Drilling Snakewood

[TimD]

This is my first post and after looking back through some of the older posts I thought this might help someone. I use a homemade drilling jig that supports the wood on all 4 sides and have been able to drill 1/2" squares of snakewood. I first use a 1/8" drill bit to drill a pilot hole then change over to my 9/32" bradpoint bit. I use the lowest setting on my drill press and the main thing is to use the very lightest down pressurre possible to cut the wood. If it starts to build up too much friction and heat I'll just turn the drill press off and cut some blanks to length or something. Also drill only about 1/8 to 1/4" deep each stroke, bring the bit out of the wood and blow the chips away from the hole. It seems that the culprit is the bit grabbing and pulling in too deep so positive control of the press is a must. I cracked 2 out 24 before I realized that the bit's grabbing too deeply was what was splitting the wood. I'm also sure that bigger pieces would be a big plus.

[pops-shop]

Hey, Tim

First - how about a picture of your jig?
Also, what's "snake wood"?????? This inquiring mind wants to know? :confused:

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Fred it is an exotic wood that is pretty dense. http://www.exotic-wood-snakewood.com/images/pool_cue_blank.jpg

Tim

Glad you have success with drilling. That is not easy to do in any wood drilling into end grain. I say this because a bit will wonder where it wants to go if it hits a grain line. No jig will help this but I am assuming your jig is one that will hold the piece straight upright and steady as you use your drill press on slow speed. Slow speed is a key because it is heat build up and the drillings clinging to the bit that make you want to push more thus pushing the bit off line. especially a small bit as 1/8" This is why you need to clear the bit and the hole every so often and you can usually tell by the smoke. You also need a drill press that does not have play in the quill and drill true. Some people like to drill pen blanks on their lathes because of greater accuracy if their drill presses are off alittle.

I do have to say that is some beautiful wood though. I assume you are using for pen blanks and would love to see a completed one.

[TimD]

I'm going to try to attach a picture of 2 snakewood pen barrels that I've turned this evening. Tomorrow I'll take a pic of the drilling jig that I made. I tried but it keeps saying that my pics are too big so got to play with the image a bit I guess.

[Woodbutcher68]

I made a magnifying glass handle out of snakewood and didn't have any problems. I used a 5/16 spur bit and drilled slowly while holding the blank by hand.

[TimD]

I had to make this with my webcam because my digital camera has too much resolution & image size for these attachments. Then if this thing will allow it I'll post one of a pen that was turned out of antler.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Very nice work and love the snakeskin. That does finish well. You did a fine job with the camera too.

[TimD]

thanks for the compliment. Pops now that I've figured out how to take the pics and resize them with a photo-editing program I'll get one tomorrow of the jig. It's made out of oak with rabbet joints, screwed and glued. I uploaded 3 ppictures with this one: 1. is 2 more snakewood barrels that I turned (owrking on 2 sets of pens & pencils for a customer) 2. This is a pen that I made with a thin inlay of zebrawood in between 2 wider outer bands of jatoba wood. 3. This is a pen of shedua wood that is finished out to 1500 grit with 4 coats of wax applied with a lot of pressure. For some reason I love shedua wood. Most of these pen blanks were drilled with the drill press table tilted a few degrees, I think that it sort of helps to open the grain up more that way.

[TimD]

[QUOTE=pops-shop]Hey, Tim

First - how about a picture of your jig? Here's 3 for you Pop. The first one shows a view a little further out. The 2nd one is a little closer up. The 3rd one shows it from one end. As you can see it's very simple and as it uses one sliding board that slides on the carriage head bolts. This pc. is tightened down to the blank with a couple of wing nuts riding on flat washers. The sliding board and the stationary back board each has an angle cut into it by tilting the tablesaw blade to 45 degs. With a 1/2" sq. blank when it's tightened down there's just a small gap between the two two boards. The barrel blank is fully enclosed and after drilling just loosen the wing nuts and then spin them backwards, slide the sliding piece out and blow the chips out from between the back & the sliding piece and it's ready for another one. If you'll notice in the photos I left about a 5/8" gap on the ends between the two boards for the chips to come out.
The two carriage head bolts are driven into the back of the back board and epoxied in as well so they won't work loose and go to spinning around. I've already drilled a few hundred blanks with this jig and have only lost 6 pcs. due to splitting. Three were snakewood before I figured out the correct feed rate and speed on the drill press. Total cost was about 2 bucks as the oak was given to me by a contractor from a job he had done. I would prefer a couple of plastic knobs that the 5/16" bolt would screw through instead of the wing nuts but haven't found any yet.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Tim nice work on the jig. It is similar to the one PSI sells. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/drillcent3.html[IMG]

[Woodbutcher68]

I use this one now. A little cheaper!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=30999