Finding Center

You should check youtube for methods of doing what you are doing. Are you drilling the end of the round stock, or the length and trying to find the center? I use and electronic edge finder all the time to do this and have never been off finding centers even with a bent probe, because you are just dividing two numbers measured in relation to each other. You really need to see a YouTube video, as it's worth a thousand words per frame!
 
I hate to think the elephant in the room just might be a drill bit in general. Unless it is perfectly made and has a split point which is perfectly centered, I have always had a problem with drill bits walking off center especially on round stock( not what you're using noted). It would seem they have a mind of their own and will follow wherever the leading edge takes it. have you ever tried a cobalt drill bit for this work ? I mean the real deal not just a sniff of Cobalt.
 
I would never try to drill and accurate hole without using a spotting drill or center drill. Maybe a screw machine cobalt on that 1018, but even then why not just center drill it?
 
kuchervano said:
Comrade, why not spot drill and use a vee block?
Regardless of size variation barstock will always sit centered in vee.
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In one direction only! I believe the OP is drilling the end of the bar.
 
Hi epj, apologies if I am repeating anyone as I have not read every post but I assume you are holding the work in a vice ? If so and assuming you are making a small batch from the same piece of bar then just use a dial gauge [clock] to centralize your spindle over the work, clock each side of the vice jaws, fixed and moving then you are guaranteed to be dead centre. Zero your DRO and your all set.

Keep in mind every time you load a new piece you need to maintain the same clamp force on the vice, if you REALLY want 100% accuracy you need to re-zero for each piece.

You must use a centre drill and a correctly ground drill, as for a drill chuck Albrecht are excellent, maybe a little expensive but they will last a lifetime if you take care of them, mine are now 50 years plus and as good as the day I bought them.

Cheers John
 
Agreed. Use a edge finder to find the center of a mounted V-Block. Some V-blocks have a top "hoop" clamp so the material doesn't roll. Just drop your bar stock in, use a center drill and then finish with your final size. If I was doing more than 10, I would just build a quick jig with position stop(s).
 
epj said:
Most of my designs require a series of holes drilled on the centerline of 1-1/2" bar stock
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epj said:
The material I'm using is 1-1/2X 3/8 cold finished 1018. The other parts are 1-1/2"X 1/2" extruded aluminum.
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I believe he's drilling multiple holes along the length of rectangular bar stock, based on these 2 statements.
 
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Yes, it's rectangular bar stock. 1-1/2X3/8". Each piece gets 5 holes, four of which are on the center line. The fifth is off near one edge.
 
barrydc1 said:
I use and electronic edge finder all the time to do this and have never been off finding centers even with a bent probe, because you are just dividing two numbers measured in relation to each other.
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Your edge finder must spin then. If it is a stationary edge finder a bent probe wouldn't work.
 
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