john bateman
12-22-2016, 3:45 PM
I have this drill press:
http://www.portercable.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=24037 , not the best, I'm aware, but until now it has done OK.
I am currently trying to drill 3/8" dia holes through the center of 2" dia poplar dowels that are 3-1/2" long. I'm drilling lengthwise, (concentric) and though the brad point bit starts pretty close to dead center at the top end of the dowel, when it comes out the bottom it is off by about 1/16".
I made a jig to clamp the dowel stable. So far, I have checked the dowel, which I am crosscutting on my table saw, to be as perfect as I can tell to 90 degrees to the dowels sides.
I also put a 8" steel rod into the drill chuck, and checked it for perpendicularity to the drill press table. It only looks to be about .010" out of perpendicular...not the .06" error I am getting when drilling.
So am looking for ideas on how to improve things. I need to make 12 of these, and while they don't need to be machine shop perfect, I'd hoped to do better than I have so far...perhaps an error of 1/32" or less.
Thanks for any advice.
http://www.portercable.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=24037 , not the best, I'm aware, but until now it has done OK.
I am currently trying to drill 3/8" dia holes through the center of 2" dia poplar dowels that are 3-1/2" long. I'm drilling lengthwise, (concentric) and though the brad point bit starts pretty close to dead center at the top end of the dowel, when it comes out the bottom it is off by about 1/16".
I made a jig to clamp the dowel stable. So far, I have checked the dowel, which I am crosscutting on my table saw, to be as perfect as I can tell to 90 degrees to the dowels sides.
I also put a 8" steel rod into the drill chuck, and checked it for perpendicularity to the drill press table. It only looks to be about .010" out of perpendicular...not the .06" error I am getting when drilling.
So am looking for ideas on how to improve things. I need to make 12 of these, and while they don't need to be machine shop perfect, I'd hoped to do better than I have so far...perhaps an error of 1/32" or less.
Thanks for any advice.