Metal Lathe Tutorial 10: Drilling

This is Lathe Skills, a multi-part series to help you learn basic machine shop work. Exclusive videos, drawings, models & plans available on Patreon!
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[@sioul2006]

„It’s a drill! Not a drill bit!“ - Proceeds saying drill bit in the very next sentence 😂👍🏽 Very very nice Video, Quinn!!

[@EDToft]

I gotta admit I noticed that too. I would never use the term drill bit...doh! Just did.

[@VintageTechFan]

@@Grauenwolf German is easy here. It's a "Bohrmaschine" (drilling machine). The lathe is a "Drehmaschine" (turning machine) or a little more informal and technically incorrect "Drehbank" (turning bench). The downside is the Rindfleisch­etikettierungs­überwachungs­aufgaben­übertragungs­gesetz (RflEttÜAÜG) and the Grundstücks­verkehrs­genehmigungs­zuständigkeits­übertragungs­verordnung (GrundVZÜV), of course.

[@tewkesburypastandpresent9555]

Thank you so much for these videos, I have just got a South Bend 4 1/2 {not sure what the 4 1/2 means} and I am setting it up in my shed to learn a new hobby with my 89 year old father who was an engineer all his working life. My Dad has dementia and I want to involve him with something he knows, this is helping me understand a man I love and respect, a man who has never had many words to say but has a kind heart and has always worked hard

[@joseywales6146]

You are the Bob Ross of machinists! Thank you!

[@musicmaneman38]

You are a great and thorough teacher. I like the way that you explain everything in detail. Great job.

[@123suzukisamurai]

Damn. U r with no question the best machinist teacher I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Clear understandable info and why. Love I. Thanks

[@johnwalker4602]

wish you had been around 55 years ago when I started out, would have leveled out the learning curve.

[@Afrodizyak47]

Thank you for showing these skill sets.. I appreciate you explaining things in such an easy to understand manner. Oh by the way, I'm a 70 yr old and never been into machinig, but love learning!

[@Blondihacks]

B. Curtis Excellent! We’re never too old to learn new things.

[@358trucking]

Hello B.Curtis & Quinton. I’m 63 and know nothing about a metal lathe and I just bought one today. These videos are perfect for a beginner like me. Thank you so much.

[@byron7165]

"if you get that wrong, you will be mocked in machinist forums. The purpose of pilot drilling is two-fold. First is to ensure that our larger drill bit goes straight..." Consider yourself mocked ;-) I love that you never cover up your misakes. My father always said "what you learn the hard way you remember longest.' We learn that through osmosis from you.

[@glenntrewitt]

You might want to add a video on lathe maintenance. Specifically: cleanup, lubrication of the lathe itself, no sandpaper over the ways, etc.

[@Blondihacks]

Great idea!

[@hjvisagie]

Youve got a nice voice to listen to.

[@Blondihacks]

HJ Visagie Thanks!

[@LittleRestraint]

Just working through this series, and I have to say..... You are a brilliant teacher! I have learnt more from these than anything else. Probably my favourite videos on KZbin. Thank you so much, fantastic.

[@Blondihacks]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching! 😀

[@backyardmachinist]

Despite this being a more basic video on a process I already feel comfortable with, I watched cuz I knew I'd learn something from it. And you did not disappoint! Didn't know there were under and oversized reamers. I've literally got a pen and paper for notes; thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@fernwebb962]

Thank you for the video. I am enjoying the series. Looking forward to the boring one.

[@Blondihacks]

Fern Webb Hopefully it won’t be boring! Okay, that joke is terrible. I’ll stop now. Maybe.

[@BENBASIL]

The most concise, informative, and well explained machine videos I have found on KZbin. Thank you for all the work you put into these

[@timhansen54]

Enjoying the series Quinn

[@JustJimWillDo]

Well, that wasn't boring at all. But I have come to mock! "These are properly called 'drills' not 'drill bits', you get that wrong, you will get mocked in machinist forums." Nek minnit! "The first is to help ensure that our larger drill bit goes straight…" 😲 (I know there was an edit in between, but it's still fun to see even such an excellent machinist make little booboos) Good job, Quinn, thanks. BTW that's the very first time I've ever heard anyone on KZbin spell out that you should never run a reamer backwards and why.

