Tool post drilling in a small lathe

I like my toolpost-mounted drill chuck when I need to drill a larger-diameter hole. My mini lathe just doesn't have the power to go directly to drilling, say, a 1/2" hole. So I have to step through a number of drill sizes. Since their length varies a lot, that means relocating the tailstock a number of times. It's much faster for me to use the toolstock-mounted chuck for this kind of thing.

The various comments regarding the utility (or lack thereof) of a toolpost-mounted drill chuck may well be due to differences in the types of lathes folks own.
 
Batmanacw said:
Power feed......dro read out of the depth as you drill if you have one.

I'd much rather have the speed of quick change of the mt2 set up I have over the drill chuck on the tool post.
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I understand the advantages (DRO, power feed, potentially more rigid), but couldn’t you still swap out the multiple MT2 tooling with the tail stock?
 
ChazzC said:
I understand the advantages (DRO, power feed, potentially more rigid), but couldn’t you still swap out the multiple MT2 tooling with the tail stock?
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I originally bought the spare tapers to pop into the tailstock for quick changes. Then I realized that would work for the tool post holder as well. As always, get both!
 
Batmanacw said:
Power feeding is easier and more consistent on the chip load. I can't imagine why anyone would object to easier work and longer lasting drills. It's a quick change tool post so switching to turning or parting is a few seconds away. The morse tapers allow me to pop the tapers out in a couple seconds.

I have a cheap dro on my tailstock but my tailstock has 60mm of travel. My carriage has tons of travel. The carriage is more rigid than my tailstock.

I'm trying to see a downside but its not coming to me.
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After an incident with my mill power feeding a 1/2" bit deep into a block of aluminum I will not make the mistake of doing so again.
 
homebrewed said:
I like my toolpost-mounted drill chuck when I need to drill a larger-diameter hole. My mini lathe just doesn't have the power to go directly to drilling, say, a 1/2" hole. So I have to step through a number of drill sizes. Since their length varies a lot, that means relocating the tailstock a number of times. It's much faster for me to use the toolstock-mounted chuck for this kind of thing.

The various comments regarding the utility (or lack thereof) of a toolpost-mounted drill chuck may well be due to differences in the types of lathes folks own.
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I understand where you are coming from and that makes sense, my lathe doesn't have the same conditions so I had not thought of that. Are you using the power feed or just avoiding the pain of the tool post?
 
verbotenwhisky said:
After an incident with my mill power feeding a 1/2" bit deep into a block of aluminum I will not make the mistake of doing so again.
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That is fine but that in no way means that power drilling on a lathe is dangerous or prone to problems. As long as the chips are clearing the drill won't bind. I have high helix long flute drill bits for deeper holes. Good drilling practices still apply.
 
I love these mt2 to jt3 adapters for pre-staging drills and center drills. They cost under $12 and they take up much less room and cost less than half of an endmill holder.

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I used a 10/32 set screw to lock the drills in with a small flat on the drill. I drilled, bored, and reamed to size the holes in the end. I want them nice and straight.

I have another adapter coming so I'll have a no 3 and no 4 center drill and 1/4 and 5/16 pilot drills.

The 1/4" endmill holder I bought was a waste of money and space in my rack.
 
ChazzC said:
Get an MT2 ER16 or 25 collet holder for use with end mills.
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I don't use many endmills on my lathe. Occasionally I'll need to flatten the bottom of a hole and I'll use a micro boring bar in a 3/4 shank er16 collet holder that I put in my clamp boring bar qctp holder.

This is my favorite way to hold a micro boring bar.

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I just might buy one for the heck of it.
 
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