what is the simplest and most accurate method you can use when drilling a hole in a solid cork or eva ring, or a poker chip, to ensure putting the hole in the center of the ring so you can mount it on a mandrel? i don't own a lathe, only a small drill press.

thanks
john

use the drill press....draw a cross measure the diameter twice making a cross and drill in the middle of the cross

You make your own vertical lathe with your drill press per the article in RodMaker Volume 6 #1. Or make a cork boring jig per the article in Volume 1 #5.

There are probably photos the cork boring jig on the photo page under my name or Andy Dear's.

The trouble with trying to bore a cork ring in anything other than a centering jig or lathe, is that it's almost impossible to get the object lined up perfectly centered. But you can try this: Put the same size drill bit in the lathe chuck that is in the cork ring now. Stick the ring on drill bit. Lower and lock the quill so that the ring is on the press table. No take a couple pieces of wood and set them against the ring and against each other at 90 degrees. Clamp them in place there. Now release the quill, remove the ring, and put in the larger drill bit that you plan to use. To use the "jig" you just made, you just push each ring into the corner formed by the two pieces and drill away.

Remember that when you turn the cylinder, you can easily turn the cork concentric if you'll make a cutting pass on the cork with a round nose scraper. Of course, if you just plan on sanding it, then getting the rings centered as you mount on the mandrel or rod first, is a good idea.

.........................

I built this tool at very little cost. All you need is a left hand drill bit, some scraps of wood, some bolts with wing nuts, and a couple compression springs ( about $1 per two springs at the hardware store)

It's simple and easy to adjust

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Howdy John,

Mike, that's a pretty cool device you've made there. I see it serves the purpose very well. Although John mentioned he didn't have a lathe, it could be re-engineered to work on a drill press.

John, let me make this one suggestion since you don't have a lathe, and this is for the poker chips not cork rings, Toms is a very good suggestion for that. Get yourself (or make) a couple of Jon Timberlakes cork checker clamps. There just a 1 in long section of 1 1/2" PVC with a 1/4" slot cut out of them with a hose clamp around them. When you cut the pipe make sure at least 1 side is perfectly straight and flat. You can the put a stack of poker chips in there and drill them all at once. Make sure you mark the top one as Jon Edwards states above, (too many Jon, Johns on this forum.. LOL) and make sure you have put the checkers in on a flat surface before you tighten the clamp.

OK, I lied, 2 suggestions. If your in this for the long haul, it would pay you to get a Midi Lathe. It would make lots of things a WHOLE lot easier. JMO

Bill in WV

I don't mean to be simplistic, but I'm going to suggest something we do a lot of the time, especially when we're working with exotic wood rings we cut out on the drill press:

We use a store-bought zinc washer. We have these in just about every size available above 1/2" dia. These come with a centered hole already cut into them. The holes are of varying sizes (diameters). We lay the washer over the ring of wood or cork, using a washer that's as close to the diameter of the workpiece as we can get; then we mark the center of the central hole by using a drill bit or something pointed through the center hole.

Takes a lot more to tell than to do.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

when you get those washers make sure the hole is centered....ive gotten some that are off center although it doesnt happen that often it does happen and you should check just to be sure

I use Flexcoat pilot bits. Takes about 3 seconds per ring!! They have a 1/4" pilot on a spade bit. Quarter inch hole in a cork ring + 1/4 pilot on the bit equals perfectly centered holes with no measuring or anything else. No brainer. Been doing it ever since theu came out with the pilot bits.

I think sometimes we tend to make things way to complicated.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2007 10:59PM by Mike Barkley.

You're right Mike. I was thinking of my rod lathe as a rod wrapper. I have a mini lathe that I consider my lathe. My mix up. Sorry.

as expected, great ideas all. i'm just starting, obviously, and it seems building wrappers, dryers, jigs, clamps, supports, etc. and reading back issues of rm has taken over from the original purpose of this endeavor which was to build a few rods. making things too complicated ? that, i am certainly guilty of...lol. this forum and those of you that contribute here along with rm magazine are invaluable resources and i appreciate everyone who is willing to share. i liken it to walking into a candy store and your first instinct is to try one of everything you see. i guess i need to just sit down and build a basic rod and see what i end up with.

thanks guys
john

...now if i can just figure out which type guides to use...lol

i have found that in rodbuilding you can never have too many tools. everytime you think you have everything you need you see something or think of something and need that too haha

rod building is great and it keeps your time occupied so you dont get stupid(my friend used to do a lot drugs and now he builds rods in his free time and he is no longer on the drugs..all his time now is devoted to working, fishing and rod building)

Hey John, it sounds like you finally decided on some guides - eh? LOL

/Scott

I built and use the cork drilling jig that Tom referred to in his post. Frankly, I just set it up by eye. I usually have to enlarge the holes with a reamer after they are drilled. During this reaming step I try to correct for any obvious off center drilling I may have done. It usually comes out pretty well, meaning there is probably less than 1/16" offset between any two adjacent rings. Thats good enough for my purposes.