[@Blondihacks]

Jim Campbell Ahahaha I was trying so hard not to make that mistake in this video, since I made a joke about it up front. I missed that one. 😉. The edits in videos like this one are mainly to cut out unimportant information, repeated information, or misleading things that I spew in the moment. I’m trying to keep this series information-dense and to the point. The only machining videos on KZbin under 45mins. 😜

[@Blondihacks]

@@donaldsouillet2307 Thank you Donald, I appreciate that!

[@AlessioSangalli]

@@somebodyelse6673 there is absolutely nothing wrong in videotaping the entire machining process, how many hours that takes. This series is different as it is educational, but I honestly hate when machinists (ToT being the worst offender) cut several steps of the process and replace with gimmick. As a learner, it's quite important to me to see the whole process patiently.

[@AMRosa10]

@@AlessioSangalli ToT's main goal is to be an entertainer that machines. In many of his tips videos, he says straight out that there are a lot of better channels that covers what he is about to cover in a lot more detail (and usually mentions one or two), but he is giving his take on the subject, often in an entertaining way. Quinn is an excellent educator. There is room on the internet for both styles.

[@MrSims-ky2ne]

You're such an awesome teacher!

[@ralphpavero7760]

Hi ijust wanted to say thank you for all the video tips I just bought my first lathe a grizzly g604 and a mill/drill go705 looking I found you and love ya you make it easy to understand you have a fan for life THANK YOU

[@twestgard2]

Very detailed and useful. Thanks!

[@smallcnclathes]

I keep centre drills for making centre holes, much easier to use a spotting drill to start a hole. Can’t feel a reamer on my cnc so for a reamer I take the drill rpm and halve it and take the feed and double it. I had no idea so I had to refer to various manufacturer guides etc and that was the general rule for chucking reamers. Works well for me in steel.

[@homemadetools]

Good video series. Now on to some homemade tools!

[@raymuttart5484]

Enjoyable video Quinn.

[@enginelover1]

Great videos, keep it up, I own a bridgeport and a colchester.

[@mackdog3270]

Yeah, before I purchased my lathe I found it to be nearly impossible to get a hole cut in the exact center of my part. Even using a jig and transfer punch wouldn't do the trick. It was an aggravation, LoL I started obsessing about my inability to make a simple bushing 😁 My very first time using my mini lathe I got it perfectly centered, it was a blissful experience.

[@jockeolzzon1222]

Thanks for the tutorials, makes it easier starting school again :)

[@philipthemechanic5782]

Love your videos, well explain thank you.

[@flashgordon6238]

Love your videos and knowledge, I just subscribed. I'm a former Millwright with the Timken Company and now a hobbyist. Maybe include stub drills vs. jobber drills on a future project?

[@bobuk5722]

Hi Quinn. Thanks! Amazingly - well it amazes me - I've never thought to use the handle scale to measure depth - always done it off the quill. I mean, how stupid can one get? Well, apparently, very! The real difficulty I find is in establishing the starting point of the pilot drill after the initial centre drilling. BobUK.

[@PhaseConverterampV]

Good explanation. I prefer to check the final drill size runout before reaming if it’s very important. Often there will be a bit .001-0.003 depending on dia. , make concentric with Boring bar then ream. Usually you chamfer before ream, each to there own. One other thing to mention is that reamers almost always cut oversize. .500 reamer, .501 hole. This is controlled to some degree by coolant vs oil , and how much stock was left intentionally before ream. Thought I’d share that, reamed thousands of these.

[@tonyfrederick2715]

Perfect.

[@panaderoovino6342]

This is amazing, thank you so much!!!

[@rayfalcone6897]

nice video,thanks for sharing.

[@richardthomas1548]

Thanks!

[@paulmorrey733]

Thanks Quinn

[@geckoproductions4128]

...another nice video, thanks....

