Problems drilling into a 17" handle

[Jack Gaskins]

I am trying to make a bowl gouge handle out of Cherry. The handle is 17" long and 1 7/8ths square. When I put it in my Talon chuck and bring the tail stock up the bit was not centering on the wood. It was a little bit off so I loosened the chuck and realigned the handle with the tail stock and tighted the chuck again but it still didnt center properly. I went ahead and drilled it but the hole seems to be a little oval and is not allowing the gouge shank to go in.

Should I try and drill it on my drill press? Im thinking the handle blank is to long??:confused:

[David E Keller]

You can mount the drill chuck in the headstock and guide the handle over the bit by hand... Should be easy if you already have a pilot hole that you just need to enlarge. You can use the tailstock as a visual guide for alignment if you need to and you have the space between centers.

I'm assuming the the handle is finished a this point and you're ready to assemble. Usually I drill a hole big enough to get the tang started into the hole then turn the whole thing over and whack the butt of the handle with a wooden mallet.

[Mark Hubl]

I don't always have good luck chucking square stock either. With that length if the jaws just bite in a little it is going to give it a wobble and throw it off center.

I also learned something when I got my new lathe. Nova with swiveling head. After I swivel it I have to make sure when I return to between center turning that the head and tail stocks are lined up. If not when I try and drill something the piece will not be concentric.

You may want to round the stock first and then chuck and drill and then return it to between centers.

What Dave said should work. I saw a tutorial on one of the magazine sites and the turner drills his screwdriver handle stock using the bit in the headstock.

Here is a pictorial of how I made a handle for a long drill bit.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4276535055_b2d8c280d3_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4277279688_ed66822bec_o.jpg

[Sid Matheny]

I have always drilled my handles on the lathe with the tail stock but mark's pictorial also looks like a good way to go. Have you seen Bob Hamilton's video?

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1B63CA4614ADFCFA


Sid

[Chris Stolicky]

I usually round the blank before I put it into the chuck. I guess the thinking is that there is a more uniform surface for it to grab on to. It has work well for me.

[Jack Gaskins]

Yeah, guess I should make a tennon and use that to chuck up instead of just throwing in a square blank into the chuck. I'll try that tomorrow and see how it goes.

[Mac Carlton]

Drill first then put drill bit back in hole attach bit in chuck bring up tail stock and turn.
On1/16/10 some one ask about the same thing. If you want to look up (stats) on my name to find it. I went into more detail. This is th easiest way that I have found with the tools that I have. And tool handle is turned to align with hole,no matter how you drill it.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

A handy bit to have for starting to drill an opening centered is a centering drill, after you have made the starting hole the regular drill than will drill just fine on center HTH