Drill bit stuck!

[Celeste Maxwell]

Hello, new to woodworking...
I am trying to drill out the holes of a wood "sewing spool" as they need to be a bit larger (5/16) for my project. Anyway the drill bit (drill press), keeps getting stuck half-way through and then to release it the spool has to be destroyed, with a vice grip, which cracks it like a nut. Now, I have tried a clamp and the vice grips protected with rubber to hold the spool...but I still have trouble with it moving off center too. I have different sizes of spools and some of the wood is soft and others are harder, but the problem remains.
I am thinking that I need a diamond drill bit as it is impossible to remove the standard drill bit from the hole!
Any suggestions?
Thanks

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One thing Celeste.....Don't try to make the hole in one cut......drill a quarter inch and then pull the bit out to clear the cuttings. If you try to drill too fast without clearing the cuttings, the bit will over heat and can even expand preventing it from being removed.

Don't try to go too fast.

[Celeste Maxwell]

Thanks... I should say that the spools are only 1.5 to 2" deep and they already have a hole, so I am enlarging it by about 2mm, so there isn't a lot of debris.

[Dale Miner]

A diamond drill bit will not work for what it sounds like you are trying to do.

In order to hold the spool securely you may have to make a clamp block. For holding a regular sewing spool, find a board that has a thickness just less than the width of the straight section of the spool. Drill a hole the same size as the straight section of the spool through the board. Cut a short section of the board that has the hole in it from the board. Saw the short section of the board lengthwise through the center of the hole. Now the spool can be clamped in the hole in the two halves of the board in your drill press vise. The wood removed with the saw kerf will allow the two halves to clamp the spool tightly. If you dont have a drill press vise, clamp the spool in the halves in a regular vise and drill the spool with a hand held drill. This will require a different size hole for each size spool.

Trying to redrill a hole slightly larger can be difficult as the drill will want to act like a wood screw and hog in (self feed). That sounds like what is happening to you. A brad point bit will likely act the same or worse as what you are now experiencing. Redrilling the hole with the spool held securely in a drill press is your best option. By securely, I mean held not only to prevent rotating, but also held down so that the drill bit can not wood screw into the spool by lifting the spool off the drill press table. If drilling by hand, use a variable speed drill and go slow, stopping if the bit starts to self feed.

If you know how to dub the edge of the drill bit, that will also help.

[Bruce Pratt]

The small increase in diameter may actually be the source of your problem. If you are using a standard chisel point bit, the wood may be compressing as much as it is cutting, and then binding up on the lands of the bit.

A couple of suggestions. 1) Use a sharp Forstner bit, or a brad and spur point (pen making) bit, - either of these will be more effective in taking out the additional 1mm of radius than a chisel point bit, 2) clamp your spools in a vice which is also clamped to the drill press table - this will help to keep the bit centered on the pre-existing hole, 2) rub a bit of paste wax on the wall of the spool before drilling to reduce wall friction.

[Celeste Maxwell]

Well, I am using a Brad drill bit, if that helps... I will have to think about the reply's and figure out what they mean... I did try a hand held drill but the spool just turned on me and got stuck right away...
All I have is Vice-grips but I don't think a Vice will help that much as it will still slide around.

[Celeste Maxwell]

Well, I am using a Brad drill bit, if that helps... I will have to think about the reply's and try to figure out what they mean... I did try a hand held drill but the spool just turned on me and got stuck right away...
All I have is Vice-grips but I don't think a Vice will help that much as it will still slide around. Getting the spool at the correct height on the press has been a problem.... I was hoping that the bit would go through like butter.
I don't have any other equipment. Is there a member that lives in Las Vegas?

[Keith Westfall]

I wouldn't think that a brad point would be the one of choice here. It may easily wander off a bit as it only is relying on being exactly true to the center of the hole.

Use a regular bit (or a couple depending how far you have to go in increased diameter) and take slow easy pressure cuts. 2 or 3 "very light cuts" will be better than one bigger one when cleaning a hole.

[Dwight Rutherford]

Suggest you contact "Woodworkers Emporium" there in Las Vegas. The local turning club meets there. Should be someone who can help you hands on.

[Celeste Maxwell]

Well I will try that but I am fighting with my left hand to make the spool level and with my right hand I am trying to pull the drill down onto it, so I was trying to get it done in one swoop as I can't keep it all together for very long... Regular bits? I will have to go get some...Thanks

[Joe Kaufman]

Try filling the existing hole in the spool with a dowell or a piece of soft wood and drilling through both.

[Dale Miner]

Another thought,

Try creeping up on the diameter. If the hole is now 1/4", start with a 9/32" bit, and then go up to a 5/16". By going in stages, the torque required is lessened and holding might be easier. The clamp block is still the best option for holding.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I did some for my wife, stuck the spools in a vise and using jobber bits. I took a piece of scrap 2x4, drilled a hole the size of the spools, then split it in 2 pieces, this was my soft jaws for the vise to keep from marring the spools. The first batch I drilled with a hand drill using a 3/8" bit, the wood of the spools is not that hard, medium speed, one shot all the way through. When she came up with a few hundred more spools, I used the same soft jaw rig in my drill press vise and used my drill press.

[Dan Hunkele]

Agree with Keith Westfall, standard bit (sharp), higher speed and a slow feed rate. It will center itself in the hole better than a brad point. Removing just a little will make it grabby hence the slow feed rate.

[Celeste Maxwell]

UPDATE: I did get a regular bit and I got Johnson's paste wax and lubed up the drill bit, it seemed to go through better, but with locking pliers it was still sliding a bit, so I am trying a bit of rubber-like material as a base. I bought a deep clamp but it is TOTALLY in the way of the drill bit and clumsy too! So I was looking at a V-slot board, but they are only 2.75 deep and not sure it would hold it tight. I was thinking about buying the board alone and trying to rig something.... This is getting really complicated for some spools!

[roger oldre]

take the regular bit and flatten the lip of the bit. stand the drill bit on end and put just a little tip toward the wheel. bring the lip of the cutting edge against the wheel. imagine the lip like the end of a chisel. rather than a long sloping incline you want to make the cutting edge more perpendicular to the surface you are cutting the more perpendicular it begins to scrape more than cut or dig in. this will keep it from biting in and self feeding.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Rig something up like this.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/uploadedimages/Fine_Woodworking_Network/Image_Resources/Magazine/232/011232014_01_drill-press-hold-down_xl.jpg

You could also hinge 2 piece of 2x2 together and cut a notch similar to the one above. Hinge it on the short end extra length for handles for leverage to give you a better grip.

[Celeste Maxwell]

Yes, that looks like it could work... One complication is that the drill plate is hollow so I have to clamp a piece of wood to the bottom. More to juggle.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Celeste, welcome to the wonderful and sometimes whacky world of woodturning. You have received some good advice on solving your problem. I would suggest that you cut pieces of wood to fit between the ribs of your drillpress table. This would give you a flat surface to clamp to. Hold the pieces of wood in with some type of adhesive. Marvin's suggestion for using a hand screw and c-clamp would be the best way to do your task. Good luck and don't be shy about asking for help.
Joe

[Celeste Maxwell]

Thanks Everyone! Well, last night I glued some rubber and a piece of wood to support the vice grips in a position where I just have to apply some pressure during the drilling. I wrapped some rubber material around the spool before attaching the vice grips, and under the spool for cushioning. I found that I still had to drill on both sides of the spool to make the hole even.
The thing that made the biggest difference was the Johnson's paste wax in the spools' hole...went through like BUTTA!
The situation is far from ideal but it will do for this project. :)