[@boltonky]

Always good information and handy to watch. I am still trying to work out how to stop my drills wandering even with a good starting point and my original lathe book says use a toolpost and tool holder to do it but doesn't explain (guess they figure the tool will be harder than the drill and slide i don't know)

[@joeltoby]

Thanks

[@pranavpatil7561]

Superb👍👍

[@shoofle]

yessssss new blondihaacks :D

[@markkoons7488]

I usually carry a high magnification hand lens when attending swap meets or flea markets. Can the buyer of used reamers tell whether the cutting edges have been ruined by turning it backwards in the work? Would the damage be evident by a change in the plane of the grind?

[@ptonfire1]

Thanks so much sis. Ill patreon also.

[@deanjohn9203]

Thank you for teaching us the ways of metalworking with this machine! I've been around machining for some time but have never operated one. After watching your videos I feel confident when I get my LMS 5100 I'll be able to make nice parts. Question: What happened to the drill at 6:33? I heard a knock and saw what seemed like the drill being pushed out?

[@staffordduecker665]

Save time, center drill and follow up with a 135 degree split point drill, then ream. Ream at 1/3rd the speed that you used for the drill. Feed the reamer with some authority and use plenty of lube. A hobby lathe can handle this fine...

[@piotrc6503]

Hi, great videos for novice. Are you planning similar set about mini milling machine? Greetings from Poland. Piotr

[@williamyoung9014]

I will answer a question from below about using oil when drilling brass: I always do and something else because I use a lot of 360 brass: I have two sets of drills and I blunt or flatten the drills in one set because it causes less troubles when drilling. This suggestion I received courtesy of William R. Smith (Deceased) who wrote many articles and books describing making clocks. From my gunsmith friend here's another tip: When closing a Jacobs chuck tighten first one of the three tightening points then follow suit on the remaining two tightening points to approximately the same strength. This eliminates uneven stress on the drill and ensures a bit more accuracy in your drill and your center drill. I follow this technique with the various Jacob Chucks on my lathe, mill and drill press. If I am feeling whimsical I will do it on my hand drills though it seems unnecessary in the latter case. I hope this helps. BillY

[@The2xWhiskey]

I'm not even remotely a machinist, but this video was very educational, thank you. Now if only I could conjure an affordable setup for truing axle holes in those tiny Hot Wheels, wheels...

[@lrmodranoel]

Hi, do you have a video where you discuss your equipment ( lathe)

[@antoniopagnani9624]

Hey there. I'm an ultra novice machinist. Could you direct me to a video of yours that can educate me on boring a 28mm cavity that is approximately 10mm deep (or something like that. The conditions i'm looking for is that the hole has a very flat and smooth base.

[@jacoballen6645]

what happens if you manage to off center the drill bit? maybe lets say .10 of an inch off center?

[@tcratius1748]

Is the drill different from to drill bits you find at the hardware store and you said don't reverse the reamer, I am guessing that anti-clock wise is forward?

[@jasonbridges111]

Love your videos. Question, Could one not argue that drilling is a 5 step process as apposed to a 4 step process as the first step should be preparing the work piece to insure a flat surface in which to drill? So should the first step be a facing operation?

[@Blondihacks]

Yah, that’s fair to say!

[@davidc538]

will centrifugal force become an issue if drilling a hole too far off center? eg at one of the ends of a rectangular shape?

[@markhoare5569]

should you not be using a spotting drill instead of a center drill?

[@Themudfish1]

Just a fabrication guy looking to learn basic machining…with appropriate depths for larger diameter through holes, is there an annular type bit for lathes?

[@ericnickerson8287]

Should shorter drills be used for this process? I have noticed using standard drills can tend to have more movement.

[@can5projects563]

love your apron. where did you get it????

[@victorldunn9638]

Great content - Last used a lathe when I was at school, which was many many years ago in the UK... so I am definitely in need of a refresh of the detail. A question with "drilling" - when one changes through the sequence of drills, how does one maintain concentricity with the drills?

[@Blondihacks]

Well, the Jacobs chuck is on the center axis of the lathe for starters, and the drill will tend to follow the hole left by the previous one as well. However none of that matters a whole bunch because drills are not precision tools anyway. If concentricity of a hole is critical, you need to ream or bore it.

[@victorldunn9638]

Thank you

[@dzarren]

I thought cutting fluids were unnecessary for machining brass unless one was going insane CNC speeds, is this untrue?

