Getting squared up

[Treeesa]

Saw the thread from Gizmo about losing blanks and it has prompted me to get a chuck and some pen jaws for my Axminster (1" 8tpi). This is the one that you all gave me the heads up on what to look for and pay and now I'm well and truly hooked with no sign of parole!

I'm drilling like Gizmo on a home made set up and it's ok but I sweat on the 5/8 blanks as I'm making the PSI executive with a long barrel (and loads of Omega's !) and if it wanders I'm stuck.

Anyway want to drill straight so is Axminster the best or only source for these two items ?

Promise to post some pics when I get them to look right Good thing is people think I bought them Not sure if that's because they think I couldn't make them !

Cheers

 

[Walter]

As far as I know Axminster don't sell pen jaws (although they do sell a variety of jaws that would do the job).

The only dedicated pen jaws I know of are made by Robert Sorby to fit the Patriot chuck (they also fit the Nova chuck)

There are many suppliers of both Patriot and Nova chucks. Stiles and Bates, The Toolpost, Turner's Retreat, Peter Child, Yandles and Snainton to name but a few.

 

[Jim]

Andy, as Walter states, the pen jaws are Sorby's, if you decide to go with this set up you won't be disapointed, i have been drilling on the lathe like this for a number of years and i bet i have had 90 plus percent of central drilled blanks ..

 

[Woody]

Andy I to have the axminster chucks all I do is use the step jaws which if your blanks is square will grip the blankk on all 4 sides or I use the hole in the middle of most of the other jaws with the corners of the blank in-between each of the jaws place the blank in the jaws tighten just a little bring up the tailstock then line up the blank with the drill and then tighten up the jaws to secure the blank it works every time for me

 

[Buckeye]

Lathe drilling is the way to do it, you will not regret it

Peter

 

[Treeesa]

Andy I to have the axminster chucks all I do is use the step jaws which if your blanks is square will grip the blankk on all 4 sides or I use the hole in the middle of most of the other jaws with the corners of the blank in-between each of the jaws place the blank in the jaws tighten just a little bring up the tailstock then line up the blank with the drill and then tighten up the jaws to secure the blank it works every time for me

Thanks all for help Will have a look through the suppliers Walter mentioned and get something for the weekend

 

[Grump]

I have one of these I never use, but seeing the ridiculous price I ain't about to give it away either.

 

[billyb_imp]

I now only ever used the lathe for drilling and would no go back to the drill press, if you want accuracy stick to the lathe

 

[Penpal]

Sounds very sensible to me none of this was around when I started up great to have so many choices we went through using G clamps, vices of every description, blocks of wood, wooden jaws etc the same with pressing parts. Have allround success mate I trust. Personally I regard the lathe as slow as for me to drill blanks with. Until I bought my latest VL150 lathe which lines up so accurately I found woodlathes not up to accuracy. Using my metal lathe when I want precision in drilling . Changing chucks etc when my drill press is dedicated and always ready to go and I maintain the seating integrity of stuff in the lathe headstock.


Peter.

 

[Twister]

i just use the sk100 chuck axminster
a blank fits nice and square in them

Steve

 

[Walter]

I have one of these I never use, but seeing the ridiculous price I ain't about to give it away either.

Bloody hell those are a daft price now!!

 

[Twister]

u aint kidding for a single use device

Steve

 

[Buckeye]

Why don't you sell it Brian, how much do you want for it.

Peter

 

[chas_41_uk]

I use the hole in the middle of most of the other jaws with the corners of the blank in-between each of the jaws place the blank in the jaws tighten just a little bring up the tailstock then line up the blank with the drill and then tighten up the jaws to secure the blank it works every time for me

This is what I do as well. The only difference being I mark the centre of the end of the blank that I am drilling into and make a small indentation/hole with an awl to line the centre of the drill bit up with. Once centred I tighten the jaws up enough to grip the wood. In the Axminster AH-1218VS there is a very slight delay between pressing the "on" button and the motor turning, which is just enough to start turning the bit into the wood to get a good bite