Gun drills for sale

O

olsonsview

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a limited number of gun drills from a business that sadly closed in my area. They are brand new and size that I like to use: 18mm, or 0.7085 inches. I always found the 3/4 a tad large and the 5/8 small for my liking. The drills are 13 inches long depth of cut, & 7 inches of metal before you get to the ground 25mm shank area. Very easy to cut to different shank for anyone with a decent metal lathe. The current air feed is in the rear, but also simple to plug and side drill for a new entry point. I am offering these for $65.00 each shipped free to the USA. Remember they are brand new, sharp, and way overkill for our needs to cut wood.
Here is something I copied from Star's website about their drill bits, amazing!

Star SU Single Flute Gundrill: Used as a general-purpose
tool in most drilling applications to obtain hole sized within .001”,
run-out requirements of .001” per inch, straightness of .001”
per foot. This tool is a single fl ute 3 piece contructions design
and has the deepest fl ute channel, thus enabling maximum chip
evacuation. Diameters are available from .0781 - 1.5”.
 
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What sizees do you have for sale? Is it just 18 mm or do you have other sizes as well?
How many are you selling?
Thanks,
Neil
 
I am just selling some stock from a buddies business

He used these drills for one client, and had only a couple sizes. The only long ones suitable for cue work were the 18mm diameter by 13 inch cut, and like I said one can turn down the long shank and get way more cut, I have done it in the past with them. I had one for last few years, and like it.
He asked me to help sell them as he knew I used one myself. ANd he is depressed and does not want to bother with sales.

Also: I do have some skinny gun drills that I will sell for hollowing out the end of shafts to make low deflection shafts oneself. They are 0.236 diameter by 9 inch cut, and a 20mm mounting shank diameter, but again plenty beefy to cut down some to a US sized one. This drill is made by Drill Masters in CT. I will sell those for $36 each shipped.
And some larger 8.9mm X 14.5 inch cut, about 0.354 diameter. 25mm shank, and also plenty to cut down some and modify. These are made by Star SU. I am asking $38 for these.
Keep in mind, these are all gun drills. brand new in factory packaging.
The larger 18mm drills seem to have some interest, sold some already, I have maybe 20 to sell if I can do it before my friend sells out to a large tool reseller.
 
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Bump

Sold some, have more too sell. Nice drill for someone looking for a gun drill bargain. $65 shipped anywhere in the USA. PayPal accepted.
 
Bump again

Sold all I have on hand, but will brave this Blizzard we have here and drive into town and get more from my friend, so I can ship out a few more later today, and have some spares for my own self. Thank you to all that have sent me orders.
 
Bump Again, sold a bunch of 18mm's, found a few oddballs

I did find an unusual gun drill yesterday. It is 0.6102 inch diameter by 18 inch long cut. It looks like a regular twist drill, two flutes, not carbide, so easily sharpened by most of us on a grinder. Marked "George Whalley, Cleveland Ohio". Rear 1/4" pipe thread. Factory sharp, solid clean black oxide finish, and maybe new? I am asking $75 (shipped) for that one.
If anyone wants some smaller, larger, or odd size gun drills, message me and I will look for you. I found some odds and ends on my friends shelves. Most would have little use to a cue maker though. Shipping out some 18 mm bits tomorrow morning. I try to ship within a few hours of getting your paypal. Still have more 18mm drills to sell, all brand new.
 
Gun drills sold out, but may have more

I sold out for the second time, but plan to restock tomorrow morning. SO message me if you are interested in a great deal on an 18mm gun drill. Brand new and factory packed. I take orders first come first serve and these will not last too much longer. Thank you to all that have placed an order. All have been shipped out.
 
