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Drilling using Tool Post

thestelster

thestelster

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I need some answers.

You guys out there with a QCTP and a DRO on your lathe, why or why not, make use of a drill chuck, or collet chuck, to do operations, such as drilling, reaming counterbore, etc with the tool post? I would think that having power feed would be a fantastic attribute. Plus not having to drag the tail stock up and down the length of the bed (my lathe has 54" of travel). I would think once set up, it would take mere seconds to do a drilling operation. I do not have a QCTP, nor a DRO, but I'm tempted to purchase just for this purpose.
 
I did this when I first got my lathe - I didn't have the right taper to hold a chuck to hold my drill, so I made a screw-"collet" in a piece of steel that fit the tool post and used that to drill in the lathe. Compared to the tail stock it didn't feel nearly as rigid, and the drill took a fair bit of doing to align correctly each use. What was I doing? Drilling the centers to turn a JT33xMT3 taper on center to hold my chuck in the tail stock. And it worked, and it's an ok JT33xMT3, but now replaced with a precision ground $7 one that holds a bit better.
 
To take that idea a little further, Dean Smith and Grace have a fantastic arrangement for carriage drilling - an accessory that clamps onto the cross slide dovetail. With a stop on the carriage, tools are automatically aligned with the lathe axis and its a very solid setup

I'd thought this a great accessory to make.....or if anyone has a version for a 13" DSG they want to sell, I'm a buyer :)

yv1OW5I.jpg
 
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While this may be helpful, I prefer a lever operated tailstock because it provides a great feel for the drilling process and allows quick swarf clearance when drilling deep holes. I salvaged a tailstock from a Big (to me) Japanese cnc lathe found at a salvage yard, sawed off the original mount and fabricated an adapter to fit my lathe. I have not used my original lathe tailstock in years. The lever one is just fine for applying pressure to and locking in centers.
 
@thestelster : Personally I have not drilled that way - however, for some reason that video by Stephan popped up onto my you tube viewing the other day and then you mentioned the practice - there must be some investigation into this......;)

Getting a DRO for the Miss Metric may also be in the cards if she behaves....
 
Yes I have and I have also reversed this holding the drill in the chuck and the work on the carriage in a fixture. With the second method 8,500 plus holes, advantage no power on and off, just insert work and drill to depth stop.
 
Back a few years ago, I was endeavoring to drill old wore out rifle barrels and re-line with barrel liners. There is the old tried & true way of using a hand drill with a supper long bits ( jobber length bits welded to 1/4" or 3/8 rod 20 inches long)....but me being me thought there must be a better way using the carriage powder feed on the lathe. Wanting to use the already c to c of the lathe tailstock , I manufactured a hook that connected the tail to the carriage and when under power it would drag the tailstock along with it .

Well, it worked for about 8" of drilling but then I discovered that I didnt have quick enough reaction time when the drill flutes filled with chips and ended up jamming & breaking drill bit shanks down-bore, ruining a couple barrels before I gave that up as a lost cause.

I think a carriage mounted chuck or the trailing tailstock method I used will work fine for drilling regular depth holes that jobber bits are designed for but think the old style hand holding a hand drill is still the best for anything deeper.
 
historicalarms said:
Back a few years ago, I was endeavoring to drill old wore out rifle barrels and re-line with barrel liners. There is the old tried & true way of using a hand drill with a supper long bits ( jobber length bits welded to 1/4" or 3/8 rod 20 inches long)....but me being me thought there must be a better way using the carriage powder feed on the lathe. Wanting to use the already c to c of the lathe tailstock , I manufactured a hook that connected the tail to the carriage and when under power it would drag the tailstock along with it .

Well, it worked for about 8" of drilling but then I discovered that I didnt have quick enough reaction time when the drill flutes filled with chips and ended up jamming & breaking drill bit shanks down-bore, ruining a couple barrels before I gave that up as a lost cause.

I think a carriage mounted chuck or the trailing tailstock method I used will work fine for drilling regular depth holes that jobber bits are designed for but think the old style hand holding a hand drill is still the best for anything deeper.
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I have learnt how to deal with this by hand feeding the carriage and learning what a full flute feels like, basically you are pecking the entire depth.
 
thestelster said:
I need some answers.

You guys out there with a QCTP and a DRO on your lathe, why or why not, make use of a drill chuck, or collet chuck, to do operations, such as drilling, reaming counterbore, etc with the tool post? I would think that having power feed would be a fantastic attribute. Plus not having to drag the tail stock up and down the length of the bed (my lathe has 54" of travel). I would think once set up, it would take mere seconds to do a drilling operation. I do not have a QCTP, nor a DRO, but I'm tempted to purchase just for this purpose.
Click to expand...

I really don't think I can provide answers to the exact question you are asking.

I have done a little drilling using my carriage and an MT2 tool holder in my QC BXA tool post. The only reason I did that was to be able to use an MT2 drill chuck instead of the tailstocks MT3. I didn't have an adapter.

Basically, I didn't like it. It was WAAAAYYY too fussy with a lot less rigidity (VS the tailstock) for my liking.

At the time the stock chuck that came with my lathe was MT3 and I wanted to use a better one that had an MT2 arbor for the job I was doing. I didn't have an MT3 to MT3 adapter at that time.

Ive never gone back and redone that game. But I did buy a much higher quality Southbend MT3 drill chuck. It's no Albrecht but it is a very nice chuck for the money.
 
Susquatch said:
Basically, I didn't like it. It was WAAAAYYY too fussy with a lot less rigidity (VS the tailstock) for my liking.
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But if you had a DRO, you would have that drill chuck in the Tool Offset Library, no fuss. But definitely, if there is a loss in rigidity, that would be bad.
 
thestelster said:
But if you had a DRO, you would have that drill chuck in the Tool Offset Library, no fuss. But definitely, if there is a loss in rigidity, that would be bad.
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I think this would only work if you don't move the compound or tool post, which I do all the time..... Perhaps I am wrong in my thinking, I am still fairly green to this and have never used a dro....
 
thestelster said:
But if you had a DRO, you would have that drill chuck in the Tool Offset Library, no fuss. But definitely, if there is a loss in rigidity, that would be bad.
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Putting it into the library would help and if I get the same dro as on my mill it would have a library.

But the minute you loosen the toolpost anchor bolt or move the compound angle, there goes your library.

The trouble with MT holders on a BXA Tool Post is that they have to hang out there a lot further to make room for the MT3 Socket. We all know what more hangout does. But even without that, there is no way a tool post composed of a dozen parts between it and the ways can ever equal the rigidity of a big fat tailstock attached directly to the ways......
 
140mower said:
I think this would only work if you don't move the compound or tool post, which I do all the time..... Perhaps I am wrong in my thinking, I am still fairly green to this and have never used a dro....
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A DRO with tool set points can handle moving the compound in or out as long as it isn't rotated. The set point stores up to 4 axis locations which could include the compound. But no way it can handle moving the tool post
 
Susquatch said:
A DRO with tool set points can handle moving the compound in or out as long as it isn't rotated. The set point stores up to 4 axis locations which could include the compound. But no way it can handle moving the tool post
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I was thinking more along the lines of changing compound angles. I usually park mine at 29.5*, but sometimes I want a taper, or a finer feed than I can get from the cross slide.
 
Tool post integrated drill chucks are available in different flavors. Yes, one would have to ensure the drill axis is exactly aligned to spindle axis. So that means correct cross bed position and no angle of the drill itself resulting from tool post orientation. Once set up I guess you could use the lathe's power feed too if that was desirable. Personally I would find a tailstock lever action more useful, but maybe a function of my work, real or imagined :)
 

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PeterT said:
. Personally I would find a tailstock lever action more useful, but maybe a function of my work, real or imagined :)
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It depends (imo) on the size of the drill. I've a few small lathes used for small holes with levers and agree, it is absolutely the way to. Easy to clear chips, more sensitive and faster. But they they lose their appeal as the drill size increases. I don't they'd be much fun over say 1/2"

For large drills, the DSG rig is (imo) the best. For punching a 1" through a length steel, the tailstock is obviously doable, but rapid retraction for chip removal, power feed and removing the chance a taper drill spinning in the tailstock quill would be nice The tool post gives some of these advantages, easier to retract, and power feed, but needs alignment and creates a moment around the tool post bolt. I've not used one so can't be certain, but wonder if that becomes an issue with large drills?
 
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