Pillar Drill snatching wood.

[Toecutter]

Hi.

When I'm drilling voids for screws in a small cabinet project, the drill sometimes grabs the wood (Oak) hitting me in the side of the hand (ouch!) and ruining the piece (Oak). I ploughs straight through the wood. I have already made a pilot hole and using a 10mm HSS drill bit to drill 4 or 5mm's into it.

Happens also with brand new bit. Drill is on mid speed and pushing down slowly.

Any tips on avoiding this? Doesn't seem to do it on pine or plywood.


Thanks in advance.

 

[MARK.B.]

Oak is a lot harder than pine, if your pilot hole is 10mm then what size bit are you trying to put through ? . Use quality drill bits and clamp your work piece to avoid it being snatched by the bit.

 

[Toecutter]

Oak is a lot harder than pine, if your pilot hole is 10mm then what size bit are you trying to put through ? . Use quality drill bits and clamp your work piece to avoid it being snatched by the bit.

3mm pilot hole, then 10mm to hide brass screw.

Is it worth trying a Cobalt bit over the HSS?

 

[AndyT]

A brad point bit would be a lot better than an ordinary 'jobber' bit, designed for metal.

 

[AJB Temple]

Are using a pillar drill or hand held power drill?
Don't run the drill too fast. Most people seem to.
Consider also using a hand drill (ie mechanical) for fine work if you find snatching.
Clamp your work.
Use sharp bits.

 

[oakmitre]

The greater the surface area of the drill bit in contact with the wood, the greater the frictional force.

With the drill press OFF. Wipe a very small amount of baby oil on the flutes of the drill ( alternatively you can use wax or soap ). then try again.

Do not do this with the drill running as it can 1. catch the cloth/paper towel and pull your fingers in. 2. Throw or splash any lubricant onto the surface of the wood affecting finishing.

 

[CHJ]

Try using a Centre Spur Wood Drill Bit.
If using conventional twist drill take very sharp cutting edge off (blunt it)
If using a pillar drill set depth stop & clamp wood to drill table.
Temporarily tighten up the quill friction to prevent the drill pulling the quill down so easily.

 

[Toecutter]

Thank you for suggestions.

I wish the Pillar drill had a clutch. Maybe loosening the belt slightly would allow the snatching to be caught.

 

[wallace]

instead of using a drill bit try a counter sinker bit

 

[Lons]

Thank you for suggestions.

I wish the Pillar drill had a clutch. Maybe loosening the belt slightly would allow the snatching to be caught.

You don't need a clutch just as already said, sharp bits and a proper technique and if you're not happy holding the wood then clamp it to the table. I can't remember ever having a snatch in oak or any other hardwood, now thin metal is a different story!

Is there no-one near you who can show you what you're doing wrong, have you looked for youtube videos? It really isn't rocket science just practice and common sense.

Bob

Edit

It's already been asked - are you using a pillwr drill or hand drill? If by hand then clamp the wood down and fir a depth stop to the drill bit if you can't control it. You can make s stop very easily. If it's a cordless drill then you have the clutch you wished for, just drill on the screw setting.

 

[bugbear]

Hi.

When I'm drilling voids for screws in a small cabinet project, the drill sometimes grabs the wood (Oak) hitting me in the side of the hand (ouch!) and ruining the piece (Oak).

How is the wood fixed?

BugBear

 

[paulrockliffe]

The snatching occurs because there is variation in the hardness of the oak and you don't have anything keeping the bit centred on the pilot other than the taper of the drill bit. You either have to stop the bit being able to move in relation to the wood or stop the wood being able to move in relation to the machine.

The easiest solution is to use a pilot bit with built in countersink, by the time the counter sink gets to the wood the pilot bit is 2-3" into the wood and should stop the wood moving in relation to the drill. Although these bits have the pilot built in, you may find, especially on a hardwood, that you're better off using a different pilot bit to cut the pilot hole as they tend to be very shallow fluted and designed more for site joinery and quickly hammering through pine.

 

[RogerP]

Clamp the work to the drill table and use a wood drilling bit at a slow speed.

 

[Tortion-Stephen]

As touched on above you can actually blunt off the edge slightly will stop it grabbing so aggressively. (in case the drill tip geometry is more suited to metalworking (jobber etc)

The spur drill above is the best choice for oak etc as it will score it's way in to hide the density differences

 

[Sgian Dubh]

An alternative solution to prevent snatching of the wood to the perfectly good clamping suggestion made by others would be to make a wooden false table with a back fence.

Fix the false table to the drill table (bolted or clamped) positioned in such a way that the fence, set behind the centre point of the drill towards the pillar, both controls the front to back entry point of the drill and supports an edge or the face of the wood being drilled. This counteracts any rotational force very effectively, but allows the target piece to move side to side to locate the required centre.

Additionally, if desired, you can clamp another piece of wood to the front of the target piece which provides additional resistance to rotational forces, although it's my experience this seldom required for common or garden drilling tasks.

All the above primarily relates to straight square edged wood being drilled, and variations of the above general principles are usually required for other shapes. Slainte.

 

[memzey]

^ this. Lots of people on these boards have done similar. Below is a pic of my attempt, complete with replaceable, dovetailed centre strip:

 

[Lons]

You really shouldn't have any problems with that set up Memzey. Once the wood is clamped down, set the depth stop to the depth you want and it can't move or go too deep.
it's difficult to see how you're doing it wrong tbh :?

I almost never clamp down the timber, just hold it in position and I can't remember the last time I got a snatch with anything.
Bob

 

[memzey]

Hey Bob. You're right in that I don't have those problems. I was just responding to Richard's post immediately before my own with my version of the drill table. I think the opening poster is the only one that has responded so far in this thread with the snatching problem. I also rarely clamp the wood down by the way. I normally just brace it against the fence with my left hand. It may help that my drill press is a heavy and sturdy Fobco Star which may add some all round stability to matters as well.

 

[Lons]

Hey Bob. You're right in that I don't have those problems. I was just responding to Richard's post immediately before my own with my version of the drill table. I think the opening poster is the only one that has responded so far in this thread with the snatching problem. I also rarely clamp the wood down by the way. I normally just brace it against the fence with my left hand. It may help that my drill press is a heavy and sturdy Fobco Star which may add some all round stability to matters as well.

Ah sorry about that, should learn to read properly Only excuse is that I've been out for a meal and a few drinks :lol:

A decent drill press does make a real difference though, mine is a Meddings and heavy as hell.

 

[memzey]

ccasion5: