Extended length drill bits

[Markndawoods]

I am needing to drill 30 - 36" into the end of a 1" dowel, with a half inch bit. Built a jug, centering etc not an issue. What I am unfamiliar with is a bit to go that deep. I tried starting with a standard 5" HSS and followed with an electricians boring bit, but that just lost center an blew out the side.

A quick search on google showed various places selling long bits, many without the lead screw, which it turns out will cause tremendous damage in end grain . So I can locate a vendor, but wondering if someone might already be buying form somewhere.

Does anybody have any experience with something like this? Perhaps someone has a source they feel is reliable for such things?

Perhaps I am on my own!?

markndawoods

[-MIKE-]

I don't know where you'll find the bit, but it brought to mind the use of a lathe to do it. That brought to mind the use of an 18"-ish bit to go in from each end.

BUT, that had be thinking about this... however you end up drilling it, drill the hole in a thicker, square stock, then mount the stock on a lathe and turn it down to a 1" dowel. That will ensure the hole is centered.

[Lew Hodgett]

You need a ship's auger and a brace.

Start with Jamestown Distributors.

Have fun.

Lew

[Markndawoods]

Problem with those auger bits is all of them I have seen have the lead screw. That has ruined numerous attempts at this.

I did not see anything there at JD that would meet the 30+ inch requirement anyway. Maybe I missed it??

Thanks for the reply thought

markndawoods

[Robatoy]

2 strips of wood 1/2" x 1" x 36" Run a 1/2" core box router bit down the middle of both strips 1/4" down. (Use a router table) . Glue them together (....mind the squeeze out). and round over the edged of the square with a 1/2" roundover bit , again in a table.

[Andrew Erickson]

Were I faced with this problem, I would seriously consider routing a semicircular groove down two strips and then gluing them together. If the hole down the middle needs to be perfectly circular throughout, pulling a reamer through afterwards to get it to correct size sounds more likely to work well than pushing a drill down from the ends. If it's only a bit at the two ends that needs to be precise, then making the central portion of the groove a bit oversized would simplify things, too.

Finishing the outside once the hole is in the inside is, of course, a comparatively easy matter.

Just out of curiosity, what is the final application of this? A floor or large table lamp?

[Dave Balderstone]

Split a 2x2, use a router in a table with a 1/2" ball bit to rout half a hole in each side, glue back together, turn round.

Of course, that assumes access to a router + table, and a lathe. Or you could use a 1" bullnose bit in the router table.

[Markndawoods]

OK, thanks for all the suggestion guys, but we missed the mark, perhaps I should have explained what I am doing.

I need to drill these holes in 1" dowels, hundreds of them. Hence, I am not turning these, nor routing them. As I stated, I already built a jig that affords me dead on accuracy in test runs to center the hole, no problem there. Somewhat of a production environment. Think of a curtain rod, 1" dowel, 1/2" hole with a 1/2" dowel sliding into it, another short piece of

1" dowel glues on the other end. The purpose would be to "expand" the capabilities of the rod. Make sense?

I did find a location for the bits, they are in Crystal Lake, IL. The price is right, but they want to rape me for 16 bucks for shipping! Anybody live by Crystal Lake, IL????

I really do appreciate the input!

markndawoods

[Lew Hodgett]

Ship'a augers are designed specifically to remain centered when drilling deep holes; however, made the assumption this was a thru hole not a blind hole.

If blind, no way, have never seen them much longer than about 21"-24" long.

If thru, then half way from each end.

If cost is a consideration, making two pieces and gluing together will use lower total cost tools.

Have fun.

Lew

[Dave Balderstone]

No, you said you built a JUG, and gave no indication that this was a production issue in your original post.

[Markndawoods]

he he, so I did.. fat fingered again! My mistake

[Rick Samuel]

Sounds like this is going to have to come from some sort of build up, with the hole formed in the build, then turned true to the hole. Depth of 60-72 X dia is asking a lot.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 8/9/2009 9:21 PM Markndawoods spake thus:

OK, this is the second time you've told us that. I'm just curious: how do you know that you can keep the bit centered down this very long length of dowel if you haven't located a long-enough drill bit yet?

I suppose it *is* in the realm of possibility that one could keep a 1/2" drill bit centered inside a 1" dowel for the length of 3 feet, but I'm skeptical.

[Tanus]

A variation of that would be to start with a dowel that's slightly oversized, and cut in half with a band saw. Then the OP ends up with a rounded exterior, if that's the goal. If the glueup is any kind of problem the oversizedness (sp?) can be trimmed on a lathe.

Tanus

[J. Clarke]

You're basically trying to reinvent the wheel here. Google "gun drill". One source for the specialized pieces you need is

said, for volume production routing is most assuredly feasible--it is how pencils are made for example, and pencil factories produce them by the million. Route the inside contour into rectangular blocks, glue them together, then route the outside--no need to turn anything. The trick is in the jigging and setup.

[Lew Hodgett]

If memory serves me correctly, you are located about 40 miles south of "Can't get there from here", Alaska and you are complaing about freight costs.?

Companies don't make money on S&H costs, they make it on products unless they are sold on late night infomercials.

Maybe you should be happy some body will even attempt to ship to you.

Lew

[sheldon.mandel]

Chop your wood up into pieces that can be bored, and then join them. One end of the pieces can be bored a little bigger, and on the other end reduce the outside diameter so that they fit

shelly

[Markndawoods]

Nope, just outside of Portland, Or... almost sorry I asked now.

[Robatoy]

Look, you asked for opinion/advice on dealing with your challenge. A

36" long 1/2" drillbit, of any type, is more likely to wander than not. There is some credence to that collective opinion. To try to solve your challenge, a bunch of us ran some ideas up the flag-pole. So don't be sorry you asked, because it just might be somebody else who's light-bulb lit up by seeing how a Wrecker's minds work. :o)

[Andrew Barss]

Markndawoods wrote: : I am needing to drill 30 - 36" into the end of a 1" dowel, with a half inch : bit. Built a jug, centering etc not an issue. What I am unfamiliar with is a : bit to go that deep. I tried starting with a standard 5" HSS and followed : with an electricians boring bit, but that just lost center an blew out the : side.

: A quick search on google showed various places selling long bits, many : without the lead screw, which it turns out will cause tremendous damage in : end grain . So I can locate a vendor, but wondering if someone might : already be buying form somewhere.

: Does anybody have any experience with something like this? Perhaps someone : has a source they feel is reliable for such things?

: Perhaps I am on my own!?

If you search for "lamp drill" or "lamp auger" or "D bit" on rec.crafts.woodturning, you'll turn up directions for making a proper bit for this from drill rod. It just involves a special way of grinding a flat on the end parallel to the axis of rotation.

-- Andy Barss