Drilling pen blanks square

[spannermonkey]

Since starting wood turning in Dec last year I decided to have a go at pens. I have a bench drill press with a 7mm bit and centred the wood and drilled down but when I looked underneath it was out a fair bit actually, so what did I do wrong, was the drill table out of square?

 

[nev]

Since starting wood turning in Dec last year I decided to have a go at pens. I have a bench drill press with a 7mm bit and centred the wood and drilled down but when I looked underneath it was out a fair bit actually, so what did I do wrong, was the drill table out of square?

....or the end of the blank not square? and i've also found there is a surprisng amount of flex in my (er 'inexpensive' ) drill bits. I've given up trying to drill accurately til i can get some decent bits

 

[CHJ]

....was the drill table out of square?

No way can we see and answer that for you but you should be able to check it out.
Is your table adjustable for angle drilling? Whether it is or not just sets the possibility odds.
Place an engineers set square, or a reasonable quality wood square on the table and check the angle against a piece of drill rod or similar held in the chuck, advance the drill quill downwards and check it is still square to the table.
Check from the side and from the back or front as well.

 

[myturn]

Drilling along the grain if the bit is not really sharp it can wander as it follows the grain.

Also, make sure you drill a short amount then bring the drill up to clear the bit, do this repeatedly and have the drill on a slow speed.

How were you holding the blank, can you be sure that the top and bottom were perfectly in-line? And that the table was at exactly 90° to the drill?

Any long 7mm bit (pen-blank bits are often longer than the usual ones) will have some flex in it if it gets sideways pressure.

 

[Shane]

A lip and spur bit may work better than a regalur bit