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- Feb 8, 2014
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You chuck up bits larger than 1/2 inch?
Any time I need to. As Bob says, you just have to make allowances for your equipment.
You chuck up bits larger than 1/2 inch?
Don't know who you are asking, but I use larger than 1/2" drill bits in chucks when necessary, but only on easier materials and in gentle steps. I will not use my precision keyless chucks for the job. I have a Jacobs 3/4" chuck on a 3MT taper, and that can handle some heavier work. Sometimes you just need to use a Silver and Deming drill to get the job done, and if you are careful and don't push the possibilities it works OK. Watch out for heavy work in chrome moly and stainless steels unless you have a really solid setup and enough power to handle it. A lathe dog around the shank of the drill, set screw tightened onto a ground flat spot on the shank, and tail resting on the compound, helps to keep the setup from spinning in the tail stock or the chuck.
I have picked up a good assortment of MT and S&D drills over the years and can usually get it done without scaring myself or hurting anything :-|
For that size lathe you are probably working at or near the maximum safe range already. You are definitely in the area of needing to be extra careful. In my experience, which is really not that much, those jobs can go really smoothly and I feel like a wuss, but then the next time I try to do the same thing it goes to hell, usually blamed on being careless with some detail. We are hobby machinists, no foreman watching our output per hour. The idea is having fun and the personal satisfaction of being confident and competent as we work on our projects. One "Oh, ****" cancels out many attaboys...Maybe that is my problem. I have been using larger S&D bits to drill up to 1" diameter, using a 1/2" Jacobs chuck and then bore if it needs to be bigger. I have a G0602 (clone actually) and have run into issues with the bit spinning or at least wanting to. So I usually increase drill sizes in a few steps and go slowly, to get to the final diameter before boring. I don't have any reemers (those things are very expensive). Is this the wrong approach? Is there a better way?
I started watching his drill bit sharpening video last night but quit because I couldn't stand the music he was playing. Guess I'll turn down the volume until I get past that part and then watch the whole thing and then watch his drilling vid.
I just nudge ..