THO Game Calls Forums
The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls => General Call Making Discussions => Topic started by: Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks on April 12, 2009, 01:47:35 PM
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I do a lot of drilling on the lathe when making turkey calls and strikers. I'm using a 1/2" basic HSS steel drill bit that is about 6" long. It is too long and will occasionally wiggle too much for my liking. The holes I drill in the strikers are a good 1-3/4" deep. I'd like to find a bit in the 3" or 4" range, but honestly the shorter the better. Does anyone know of a source for such a bit?
I have a solid carbide 1/2" spiral router bit and I've honestly thought about chucking it in there to see how it does.
I'm normally drilling end grain, and haven't had much luck with forstner bits because they heat up too much.
Thoughts? Ideas? Thanks all!
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That's a tough one KC. If none of the regular sources would have them then i might suggest sharpening a broken bit.
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Ive battled the dreaded "bit wobble" many times, I hate it. I do have some short bits, I even have a custom made 5/8" bit that is only 3 inches long, that I use in my metal lathe. It still wobbles on some woods. It works great on striaght tight grain like regular maple and such, but still wobbles on many others. And all my bits are sharp. Sharp bits and a slow entry technique are what is required but I still have to many wobbled holes.
Some places like Mcmaster Carr or Grizzley carry Deming bits, which are shorter than regular bits. You might start there.
The simplist alternative is to just drill on a drill press , and turn the striker heads on a blind mandrel or just between centers. Thats what I do.(blind mandrel)
Ive went from drilling on a press to switching all my drilling over to the metal lathe, then back to the press over the years.
Oh, also, I do have a 1 piece closed reed that I make, 5/8" barrel id. I drill a 3/8 or bigger , hole, then use the boring bar to open up to 5/8. This ensures I have a clean straight hole, that,in this case, is also flat bottomed.
Something to think about, although it takes a little more time.
Hope this helps.
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Thanks guys. You've given me an idea...
I like the idea of using a mandrel, but have no idea what a blind mandrel is, so I'd love it if someone would be so kind as to help me find that out. I'm thinking it might be a lot like turning a pen on a pen mandrel, using 1/2" bushings in this case for the 1/2" holes at each end. Am I close? Sources (perhaps AL@THO)???
I'm getting my brand new Jet drill press tomorrow, and would love to use it for making my strikers instead of drilling on the lathe! Thanks!
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Search on this site, there are threads on blind mandrels,and Dogcatcher makes them, very reasonable, hes on this board.
You can also just get a drill chuck, with a MT2 taper(if thats what your lathe takes) chuck it up in your headstock and use the drill bit you used to drill your striker holes with as a blind mandrel( or order a drill bit blank the appropriate size). You chuck up the drill bit, slide the striker blank onto the bit, the bring up your tailstock and engage the end of the blank. It takes some getting used to but youll get the hang of it.
Its called a blind mandrel because your inserting it into a "blind" hole, that is, one not drilled all the way thru.
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You can find the stubby drill bits at McMaster Carr. Can you show what and how you are drilling, when I make some of my all wood deer grunts I use a bit that is 8" long and I don't get wobble, so I am wondering how you are drilling that you get wobble.
Actually the blind mandrel system was Ben Floyd's idea, I used something similar but I liked his method better so I adapted it to my use. I also no longer make the blind mandrels for sale. I had too many callmakers complain and tell me that it did not work and they were constantly bending the blind mandrels. I finally threw up my hands and said no more. If you want to make a simple blind mandrel just get a 1/4" steel rod and and use a Jacobs chuck to hold it, stick the rod in the air channel, which is your blind hole and turn to shape. Jester, Bob, has a tutorial on the board that he did a couple of days ago that shows how it is done.
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Thanks all. Dogcatcher, I'm drilling using a 1/2" jacobs chuck in the lathe's tailstock and am drilling end grain 1" dowels (that are about 3-1/2" long) about 1-3/4" deep. They're chucked in a 4 jaw chuck with pin jaws. I run the lathe at low speed and use a 1/2" HSS drill bit.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It seems to depend on the wood quite a bit. Centering the hole in the dowel is the challenge. A brad point bit might help with that because the jobber bit might be "walking" ever so slightly but enough to throw things off.
I'm going to re-invent the process and see how it goes.
I'm going to order a 1/2" mandrel that is longer than the 3-1/2" blank. I'll pre-drill the square blank on the drill press before turning it to a dowel and will then mount it on the mandrel between the chuck and the tailstock live center. That should ensure that I get the 1/2" hole nicely centered at both ends. It doesn't really matter than the hole will go all the way through...I can work with that easily.
Thanks for all your help guys.
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You might try Machine shop discount supply. I have done business with them and they carry a ton of different bits including stubby drills.
Kuipdog