[@topytopy]

Great videos, great quality, easy to understand for someone who's just starting out in this. Amazing work. Any recommendations on 'cutting oil'? Is _any_ oil okay?

[@Blondihacks]

Thank you very much! For cutting oil, it depends a bit on the material. For steel, I like regular Tap Magic. There's a link in the description of the video for that. For aluminum and brass, WD-40 works well. I also use Tap Magic on brass sometimes, such as for drilling. There's an amazon link for WD-40 in the description as well. Using those links helps support my channel.

[@Blondihacks]

Oh, and yes, honestly, any oil is better than none. Tapping fluid is good stuff though, and worth picking up.

[@MidEngineering]

I never use cutting oil on Brass ! Round bar is made to be "free machining" so doesn't really need it. The chips break up really fine, so oil just kind of clogs things up. Cast Iron is also best cut dry. I use soluble cutting fluid on steel & a thin, neat oil on Aluminium (& yes, WD40 is not a bad substitute).

[@button-puncher]

@@Blondihacks I've found that ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is AMAZING on aluminum. Nothing special as far a brand. Whatever is cheapest. By design, it's meant to keep steel from sticking to aluminum.

[@jonahhill5942]

What brand drills do you use (link please)? Love your videos, btw.

[@roberttaylor6461]

Can this be done w/ harbor freight lathe?

[@brnsrgn]

Why doesn’t the drill and the reamer need to be centered using the same technique as the stock. In a previous video you showed the runout that occurred when you removed a stock from the three jaw and then replaced it back in the three jaw. The mechanism to hold the drill and reamer would appear to have the same limitation. Great, informative videos. Thanks.

[@Blondihacks]

The tool isn’t spinning, so there’s no runout to worry about. As long as it is straight and well made, it will cut on center.

[@diyhgg8674]

Can a drill bit or the chuck be held in the spindle and the work piece be held still?

[@adama1294]

Quite right about the drill/ drill bit wording but when searching amazon or the like it is the opposite.

[@Blondihacks]

There’s no accounting for taste. 😁

[@coryknipe5471]

Is it possible to drill a spherical bottom hole? I have a ball bearing which needs to seat in the bottom. Great videos as usual & thanks in advance

[@42n3quarters]

I use a ball or rounded endmill as long as everything clears

[@electech_5495]

Nice machine, what kind?

[@Ritalie]

8:54. Why does that reamer with so much stick out, look like a recipe for a severe, catastrophic chattering? I've never used a lathe, but that long reamer with no support under it, looks like it would vibrate slightly in the hole, and go into a runaway oscillation and bind up on the metal and then probably break off catastrophically? How does one avoid that happening, or are the reamers so rigid that they don't vibrate?

[@bendangwatilongkumer4829]

Nice videos....BlondieHacks....a new subscriber here..So for normal household wrks ( metal, steel etc)...is mini lathe enough to or??

[@glenntrewitt]

By the way, that scribe might make an excellent starter project.

[@Blondihacks]

It is in fact, Clickspring’s starter project. I didn’t want to copy him. 😁

[@glenntrewitt]

@@Blondihacks Yeah, I know - I didn't say that my suggestion was in any way original. :-) You might want to refer to his video. In fact, he has a lot of videos that would complement yours. (Ummm, clocks, calendars) You guys are a community. Even This Old Tony. :-)

[@Blondihacks]

For sure- a number of us are friends behind the scenes, and have some collaborations in the works. Stay tuned! 😁

[@durrettsyndrome]

Is the chuck spinning clock wise or counter clock wise?

[@button-puncher]

Lathe chuck spins CCW. The drill is normally spun CW. In the lathe, it spins the work CCW (rolling towards you) so the stationary drill works in the opposite (CW) direction.

[@engineerme7339]

What's the name of the cutting fluid you use for drilling? Ah tap magic. No worries. Seen your other video.

[@codprawn]

Do you really need lube on brass?

[@redbutler751]

3:00 ... drill bit or drill....mocked?

[@dreamfly555]

I am confused. I thought the center drill was for the tailstock and spot drill for pilot holes.

[@Blondihacks]

Spotting with center drills is common practice and works fine.

