Drill chuck?

[Bonnie Campbell]

I finally bought a drill chuck and arbor to use on my lathe.... Now how do you use it?!? :o I was hoping they'd have some instructions included with it. Do all companies think this stuff is intuitive? :eek:

Thanks for any help you can offer (pictures would be nice too :) )

[Mark Cothren]

The ones I use have a #2 MT and I use them in the tailstock to drill whatever I have chucked up.

[Brodie Brickey]

If you are referring to something like B or C in the picture below...

http://www.woodcraft.com/images/Family/web3975.jpg

Then it is mounted in the tailstock in the quill that takes the MT2 taper that is probably on your lathe. The piece to drill is mounted to the headstock with a scroll chuck or faceplate.

You will want to start out on your slowest speed setting on the lathe. The drill chuck only drills the center of a spinning blank. Advance the quill using the handle on the tailstock. The drill bit needs to be tight in the chuck especially if it is a forstner.

Since the quill on a tailstock is only 3-4" long, you may need to stop the lathe, fully retract the quill and move the tailstock forward, then start again to get the entire depth you want.

The weird thing about drilling this way is that the drill stays steady while the wood moves. Turn the handle to advance the drill bit deeper into the wood and remember to pull it out occaisonally to clear the shavings. The drill chuck will come out of the tailstock just like a live center when you're finished by retracting the quill completely into the tailstock. No knockout bar is needed. Please remember the drill bit & shank are going to be HOT! That's a lot of friction.

The attachment below is drilling out a blank engrain with a forstner bit 2 1/8". This wasn't the first forstner used on the blank, stepping up through different sizes may be necessary for some woods and some size bits.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Mine looks like "B" in the picture. Thank you so much for the directions (AND pictures). I didn't want to mess with it until I had some idea of what in the world I was doing :o

[Mark Pruitt]

Bonnie,
Brodie pretty well covered it. The thing about forstner bits is, you have to go at a very slow RPM, like only a couple hundred RPMs, to prevent burning. You also have to advance a forstner very slowly into the spinning piece for the same reason.

Also, with forstners, I wouldn't start with a smaller size bit and advance to larger sizes, as that eliminates the center point that subsequent bits use for referencing the center. True, the piece should remain centered if held securely in a chuck, but Murphy's Law applies!

[Bonnie Campbell]

That arbor thingy, am I supposed to hammer the two together? I'd take a picture, but it's out in the shop waiting.... lol

[Christopher K. Hartley]

That arbor thingy, am I supposed to hammer the two together? I'd take a picture, but it's out in the shop waiting.... lol
Bonnie, there should be no need for a hammer The chuck will either have a smooth taper in it like the MT taper or it will be threaded. The smaller end of the arbor if it is a smooth taper will fit into the chuck and the large MT taper will fit into your tail stock after you take the center or live center out. If the chuck has an internal thread then your arbor should be threaded as well in which case you would just screw it together. The tapers will seat themselves quite well just be sure they are clean when they go together.:)

[Jeff Myers]

Hey Bonnie,
I also use my drill chuck a lot when making bottle stoppers, but i mount it in the headstock so it'll hold the mandrel for the bottle stoppers. But you HAVE TO secure the chuck into the headstock by using a piece of threaded rod(1/4" rod from Home Depot for mine) that threads into the MT2 on the chuck on one end and then extends through the headstock to exit through the hand wheel of the headstock,,then a wing nut and washer can be applied to tighten down on the threaded rod which secures that chuck into the headstock. If you don't secure the chuck in this fashion, it WILL loosen and want to fall out which could be very dangerous. ....DAMHIKT !!

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

bonnie--

clean the inside surface of the chuck's taperd bore and the outside surface of the arbor's tapered shaft prior to assembly.

slip the tapers together and use a twisting motion while the tapers engage.

press together by hand.

hold the two parts with the chuck 'up' and the arbor 'down' and gently tap the assembly on your work bench or similar solid surface a few times. this will hold the tapers together. there is no mechanical or adhesive lock required.

[Mark Pruitt]

Like Chris said, by all means do not use a hammer, it is unnecessary. I should add that there might be some greasy substance on the surface; if so, clean it thoroughly with naphtha or mineral spirits. If you see the arbor "slip" under pressure, try putting some talcom powder on it to create friction. That has always worked for me.

[Brodie Brickey]

Also, with forstners, I wouldn't start with a smaller size bit and advance to larger sizes, as that eliminates the center point that subsequent bits use for referencing the center. True, the piece should remain centered if held securely in a chuck, but Murphy's Law applies!

Mark does have a point. all is good if the wood is green. Since I drill end grain dry & at such a large diameter, I have to remove extra waste with a 1" bit first. If you where on a drill press, it would be straight to the 2 1/8", but on the lathe because of the line-up I can afford to take a bit of a chance.

I should have mentioned that you should also wear your eye protection and face shield whenever working with the lathe.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Thanks for all the help! I definitely needed it :) I think I've attached a picture of the drill :o