What is your favorite method to center drill new shaft dowels when using a spindle with chucks on both end and a tailstock chuck holding the centerdrill? Shaft end close to the chuck face or shaft end extended "x" inches out from the chuck . As you know it takes the warp or other imperfections out differently on the first turn round. Confuse me with to much information.(LOL) Thanks Ken Ken
New shaft dowels centers methods
- Thread starter ken ken quarter
- Start date
I made a secret jig.
The tailstock is only used maybe 20% of the time.
The tailstock is only used maybe 20% of the time.
If you are starting with say a 1" dowel you have to examine the piece carefully. At some point you will have to decide what end is going to be the joint and what end will be the tip. Now examine the grain and look for the center most grain that runs the closest to the center at the opposite end. You want to make that the center line of the shaft. It will not necessarily be in the center of the piece; the first turn that trues it up may have a lot of wobble in it but you want the finished piece to have the truest straightest grain as it relates to the dowel. Remember, this piece was cut from a board originally that was not necessarily cut perfectly with the grain and you are trying to correct that. You do not want grain running off the side of the shaft.
You will have to center tap the shaft on the grain you select and carefully drill the center by hand with a portable drill. These centers will be the permanent centers of the shaft throughout the entire turning proses. Regarding what end will be the joint and tip. The grain you select may exit the piece a bit more off center at one end then the other. That will be you tip because you will have the most wood available to you to cut away and true the grain with the center line of the shaft.
I've always wanted one of these ... it might be very handy for center-punching the center location ... but I am no cuemaker.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=45502&cat=1,42936,50298&ap=2
Dave
Macguy has the best method
I do something similar, it is time consuming but ensures the best shaft from your wood supply.
I do something similar, it is time consuming but ensures the best shaft from your wood supply.
Cheaper and no hammer required....buy 10!!
http://www.harborfreight.com/spring-loaded-center-punch-621.html
I use a small center drill in a cordless drill. I pick the tip end of the dowel and find a grain line that runs from that end all the way to the other, and center drill in that grain line. Once turned to finish size, the grain line that is center at the tip is also the same line that is center at the joint. This is also why I prefer to use quarter sawn squares rather than dowels, because I have a lot more room to work with. Makes a difference.
Cheaper and no hammer required....buy 10!!
http://www.harborfreight.com/spring-loaded-center-punch-621.html
The one I posted has help for old eyes :thumbup: Besides, I thought the automatic variety were only used to break into cars
:wink:Dave
I Line up the grain, mark, center punch, then use a center drill in a cordless. Sometimes with dowels, If It looks like I may cut It close, I'll stick a ring up to the joint side to make sure there's enough room. On occasion there's not enough room to pick the sides the way you would like, so I agree that squares would be better in those situations, because then you can utilize the size to your advantage, so that It does not become a factor in determining the sides You choose, and you can better focus on lining up the grain at the same time.
I'm a bit anal about the centers in my shafts, and basically I center them twice. The first part is as described by others above, using grain alignment, then a center drill held freehand in a cordless drill. However, to ensure that the centers are perfectly perpendicular to the axis of the shaft for full contact when driving them during later cutting, I then take a straight pass on the piece held between the "rough" centers that I just installed. Now that the outside of the piece is perfectly round and concentric to the "rough" centers, I hold each end in the lathe chuck and re-center lightly, this time with the center drill held in the tailstock. Now both centers are in perfect alignment with each other for full contact when driving on a saw type shaft machine, or any other shaft machine for that matter.
That is right I forgot that in my post. Once turned, I face off the ends; and to be sure the centers are good, make a touch with a 60 deg. countersink in the tailstock. In most cases they are fine but you want to be sure.
Not much different here, I do the same thing, using the cordless to line the grain up is just the initial center holes to get the piece turned round and centered to the grain, after that they are faced, and re-center drilled in the jaws for exactly the reason that You mentioned. You can get them pretty straight using the cordless with a good eye, but I still wouldn't depend on it.
It's the center of the 3 jaws.
why does the move the avatar option not work on this site
I like the above method for squares.
Because doweling machines tend to produce more warp in the shaft dowels than turning between centers this method won't work as well for dowels. On dowels I center drill with the butt end only a couple of inches out of the front chuck. And I drill the tip end with about 10 or so inches out the front chuck.