drill size

7mm or around .275 would be a little tight. I use 7.8mm on mine and then tap and bore to .312 as even using the .308 flat pin it is too tight for my taste.
 
i have always like a snug fit. could the fit be too snug? the snug fit is obviously putting more stress on the shaft, could this be a problem that shows up well after the cue is finished? started building about a year ago so i don't have a lot of build time yet and even less feed back.
 
i have always like a snug fit. could the fit be too snug? the snug fit is obviously putting more stress on the shaft, could this be a problem that shows up well after the cue is finished? started building about a year ago so i don't have a lot of build time yet and even less feed back.

Make a mock-up . Grab a junk maple and drill it with 7MM and tap it . You'll find out .
 
7mm or around .275 would be a little tight. I use 7.8mm on mine and then tap and bore to .312 as even using the .308 flat pin it is too tight for my taste.

Do you have a source for metric drill bits in the US? I have ordered some in the past that came from china and were junk.
 
Do you have a source for metric drill bits in the US? I have ordered some in the past that came from china and were junk.

If you live in a decent size town call up an Industrial Tool Distributor Othwise go on line to Fastenal, Grainger, MSC, Travers Tool, .....

Cleveland Twist Drill, Greenfield, Hayden, MA Ford, all quality mfg. Precision Twist/Dormer is probably the largest Twist Drill Mfg.
 
joeyincali - i have done a few already. they seem good for now. just wondering if the possibility of failure is higher for them in the long run.
macguy - i have been getting my drill bits from woodcraft. they sell them for their pen kits.
3kushn - thanks for the info on suppliers.
 
Metric bits..... check McMaster Carr - outstanding good quality stuff
 
Probably just the difference in taps. My standard 3/8 X 10 tap has a minor diameter of about .285, so 7mm would be still undersized and tight. I prefer a piloted tap which has less walk, the pilot is .308 I think. Either way I'm going to bore the hole to final diameter after drilling.

Alan
Phelps Custom Cues
 
Do you have a source for metric drill bits in the US? I have ordered some in the past that came from china and were junk.

I get all mine from MA Ford and they are 3 fluke solid carbide and around $50 each.

Google MA Ford, look up High Performance drills #229, find a part # for the size you want and then look up a dealer rep to buy from.

I found mine way less than listed in McMaster Carr through local dealer.
 
I get all mine from MA Ford and they are 3 fluke solid carbide and around $50 each.

Google MA Ford, look up High Performance drills #229, find a part # for the size you want and then look up a dealer rep to buy from.

I found mine way less than listed in McMaster Carr through local dealer.

Just landed in Bettendorf IA about 5 miles south of MA Ford. Good company Good quality If you really want long lasting drills they're good carbide guys.

I didn't mention McMaster Carr because 1 they are high price. The good thing and why they do so well is if you want something in their catalog, They got it. I can't remember them ever backordering anything.. THAT'S WHY they can charge so much. Think "Assembly Line Shutdown" because of no tools. Then the price is dirt cheap and I can sleep tonight. It'll be there in the morning.

The other mass distributors I mentioned are a little high too. Best bet is to go local INDUSTRIAL Tool Distributor if you can.
 
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Forget MSC, go to carbidedepot.com and look at their carbide drills They are about half price, have any size you want in 3 flute, 150 degree point 5X uncoated which is the absolutely proper bit for joint work.
 
The cat's out now.
If you ain't drillin' with carbide, you're just drillin' a hole.
Here's why: carbide doesn't flex and it doesn't walk. 3 flutes are self-centering.
Closest thing to boring.........short of boring.

KJ
 
I've spent years drilling on manual lathes.

In just the last few years, I've picked up a few commercial CNC lathes. They are extremely powerful and accurate. The alignment of the tools to the spindle is better than any machine I've ever worked on. But still, if I use a standard high speed steel drill, it will wander. Not always, but at least sometimes. When I use a good carbide drill, in get perfect holes with no wander. I still bore the holes to finish size, but that's more because of tooling changes. I can always have one drill, and one boring bar and can make any size hole that I need just with programming. It's much better than changing out bits and tools all the time.

The carbide drills mentioned in this thread are all excellent.


Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com
 
Forget MSC, go to carbidedepot.com and look at their carbide drills They are about half price, have any size you want in 3 flute, 150 degree point 5X uncoated which is the absolutely proper bit for joint work.

Do you know what is the difference between the Garr and SGS carbide drill bits offered on that website? The SGS bits are more expensive for each size. TIA
 
I've not been in the cutting tool business for a really long time. SGS IMO is more into carbide burs. Garr is more into drills.

Another thing to note. HSS drills have to be straightened after heat treat. Many years ago I was in the Cleveland Twist Drill factory. There was a group of should be retired folks in a darkened room,a bench at eye level and small light strategically placed. They laid jobber drills on some hard surface granite maybe and straightened the drills with small drop hammers. All hand straightened.
 
If you really want the nuts, get the ones with the through coolant holes, and connect to the air like a gun drill.
HSS drills will drill straight if the feed rate is not too high,and that the holder/tailstock is reasonably true to the axis, ie with in 0.0015 inches. Also the material will need to be a constant density. Wood with straight grain fairly central to the centreline , drills fine with hss, but any grain run out or off centre so one edge is in pith with the other on a ring, will make the drill wonder. Carbide is less so. Another drill format is the short single flute gun drills, or stub gun drills. They are also the nuts, but specialised and not as cheap as the 3 fluted drills.
Neil
 
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