[@danielworthy4943]

Where did you purchase your demurring tool ?

[@Blondihacks]

There’s a link to it in the video description. If you don’t see it, check the latest video for the most recent list.

[@danielworthy4943]

I appreciate it thank you.

[@40beretta1]

4:45 did you say drill bit 🙃😉.... Answered my initial question "why the lathe" for drilling ... ""Precision""

[@Blondihacks]

🤫

[@larryculver4375]

You called them drills, then in the very next sentence you use the term drill bit. Is there a subtle distinction I'm missing or do I get to mock you.

[@Blondihacks]

Oh definitely mockery. I misspoke almost immediately. I don't care what you call them, but some machinists really really care. 😏

[@larryculver4375]

@@Blondihacks It's ok, I'm watching Adam Booth right now and he also calls them drill bits.

[@ME-rv1pw]

2:50: these are called drills not drill bits! 3:00: see this drill bit here 🤪

[@floivanus]

4:35 you said drill bit Endless mocking

[@WalkingPez]

also at 3:00 and 4:02 😁 only mocking because she said it is expected in forums🤣

[@peteoburrito920]

Love how she said “this is a drill not a drill bit” then 5 seconds later called it a drill bit😂. We will forgive you Quin

[@fjidsewff]

90% of the time pilot holes are useless. The main problem is the pilot hole takes the point of the drill out of the equation. The tip of the drill self regulates the chip load the flutes take, If that is done away with you are likely to get chatter, damage the cutting edges, and crash when exiting the work. This also allows higher RPMs before chatter starts. Next time you have the chance, step drill to the largest size drill you have. Then drill with that same drill with only a spot. You should see a diffrence. I use the method at work with drills up to 4 inch diameter. Once you get into the really big drills you have to pilot because the tool pressure becomes too high. That said if you keep the pilot no greater than 3/4 the diameter of the chisel point you can greatly reduce tool pressure while reducing th negative effects of a pilot. I did the step method for quite a long time until I realized how flawed it is.

[@Blondihacks]

Great input, both of you! It's interesting to hear new perspectives on drilling, but as @somebody else says, with small lathes, reducing tool pressure becomes a priority at pretty small sizes.

[@tg5509]

I've been trying to find an answer everywhere, and the beginning of your video watching you insert the morse taper 2 chuck into the tailstock, answered my question. Couldn't figure out for the life of me WHAT holds the drill chuck into the taper, and the answer is the pressure on the taper. I was looking for a set screw or something, ha. Was going a bit crazy . Im a lathe noob

[@mahmoudalhussain9976]

You are a great lady I like you

[@amanofmanyparts9120]

The drill stays still while the workpiece moves. Just how Klingons screw in a lightbulb. One holds the bulb, while 3 others rotate the building around it!

[@philipallard8026]

Great information. And the strength of a drill is much less than the strength of its end. The flutes take away much of its strength by reducing the cross sectional area of the total area. But a reamer has a larger cross sectional area than a drill. Thence you need both. I am agreeing with you. Please understand that I hope I’m not mansplaining since I don’t want to be deleted.

[@matthewrose6221]

A drill is the machine, a drill bit, goes in the machine to drill a hole!

[@Blondihacks]

Machinists refer to the cutters as “drills” not “drill bits”.

[@matthewrose6221]

But that makes no sense

[@dalemcinnes1834]

If I ask a machinist to bring me a drill what is he going to bring me? Dale in Canada

[@chesshooligan1282]

Very good stuff. You may want to pay a Paypal link as well in your video descriptions. I wouldn't mind making a one-time contribution, and I'm sure there are more viewers like me.

[@Blondihacks]

There are some PayPal options in the upper right corner of my website at blondihacks.com Support there is always appreciated

[@larshansen7862]

Oh dear, did you say drill bit at 3.00? Lol.

[@T3glider]

Drilling, boring, easing it in, slide it out and push it back in, small hole very deep, larger reamer size, nice and gentle … giggle, giggle … I’m so immature!

[@BikermanCoUk]

Thanks for the content - 3 years on and people like me are still getting good value from your work. I'm just buying my first lathe and this series is exactly what I needed to get a good overview. Thanks again Chris.