Drilling alignment problem

[JuanPablo30]

Hello, I'm new around here. I've been reading many posts, and now I have a resin to post a question. I've been working with olive and I love it!. My pipes are very simple with push in stems and no shank. After drilling about 6 pipes without any problems, I decided to make a pipe with shank. The problem is that the air hole did not align in the center or the chamber. I have ruin 4 blocks in the same way . I've tried everything I can think I could be doing wrong and still the hole comes out about 1/8" to the side. Any ideas on how I can fix whatever am doing wrong?

[d.huber]

Could you describe your process to us?

Also, is it always 1/8" to the side on the same side?

[JuanPablo30]

It is 1/8" every time. I'm using small blocks about the same size of the pipe diameter that most times are not square. The pipes I've drilled without problem were not square so I doubt this has something to do.
First I find the center of the block and draw lines all around the block:



Then I drill the top part of the block for the chamber, once I'm done I measure the depth of the chamber to be sure it's what I want. I mark one side where I drill the air hole and mortise.

On this one I drilled the hole about 1/8" to the right to see if it would come out centered and it did.

I don't have more pictures of my process but I used to end up with a centered hole. No problem on the depth. And I end up with something like this



I will try to take pictures the next time I try it.

[Alden]

Seems to me the problem is in your lines, or in the drilling of the bowl. If you're hitting the airway dead center from the outside, it should be centered when it gets inside and theres not much length for it to wander on the way.
If your bowl was being drilled at a slightly off angle, by the time it got to the bottom it could be that far off..

[JuanPablo30]

Seems to me the problem is in your lines, or in the drilling of the bowl. If you're hitting the airway dead center from the outside, it should be centered when it gets inside and theres not much length for it to wander on the way.
If your bowl was being drilled at a slightly off angle, by the time it got to the bottom it could be that far off..

thought the same about the chamber being canted but if I lined up the drill bit with the lines shouldn't this be enough to get it right? I used a laser to line up the lines outside on the rim with the inside of the bowl and it matches perfect but when I drill the hole it comes out to the sides!
Do you move the platform of the drill press to level the block on the vise before drilling each hole when the blocks are not squared?

[Tyler]

Is the bed of you drill press square with the axis of drilling? Does you vise clamp square?

[wdteipen]

Is the bed of you drill press square with the axis of drilling? Does you vise clamp square?

This is my thought. If you have an adjustable drill bed as in one you can crank up and down, are you tightening it once you move it up or down? If you don't, there's usually just enough play when loose that the weight of the table makes it sag a bit.

[JuanPablo30]

Is the bed of you drill press square with the axis of drilling? Does you vise clamp square?

This is my thought. If you have an adjustable drill bed as in one you can crank up and down, are you tightening it once you move it up or down? If you don't, there's usually just enough play when loose that the weight of the table makes it sag a bit.

It is adjustable, for height and angle. I made sure the vise and bed are leveled so that's why this is driving me crazy!

[andrew]

Really basic question: are you clearing the chips from your drill bit? Olive chips pack very nicely and this can cause a 1/8" bit to wander as well.

andrew

[andrew]

The unsquared block could also be causing you problems.

andrew

[JuanPablo30]

Really basic question: are you clearing the chips from your drill bit? Olive chips pack very nicely and this can cause a 1/8" bit to wander as well.

andrew

Yes, I try to keep everything clean and I clean the drill bits after each use.

[JuanPablo30]

The unsquared block could also be causing you problems.

andrew

That's what I thought at first so I tried cheap 2x4 lumber and cut it to the size of the blocks I'm using. These were square and I still got the same result but not as bad. I tried to drill my first briar block ever and ruined it as well. It most be some kind of curse!

[d.huber]

The unsquared block could also be causing you problems.

andrew

That's what I thought at first so I tried cheap 2x4 lumber and cut it to the size of the blocks I'm using. These were square and I still got the same result but not as bad. I tried to drill my first briar block ever and ruined it as well. It most be some kind of curse!

Not a curse. Since it's consistent, there must be a cause. Did anything happen between your last dead on drilling job and the first time your drilling was off? Has anything about your process changed? Anything.

[JuanPablo30]

The unsquared block could also be causing you problems.

andrew

That's what I thought at first so I tried cheap 2x4 lumber and cut it to the size of the blocks I'm using. These were square and I still got the same result but not as bad. I tried to drill my first briar block ever and ruined it as well. It most be some kind of curse!

Not a curse. Since it's consistent, there must be a cause. Did anything happen between your last dead on drilling job and the first time your drilling was off? Has anything about your process changed? Anything.

The one thing I remember doing the last time the hole came out centered was moving the bed to drill at a 15 degrees. After that I zeroed the bed again and didn't drill again until a few day later. I decided to use a square briar block I got on friday and still came out to one side. So I don't think is the block, it has to be something with the drill press.

[dreadroberts]

I am having the very same issue with my drill press. Check out this site for some maintenance and test procedures. I will be working on mine tonight.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F% ... Y9dNU4T1kA

I'll let you know how my maintenance goes and hopefully we'll both have repaired machines.

[JuanPablo30]

I am having the very same issue with my drill press. Check out this site for some maintenance and test procedures. I will be working on mine tonight.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F% ... Y9dNU4T1kA

I'll let you know how my maintenance goes and hopefully we'll both have repaired machines.

Thanks for the link I will use the info. Did you fix yours yet?

[d.huber]

The one thing I remember doing the last time the hole came out centered was moving the bed to drill at a 15 degrees. After that I zeroed the bed again and didn't drill again until a few day later. I decided to use a square briar block I got on friday and still came out to one side. So I don't think is the block, it has to be something with the drill press.

Have you tried moving the bed to drill at 15 degrees again to see if that fixes the issue?

[JuanPablo30]

The one thing I remember doing the last time the hole came out centered was moving the bed to drill at a 15 degrees. After that I zeroed the bed again and didn't drill again until a few day later. I decided to use a square briar block I got on friday and still came out to one side. So I don't think is the block, it has to be something with the drill press.

Have you tried moving the bed to drill at 15 degrees again to see if that fixes the issue?

I haven't tried that. I still got warranty on this drill I will return it tomorrow if I can't find a fix

[d.huber]

Try drilling on a scrap piece by moving the bed to drill at 15 deg. If that fixes the issue, then your drill press is out of alignment and I would either align your drill press or return it if it is in fact defective.

[JuanPablo30]

Try drilling on a scrap piece by moving the bed to drill at 15 deg. If that fixes the issue, then you're drill press is out of alignment and I would either align your drill press or return it if it is in fact defective.

I took it back and got a new one. I was sick of it already . I'll put this one together and I hope my problem is solved.