# Drilling Pen Blanks



## gt64155 (Mar 14, 2016)

I've been making pens for several years and I have always drilled my blanks on a drill press. The results are certainly not real consistently.  I've ruined a few really nice blanks. I need to find a way to accurately center drill my blanks.  The blanks that I have consist of kind of round PR blanks,  not real square rectangular PR blanks and wood blanks that are all different sizes.  
I real curious how most of you drill your blanks.  Should I try and square the blanks of my table saw, or do I just need to turn then all round first and then drill them?   If I do turn them round before drilling, what do you use to hold the blank on the lathe?  A dead center and a live center.  Do I need to pre-drill the PR blanks for the dead and live center to keep them from splitting?
After  I get that part figured out, how do I drill them?  It seems the most popular way is to use a collet chuck.  Are there any other good ways to hold them steady, like maybe using a 4 jaw chuck?  

Any and all advice will be useful.  I know that I can keep doing what I’ve been doing, but I think it’s time to expand my skills and make some nicer pens.


Thanks,

Bill


----------



## longbeard (Mar 14, 2016)

I drill mine on the lathe.
You will need a drill chuck to fit your tail stock (#1 or #2 taper) for your drill bit.
and a chuck to hold your blank. PSI has a dedicated chuck for this option. 



Harry


----------



## mecompco (Mar 14, 2016)

longbeard said:


> I droll mine on the lathe.
> You will need a drill chuck to fit your tail stock (#1 or #2 taper)
> and a chuck to hold your blank. PSI has a dedicated chuck for this option.
> 
> ...



Yup, this is what I do. If a blank is too odd-shaped to fit tightly in the chuck, I turn it round between centers first.


----------



## rholiday (Mar 14, 2016)

I'll use a 4 jaw scroll chuck to hold the blanks for drilling on the lathe -- no special pen jaws.  Also can use the chuck to hold the blank and round it, then reverse the blank and round the other end, (use the tailstock for support).


----------



## Edgar (Mar 14, 2016)

I have no problem drilling on a drill press, but a good quality floor mount DP with a properly adjusted table & a good blank clamp are all key to getting good, consistent results.


----------



## Ted iin Michigan (Mar 14, 2016)

I drill almost exclusively on a drill press. I've tried the lathe but, honestly, I didn't get the immediately wonderful results reported here. 

HOWEVER, I do have suggestions based on my experience. That is to use standard twist drill bits (don't use brad point bits) and to make sure your drill bit is sharp. LOML got me a Drill Dr for Christmas. After I figured out the best way to sharpen my bits I noticed drilling got way easier and way more accurate.


----------



## Crashmph (Mar 14, 2016)

edohmann said:


> I have no problem drilling on a drill press, but a good quality floor mount DP with a properly adjusted table & a good blank clamp are all key to getting good, consistent results.



I agree with you to an extent, but you can still have the bit flex leaving you with an of center hole. This usually only happens with the smaller bits (10mm and smaller)

I have found that when the blank is turning on the lathe and the bit is locked while the tail stock moves the bit in and out, I get much better results. 

Your mileage may vary with different experiences.


----------



## WriteON (Mar 14, 2016)

longbeard said:


> I drill mine on the lathe.
> You will need a drill chuck to fit your tail stock (#1 or #2 taper) for your drill bit.
> and a chuck to hold your blank. PSI has a dedicated chuck for this option.
> 
> ...



Lathe drilling for me.


----------



## magpens (Mar 14, 2016)

I think what some people find useful is this set of chuck jaws, or a similar set, but you need a good chuck to start with.  Actually, a second chuck would be best, IMHO, so that you can leave the drilling jaws permanently mounted and ready for use ... just remove one chuck and replace with the drilling chuck.

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/CJAWPEN.html

PSI also offers the following, but I have tried it and found it to be no better than drilling with a drill press:

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/CSCPENCHK.html


----------



## MTViper (Mar 14, 2016)

I've been through drilling on a drill press using clamps to hold the blank, using a wooden blank holder from Woodcraft, and finally a pen mill to hold the blanks.  

Then I got a drill chuck and a 4 jaw chuck (Supernova 2) with Pin Jaws (4) for the headstock and a drill chuck for the tailstock.  That worked pretty well unless I got an odd shaped blank.  Finally, Woodcraft put their Pen Jaws for the SN Chuck on sale and I bought a set.  This is the best way I've found.  Consistently gives me the best results for round, square, or odd shaped blanks.  

I use either brad point or double twist bits and haven't seen a big difference.  I get consistent results with either one.  I slow the lathe down below 400 rpm and clear the chips every half inch or so.  

Steve


----------



## david44 (Mar 15, 2016)

I drill on the lathe. I start by spotting the end of the blank with a centre drill. When I began pen making about 12 years ago I did use a drill press but I am a complete convert to the lathe method.


----------



## gt64155 (Mar 15, 2016)

*Drilling on the Lathe*

I'd like to thank everyone who replied to my post.  For those of you who do drill on the lathe, how do you handle drill a Celtic knot blank?  Do you try to center it, then turn it round?
Anyone use a collect chuck to hold the blank parts when drilling?  

Thanks,
Bill


----------



## Bob in SF (Mar 15, 2016)

I mostly use a Peachtree pen vise clamped onto my drill press, brad point drill bits, but occasionally use the lathe.

I like the quick change from drill bit to end mill on the drill press.


----------



## TonyW (Mar 15, 2016)

I have a Nova chuck, and always use it with their pen jaws, on the lathe. As the jaws only grip on two edges they can hold most shapes. If the blank is so deformed or warped that they won't then turning it to round is the only option whatever you use I've found. Also, I use my floor standing lathe as this has over 4" of quill travel, enough for the longest blank. The only drawback is winding the drill bit back out, rather that a spring loaded drill press.

A quick comment on drill bit flexing incidentally. I always use a centre drill bit (the short stubby ones) to start the hole dead centre and then change to the correct sized drill bit for the pen tubes. With the front of the bit held in the pilot hole and the rear in the drill chuck, the only way to get flexing is by trying to drill too fast with a blunt bit, pushing it into the blank quicker than it cut.

Tony Wells.


----------



## Brian G (Mar 15, 2016)

gt64155 said:


> I'd like to thank everyone who replied to my post.  For those of you who do drill on the lathe, how do you handle drill a Celtic knot blank?  Do you try to center it, then turn it round?
> Anyone use a collect chuck to hold the blank parts when drilling?



I typically use a 4-jaw chuck to drill Celtic knot blanks.  I use a center drill to start the hole.  Most of the Celtic knot blanks I make are either an upper barrel, or a Sierra-style.  I don't turn them round before drilling.  I will mark center, and use an awl or center punch to mark the hole.  This lets me use the point of the live center in the tail stock to help center the blank in the chuck.

Turning round and then trying to center in a chuck introduces two sources of potential error in drilling down the center, which means you have two opportunities for a misshapen knot.

I'll also use my drill press, but fussing with setting it dead center sometimes takes longer than using the lathe.


----------



## lwalper (Mar 16, 2016)

I use the lathe quite a bit, just because it seems easier to set up. Don't actually have a blank holding rig for the DP so drilling straight down a blank is usually pretty sketchy. That said, I often find that drilling on the lathe seems to cause the bit to wander off center more than with the DP. With the blank spinning if the drill isn't perfectly sharp with equal length cutting flutes the bit tends to cut in one direction and pull it off center. Spinning the bit in the DP seems to overcome that tendency.


----------