News on Gun drills

I was asked by some purchasers if they can cut down the 25mm shank. The answer is yes, but do so with the following information:

I experimented by cutting down the shank of one of these 18mm drills. There is plenty of metal to go down to 3/4 inch size. I cut a new shank right in front of the factory shank, and one can cut off the factory shank and retap for a pipe plug if so inclined. I do not recommend cutting the actual fluted drill to make a deeper cutting drill though. I found out that fact by destroying one gun drill, the fluted bit only extends into the shank area about 1.25 inches before it ends! I had cut down a similar bit from the same source years ago and was quite successful, but apparently there are some production differences. SO, in conclusion, yes, you can shorten these drills considerably and go down to a 0.750 shank or less even, BUT: leave alone the 3 inches behind the flute where it is brazed into the barrel of the shank. Make your cut after that safety area. The actual shank is solid steel tube with an approximately 0.340 hole running in the center for coolant passage, just leave alone the actual cutting drill, only modify the shank from 3 inches away from the end of the fluted drill body. Sorry for any confusion, I just wanted any destruction to be on my drill and not yours, so I spent my free time today experimenting.
 
Pictures of the 18mm bit

A customer wants to see one, so here it goes...
I am picking up more bits later this morning, and will ship today if I get the paypal. Like I said 18mm diameter by 13 in cut depth with a 25mm shank, but the shank can easily be cut down and made 3/4 or even smaller if you want to know how I can tell you. OH, it has two flutes and two cutting edges, maybe you can tell from the photo?
 

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Still have two left

Of the 18mm X 13 inch cut drills to sell. $65 shipped by priority USPS mail. I also still have the 0.6102 X 18 inch gun drill, and have one each of the following gun drills:

9mm X 12.7 inch 8.9mm X 14.5 inch 8mm X 6 inch 0.2362 X 9 inch
 
olsonsview said:
Of the 18mm X 13 inch cut drills to sell. $65 shipped by priority USPS mail. I also still have the 0.6102 X 18 inch gun drill, and have one each of the following gun drills:

9mm X 12.7 inch 8.9mm X 14.5 inch 8mm X 6 inch 0.2362 X 9 inch
Click to expand...

What is the price for the 9mm? So what is on the rear of the gundrill? What type of connection to plug the air from the compressor?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the message Alan

I know what you mean about massive, that 18mm gun drill is maybe overkill for wood, I understand it was for machining truck engine blocks. So it can core our wood forearms like a walk in the park!

In answer to a question I had posed to me about the 9 mm X 12.7 cut drills, we are asking $38 shipped on them and the 8.9 mm X 14.5 inch cut drills are also $38 shipped. I also have 8mm X 6 inch cut, and 0.2362in X 9in cut at $36 shipped each. Yes I combine shipping on multiple drill orders, just message me with your shipping address and needs for a price.
I have a couple 18mm X 13 inch cut drills still for sale, not sure if I can buy more. I can get 12mm X 9 inch cut if there is any need?

OK, the air supply. They have some odd thread, I never bothered to try and see what kind, I suspect metric. I was able to drive in a 1/8 inch pipe fitting into one. The threads are close they match the pipe thread for quite a few threads, and since there is no stress on it, there should be no problem. But some may want to redrill that hole and thread for the more common 1/4 pipe fitting. The shank a tough but machinable, I was able to tap one for 1/4 inch pipe by step drilling and going slow. That drill was made to fit a production machine, so a little odd, but easy to adapt to our use, and way well made.

Any more questions , feel free to ask.
 
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Drill Gun

olsonsview said:
I know what you mean about massive, that 18mm gun drill is maybe overkill for wood, I understand it was for machining truck engine blocks. So it can core our wood forearms like a walk in the park!

In answer to a question I had posed to me about the 9 mm X 12.7 cut drills, we are asking $38 shipped on them and the 8.9 mm X 14.5 inch cut drills are also $38 shipped. I also have 8mm X 6 inch cut, and 0.2362in X 9in cut at $36 shipped each. Yes I combine shipping on multiple drill orders, just message me with your shipping address and needs for a price.
I have a couple 18mm X 13 inch cut drills still for sale, not sure if I can buy more. I can get 12mm X 9 inch cut if there is any need?

