Good practice???

[woody67]

Evening all - just thought I'd bend a few ears as to my "practice" in relation to tea-light holders.
I've turned a few, but as I haven't yet got a chuck, I've resorted to drilling the hole for the tea-light with a 38mm spadebit with varying success; mainly because I find it hard to hold the finished piece well enough to drill using my pillar drill. So, would you advocate drilling the square stock first (as it's easier to hold) and then put the stock in position with the tail stock centred in the pre-drilled hole??
Hope this makes sense, as I can't see any other easier way!

Thanks

Mark :roll:

 

[Bodrighy]

How are you hloding the wood on the lathe? If it is with the faceplate you can easily shape thehole with a gouge. I mark of the diameter of the hole with the wood spinning and then cut to that diameter with either a gouge or a scraper. This way you know that you hole is going to be smack in themiddle of the wood as you turn.
Hope this makes sense and helps

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Mark... you could always mount a 39mm forstner bit in the tailstock and 'drill' the hole whilst the piece is mounted on the lathe... use the slowest speed available!

Alternatively you could form the recess with your gouge/bedan