Taper Shank drill bits
John K Jordan
I've been using taper shank drill bits at the lathe. When I showed one to another turner it was a new concept. Rudy Lopez had a 1" diameter bit at the TAW symposium and used it to drill out things before hollowing. He had cut off about 1/2 of the bit and resharpened to make a much shorter bit but they can be used out of the box.
In case anyone is interested...
Taper shank drill bits have a morse taper shank and fit directly into the morse taper of the lathe tailstock or headstock.
The smaller diameter bits come in a MT#1 taper so an adapter is needed for an MT#2 tailstock or headstock. Fortunately, these are less than $10 - I found a hardened and ground adapter for about $4.
One advantage over standard drill bits is they are very quick to mount and use - just insert into the tailstock. The Jacobs chuck can stay in the drawer.
Since the overall length is shorter and the Jacobs chuck is eliminated, there is potentially more precision and less play. The tailstock can be much closer to the work. This would also allow drilling holes in the end of a longer spindle on a short lathe.
The bits themselves are more expensive. I bought some of the sizes I use the most. A few intermediate sizes are handy when drilling larger holes in more delicate work. I usually drill with 2 or 3 intermediate sizes before I drill a 3/4" or 1" diameter hole.
I found a company selling the smaller sizes at $1 each so I bought a bunch. The boxes look 20 years old so they were probably left over stock someone found in the warehouse.
For a more precise hole I start with a center drill or a spotting drill. A skew or parting tool will also work but I like the specialized bit better.
JKJ
