Drilling along length of wood

[mrcharly]

I'd like to try making some wooden flutes - I've made one before from plumbing pipe, but aesthetically it isn't great.

What is the best sort of drillbit for drilling along the length of the wood? A standard, but overlong, auger bit?

 

[Teepee]

An extended spade bit will do it;

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Accessories/Pages/BoschAccessoryDetail.aspx?pid=1692

They don't wander much if you use a good bit. You can use a standard length spade bit and extend with hex drives but the drill bit will wander with the movement in the joints.

For a really top notch finish to the hole, finish with a suitably sized reamer.

 

[Dave Budd]

have a look in woodturning suppliers for spoon/shell bits, they are used to drill the hole up lamps for the power cable I know a chap who makes native american flutes and he just saws the wood in two and carves a groove down the middle; I suspect he reams the bore smooth after re-gluing

 

[mrcharly]

That's an idea, Dave. Would make it easier to do a tapered bore as well. The glue would need to cope with significant amount of moisture though.

Accuracy would be really important. Needs a wall thickness of sub-3mm to be decent. I was thinking of drilling the hole then reducing the outside carefully with knife and sandpaper.

 

[IanM]

I have had success burning it through with a red hot rod.

 

[dwardo]

Can you not find a suitable bit of elder with the right specs? Then its just a pith.

 

[keen-edge]

have a look in woodturning suppliers for spoon/shell bits, they are used to drill the hole up lamps for the power cable I know a chap who makes native american flutes and he just saws the wood in two and carves a groove down the middle; I suspect he reams the bore smooth after re-gluing

if you have a router you could get one of these to groove the two half's of wood ATB Phil. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sharp-Mou...t=UK_Home_Power_Air_Tools&hash=item51ae013062

 

[British Red]

Can you not find a suitable bit of elder with the right specs? Then its just a pith.

That's what I was thinking - I've reamed out long lengths of elder with a piece of threaded bar - no idea if its a suitable wood though?


6. Elder tube by British Red, on Flickr

 

[Gary Elson]

Hi
Sounds like you need a wood turner or access to a lathe
Dave's right you can then drill using a spoon bit and create a one piece flute or put a nice finish on two piece design also it's much easier to turn the external diameter down to 3mm wall thickness than to try and bore out the internal diameter
Like to see the finished item

 

[yarrow]

Twist together two or three strands of stiff-ish garden wire and put it in an electric drill, start a small pilot hole and drill slow feeding in the wire. You can drill long pipe stems like this no problem, once you start the pilot hole it goes really smoothly.

 

[mrcharly]

No access to lathe, router or wood turner.

The spoon bits I've found online are a bit short - I'd need 300mm or more.

Will have a got at splitting, hollowing and gluing. Got plenty of hazel rods from a friends so will see how those work out.

 

[JJJ]

You need a nose auger/bit sometimes called a shell auger/bit, but they are actually different bits. A nose auger is the only bit not to wander especially for the purpose you have in mind. There is a type of spoon auger that might work but you would not be able to buy one now days. It would be only have one cutting edge. Wood turners still use a nose auger/ bit and are available. All wood turning books etc explain how to bore with one through the tail stock although there is still confusion between a names. Toolpost sell one as a shell auger but I have not seen one. ( will buy one now I have just found it on google looking for nose auger.) A shell auger/bit is the easiest drill to make. I remember seeing an article on the net somewhere I will try and find it for you although the bloke actually makes a shell auger/bit. I have friends who make flutes commercially but they cut the wood in two , router it then glue it back together. I am lucky enough to have research grants to study drills. I can make one if you get desperate but as I said it's not hard to make either a shell auger/bit by filing or a nose auger/bit by filing then forging Good luck.

 

[Nonsuch]

How about Bamboo?

 

[mrcharly]

Thanks, JJ.

any chance of a photo of one of these 'nose augers'?

 

[tombear]

How about a flute makers gimlet?

http://www.fine-tools.com/bohr2.htm at the bottom theres a really long one.

ATB

Tom

 

[ozzy1977]

A lathe and shell auger would be my preference. Might be worth looking for a wood turning club, someone will have the tools.

 

[mrcharly]

How about a flute makers gimlet?

http://www.fine-tools.com/bohr2.htm at the bottom theres a really long one.

ATB

Tom

Oh that's fascinating. I've never seen a bit shaped like that.

The only ones they have left are too small, unfortunately. I need about 20mm diameter.

 

[bert333]

sounds like you need one of those- 23mm at the business end
Bought from.... someone in this parish

 

[georann]

Also may be worth drilling the hole in a thicker piece of material and then reducing the exterior diameter to reduce the chance of splitting whilst drilling.