I bought a .750 gun drill

whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
Edit..... I added 2 final pics in this post........................





I bought a .750 gun drill on Ebay for $10.

It is 36 inches long but that works out ok on a hightower deluxe. I have lots of room. I modified this one the easy way.

I tapped the coolant hole in the back of the drill for 3/8-16 and made an aluminum adapter and tapped that. I screwed them together and turned the adapter using the drill as a mandrel.

I came with one insert that will probably last until I die.











 
Last edited:
GBCues

GBCues

Damn, still .002 TIR!
Gold Member
Silver Member
Kim,
Very resourceful idea you have there.
It seems like there is going to be a LOT of weight hanging out in front, especially at 36". Have you noticed any sag? Or are you going to use a steady rest to support the drill before it contacts the wood?
I have a shorter gun drill that I have been mulling over how to modify, and this helps me with ideas a lot.
THANKS for sharing!
:thumbup:
Gary
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
I will make a big delrin donut to go in the steadyrest to hold the head as it enters...... omg what did I just say...... lol

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J

Jim Baxter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Very nice , I like the way you did the rear . I just welded it shut and turned it down , but your war is nice . Jim
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
Jim Baxter said:
Very nice , I like the way you did the rear . I just welded it shut and turned it down , but your war is nice . Jim
Click to expand...

Yea.... I just thought it would be easier turning the aluminum piece than the steel drill shank. I also found out that there is a big chamber in that shank when I drilled the hole for the air fitting. If I had turned it down, the end would have fallen off.

Kim

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Blue Hog ridr

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
That's pretty ingenious of you Kim. But then, you have come up with lots soft little time saving jigs that you've shared with the rest of us.

I have a smaller gun drill that I got from Dave in order to do weight bolt holes. I already have the bit and tap but thought hey, this will work great too.

I was thinking that I would have to take that one into a machine shop to have it turned down. Now I don't have to.

Thanks for one more of your tips Kim.
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
The hole in mine was already five sixteenths so I just tapped it with a 3/8 tap.

It taps really hard but it drills really easy. The whole for the air fitting drilled like it was butter.

Kim

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bruppert

bruppert

<Insert witty comment>
Silver Member
whammo57 said:
I will make a big delrin donut to go in the steadyrest to hold the head as it enters...... omg what did I just say...... lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Looks great Kim.

If you have Hightower's smaller flange bearing type steady rest the ID is .750. You GD may fit perfectly in there.
 
bruppert

bruppert

<Insert witty comment>
Silver Member
bruppert said:
Looks great Kim.

If you have Hightower's smaller flange bearing type steady rest the ID is .750. You GD may fit perfectly in there.
Click to expand...

Oh, probably not telling you anything you don't know.....

I've only cored one so far (just got my Air Compressor). I locked down the tailstock and drilled just until it was cutting well. I then loosed the tailstock enough so it would slide, locked the top nut, held the tailstock tight against the back of the lathe bed and then just pushed the tailstock/Gun-Drill right on through. Took maybe 2 minutes to get through a 15" piece of walnut. It was darn close to center on both ends.
 
GBCues

GBCues

Damn, still .002 TIR!
Gold Member
Silver Member
bruppert said:
Oh, probably not telling you anything you don't know.....

I've only cored one so far (just got my Air Compressor). I locked down the tailstock and drilled just until it was cutting well. I then loosed the tailstock enough so it would slide, locked the top nut, held the tailstock tight against the back of the lathe bed and then just pushed the tailstock/Gun-Drill right on through. Took maybe 2 minutes to get through a 15" piece of walnut. It was darn close to center on both ends.
Click to expand...

And Walnut is dang hard stuff - but one of my favorites - so thanks for that update!
Gary
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
bruppert said:
Oh, probably not telling you anything you don't know.....

I've only cored one so far (just got my Air Compressor). I locked down the tailstock and drilled just until it was cutting well. I then loosed the tailstock enough so it would slide, locked the top nut, held the tailstock tight against the back of the lathe bed and then just pushed the tailstock/Gun-Drill right on through. Took maybe 2 minutes to get through a 15" piece of walnut. It was darn close to center on both ends.
Click to expand...

I never tried that... I get it started then I keep moving the tailstock like an inch worm.... lock one knob on the tailstock.....drill.... loosen and slide the tailstock.......lock one knob on the tailstock.....drill..etc....

Kim
 
O

owll

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
hey kim, how hard do you think it would be set something up on toolpost to hold the gun drill and just turn the tool post wheel to move it in? (im new and fairly clueless and looking to get a gun drill.....I want to make my mistakes in large batches so I can get em out of way quicker lol)
 
Dave38

Dave38

theemperorhasnoclotheson
Silver Member
the tailstock mount is easier to make and holds it accurately. The next trick is to put the tailstock between the crosslide and the headstock and then use the crosslide with powerfeed to actually push the (slightly loose/snug)tailstock down the bed and into the wood. works wekk.
Dave
 
conetip

conetip

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi Kim, I set the gun drill so that the cutting edge is at about 45deg before the top.
The V groove is placed like a V, this has the chips coming out down the drill body mostly.
So the chips are not spinning around so much between the drilled hole and the body of the drill.I also run a bunch of air through the drill, does it make a noise.
I also have the shopvac picking up the most it can as well.
 
whammo57

whammo57

Kim Walker
Silver Member
To answer the questions above.

My hightower lathe feed will not push the tailstock with the drill mounted in it. It is not strong enough so I cannot drill that way.

I turn the drill so the V is out and it blows all the chips towards me.

I keep the air somewhere between 40 and 60 psi.

Kim
 
Blue Hog ridr

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Kim, a question for you in which the answer is probably obvious but I would like to hear your take on it.

With a long drill like that, obviously it will fit on the Deluxe.

Doing a one piece core. Chuck it up and go half way thru and turn it around and drill from the other side?
 
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