OK, the air supply. They have some odd thread, I never bothered to try and see what kind, I suspect metric. I was able to drive in a 1/8 inch pipe fitting into one. The threads are close they match the pipe thread for quite a few threads, and since there is no stress on it, there should be no problem. But some may want to redrill that hole and thread for the more common 1/4 pipe fitting. The shank a tough but machinable, I was able to tap one for 1/4 inch pipe by step drilling and going slow. That drill was made to fit a production machine, so a little odd, but easy to adapt to our use, and way well made.

Any more questions , feel free to ask.
Click to expand...

Got mine in yesterday looks good, but does anyone have any pictures of what kind of post they are using. Thanks Gary
 
what kind of lathe are you using?

I use it in a boring bar holder, on my 12X38 inch JET lathe. I was able to get a 1 inch aloris clone boring bar holder some years ago to hold my 25mm shanks.

If you are using a Hightower Deluxe, you may have to make a holder to be able to mount to the carriage, no way do you want to use the tailstock, too slow and to little control over the cut. By using a carriage mount you can control your cut all the way into a forearm. ANd do it in one smooth cut without stopping.
I recommend a rectangular block of aluminum as large as the top of your carriage crosslide. Maybe 2X3.5x3high in inches? Tall enough to allow a 25 mm hole (or smaller if you cut down the shank) to be bored through it. First mount the block to the slide by drilling all four corners through the top so you can use four bolts the same diameter but longer than the single bolt that chris uses in his tool holder that he sells for the deluxe. You can chuck up on a center drill in the deluxe jaws to do the drilling into the block, and I recommend you tighten the gibs to lock the Y movement of the slide during this next step. Center drill your block of aluminum then you can remove your holder and use a milling machine or accurate drill press to cut the proper hole for the gun drill. Or you may use the step drilling method and work your way up using the cuesmith to do the work, that is tedious, and maybe a large drill bit will over stress the chuck on the cuesmith, so avoid that perhaps?
For someone with a mill, a ledge can be milled into the bottom of the block, or mill a runner to slightly fit into the T slots. this will act as a register to make sure your holder is aligned to the spindle axis of the lathe and you get on the centerline by using a center in the tailstock into the end of the drill bit with the air fitting. Makes it easy to align everything before you begin drilling, if you follow what I am saying. Saves tons of time when working.

Oh, I decided to try and tap the air inlet into the drill body, I used a 1/8BSP tap and lub'd it and ran it in about 2/3 of the way or so. Then I was able to screw a fitting in quite easily. Way harder to tap for a 1/4NPT, so I do not recommend that way at all. Like I said, the threads provided are very close to 1/8BSP, except they are straight and very slightly different pitch. We just need a half way decent seal for air to flow through. This drill came out very nice as I described it.
Also I want to repeat that you can cut the shank down to a smaller size, but leave the first 2 or 3 inches from the drill blade back towards the air inlet alone. And you can cut the overall drill shorter as well if you like, I cut the last inch off with a 0.10 thick 1/2 inch blade on my 12" metal lathe to try it out before I told you something incorrect. AT 80 rpm on my 12x36 lathe it cut like butter. I dissected a gun drill to find out all this for you guys. You could cut off the last 7 inches of the drill! BUT: do not break the braze that is about a little over an inch in from the cutting end towards the air inlet.
IF you are going to reduce the shank length and diameter, first chuck up then indicate against the polished shank that the manufacturer made, to hold the drill in tolerance!! Then maybe cut to length first, then cut the last couple inches of shank down to 3/4 or what works best for you, the air passage hole inside is about 11/32 diameter if that helps you? Then tap with the 1/8BSP tap.
I hope I did not confuse you guys worse with all this rambling, I just want to be of help, and prevent a failure.
 
