If so, it might be simpler to glue up the blank with a dado centered in the blank rather than try to drill the blank on the lathe. Yes, you can drill the blank on the lathe -- but drill bits (particularly ones with long flexible shafts) tend to follow the grain and wander. Depending on the shape of the lamp base, this may not matter. Then again, it might. For example, on one lamp base my drill bit drifted about 1/2" from center in a length of about 20". Unfortunately, at about 16" from the tailstock, the base was supposed to narrow down to a slim 1" -- revealing the off center drill hole. (My wife said it would look just fine if we just kept that part of the lamp facing the wall.)

If you aren't gluing up the blank, you have no choice. If you are, I think plowing a dado on your table saw or router table is easier.

[Benjamin Dahl]

David, I am planning on a solid blank but if I do a glue up, and that sounds interesting, I will cut a dado. thanks for the tip.
Ben

[Jamie Cowan]

If you are drilling, go slow. Can't say it enough. Back out the bit after about every half inch to an inch, depending on what the wood is. Learned that the hard way. I got a bit stuck in some osage orange when I turned my first lamp, and well, I have a beautiful piece of wood with a metal rod sticking out of it in the corner of my basement gathering dust. I knew I'd have to back the bit out to clear the sawdust often, but had no idea just how often. And once that bit catches, it wants to keep going.

[Sue Wise]

I have used a lamp auger for several aspen lamps. (Both on my mini lathe, as I have not made a lamp yet on my big lathe.) I usually drill halfway, then re-chuck the piece and drill the other half. It has worked well on softwood. No matter what you use, Jamie is correct about going slow and backing the bit out every inch or so.

-Sue

[ROY DICK]

[quote=David Walser;1059246]Benjamin,

Are you going to glue up the blank? If so, it might be simpler to glue up the blank with a dado centered in the blank rather than try to drill the blank on the lathe. Yes, you can drill the blank on the lathe -- but drill bits (particularly ones with long flexible shafts) tend to follow the grain and wander. Depending on the shape of the lamp base, this may not matter. Then again, it might. For example, on one lamp base my drill bit drifted about 1/2" from center in a length of about 20". Unfortunately, at about 16" from the tailstock, the base was supposed to narrow down to a slim 1" -- revealing the off center drill hole. (My wife said it would look just fine if we just kept that part of the lamp facing the wall.)

If you aren't gluing up the blank, you have no choice. If you are, I think plowing a dado on your table saw or router table is easier.[/quote

I do as suggested with a router ( on glue ups), but I stop with in 2" - 4" from each end, so I can center then only have to drill out each end when finished. Or use a parting tool.
Roy

[Thomas Canfield]

40+ years ago I made a drill bit out of 1/4" round bar by flattening the end and sharpening to spear point larger width than the bar, with cutting edge on opposite sides to drill a gun stock for a lamp. Beginners luck allowed me to drill from the barrel end of the stock to base and stay within the stock. I would think that with the lamp base rotating on the lathe, a home-made bit would center fairly well and allow you to go from the lamp end to the base., but then I am not a beginner anymore and Edsel Murphy seems to be directing my work.

"Necessity is the Mother of Invention".

[robert hainstock]

I recently needed a 1/2hole in a 22in piece of curly for a cart handle. I used a lamp auger ,(3/8in) first . When I was half way through,I reversed it. Then I used a 1/2 in drill bit that was a foot long from both ends. The center was then 3/32 in off center and the half inch rod I had to put thr0ugh it would not go. Then I got hood of a 24in drill bit from HF, and completed the thing. My HO is that you get a three drill set from HF for your hole. When I started the project, I asked the same question you did. The advice I got was that the drill will not go through straight, and to come frome both ends. Best of luck! :)
Bob