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I cut one down to show you guys

I modified one of my 18mm drills to fit my chinese cloned aloris style boring bar holder in 3/4 inch size. I turned the gun drill down and cut it off to make a drill overall length 18 inches, with a 3/4 inch shank, and a 1/8 pipe thread air inlet.
If I were to make one of these for a hightower lathe I could make it 16 inches overall length and leave the shank as it comes from the factory, unless you want to be picky, and true it to the ground shank on the original tool. But that mod must be done on a larger metal lathe. But I believe that you can make the tool holder with the correct bore size for the drills unmachined shank just behind the blade, 24.5mm 0r 0.9645 inches. It should be very close to true. For the Hightower: cut the shank end down 3 inches behind the end of the drill blade, and tap the hole for your 1/8 pipe fitting, no need to drill that hole, it is already the right size ! Then make the toll holder I sketched out on an earlier message here.

I still have at least one to sell, and maybe I do not need to keep four for myself, so I can sell a few more!
 

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Bump to the top

I am shipping one out today, and at least one on Monday. I am selling four of mine, yeah I stashed some away for myself, just went a little overboard here! Actually way overboard.

I showed you guys how to modify the drill with a metal lathe, and told you what to look out for. I did not mention in enough detail how to use one. I am sure others here are way more knowledgeable than me, but this is one way:
I prefer to use 1 1/4 inch doweled wood about 14 or 15 in long. I drill, then use a boring bar to make a shallow 1-2 in hole in the end I wish to make my hole. That hole should just allow the gun drill nose to enter it completely. I line up my drill by inserting a live center in my tailstock then sliding it into the gun drill that is inserted into our bored hole. My live center nose should enter the air fitting end that sticks out of the gun drill. Yeah I make sure to cut a chamfer at 60 degrees and on the center line to the drill, do not trust that the air fitting is bored perfectly. Then adjust and tighten down my carriage and tool holder. Bore with the gun drill hooked up to an air supply to the hilt of the drill. You will be amazed at how fast the drilling is, It takes way longer to set up the drill and lathe than the actual work, so bore a bunch of them at once, Then cut off the undrilled tail end. Also glue them up with a dowel the same day if you want less problems with movement, though well seasoned wood is usually tame.
I have had some bad experiences drilling all the way through a forearm, had some beautiful figured wood blow out in that last fraction of an inch, so stopped doing it. I have been able to turn the stock around and drill/ bore from both ends, and if my system is zeroed in , it works fine. There are threads here on AZ that describe the dowel size and glue methods that are best to use.
 
The other option is to leave the blank longer than required, drill to almost the end but not through.Later trim the end away , exposing the drilled hole.
Preperation and planning is key to making almost anything.
 
olsonsview said:
I am shipping one out today, and at least one on Monday. I am selling four of mine, yeah I stashed some away for myself, just went a little overboard here! Actually way overboard.

I showed you guys how to modify the drill with a metal lathe, and told you what to look out for. I did not mention in enough detail how to use one. I am sure others here are way more knowledgeable than me, but this is one way:
I prefer to use 1 1/4 inch doweled wood about 14 or 15 in long. I drill, then use a boring bar to make a shallow 1-2 in hole in the end I wish to make my hole. That hole should just allow the gun drill nose to enter it completely. I line up my drill by inserting a live center in my tailstock then sliding it into the gun drill that is inserted into our bored hole. My live center nose should enter the air fitting end that sticks out of the gun drill. Yeah I make sure to cut a chamfer at 60 degrees and on the center line to the drill, do not trust that the air fitting is bored perfectly. Then adjust and tighten down my carriage and tool holder. Bore with the gun drill hooked up to an air supply to the hilt of the drill. You will be amazed at how fast the drilling is, It takes way longer to set up the drill and lathe than the actual work, so bore a bunch of them at once, Then cut off the undrilled tail end. Also glue them up with a dowel the same day if you want less problems with movement, though well seasoned wood is usually tame.
I have had some bad experiences drilling all the way through a forearm, had some beautiful figured wood blow out in that last fraction of an inch, so stopped doing it. I have been able to turn the stock around and drill/ bore from both ends, and if my system is zeroed in , it works fine. There are threads here on AZ that describe the dowel size and glue methods that are best to use.
Click to expand...

ok thanks for the help, gary
 
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