Trouble drilling holes in maple!

[redwine]

I am hoping that some one can solve  a problem for me about drilling holes in maple. I have tried every thing I can thank of to drill the holes without getting tear out on the reverse side. I have a pattern for a Christmas tree that has 3 different circles all around the tree and for ease it is quicker to drill the holes than to cut them with the saw. What I have been doing is not working  even though I put blue tape on the back, put the wood on to a flat backer board and use a slow speed on the drill press. I have used a higher speed but than I get the burning of the drill. What gets me is I do not have this trouble with any other hardwood or soft wood. What am I doing wrong?

Erv

[WayneMahler]

How thick is the wood and how big is the drill bit?

[orangeman]

I routinely drill holes in 3/4" cherry, soft maple, walnut, etc. I have found that using a sharp brad point drill bit works best.

[NC Scroller]

What Brian said. You need to use a brad point bit and a sharp one. Remember drill bits do get dull and wear out. Keep extras on hand.

[redwine]

The wood is 1/2 inch thick, the drills are I/8, 3/16 & 1/4 inch. The drill bits are brad point, not the best quality but fairly new, and the Dewalt  pilot point that are new.

Erv

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

My suggestions would be first to back the piece up with some flat scrap and make sure it is clamped tight to the top piece so that the drill keeps drilling like it was just another layer of wood. Next would be drill till the point starts to appear and then drill from the back side using the point as your starting point. finally do not push real hard when coming through. Lighten up and let the bit do the work. other than that that is all I have. Good luck.

[dgman]

One other thing that has not been mentioned is speed of the drill. There are drilling speed charts available online. One is on the Wood magazine web site. If you are not using a drill press, you will have to experiment with your hand drill.

[hawkeye10]

Try these brad point bits from Lee Valley. They are the best I have found and they aren't cheap but IMO aren't so costly that they are out of sight. I really take care of mine and I don't use them for everything like drilling through 2X4's.

 

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=42247&cat=1,180,42240

[RangerJay]

I'd 2nd the use of  a small pilot hole and then drilling the actual size hole you want from both sides using either brad point or forstner bits.

[ike]

Did you try peck drilling . that is drill  a shallow hole backing out to clear the wood chips On a 1/2  stock I would make about 3 pecks with the drill. i would use a good brad-point drill and don't go all the way thru . just far enough  so the point breaks thru, turn the board over and drill from the other side  where the point has broke thru. I am  I assume that you have a drill pres,  Other wise you will not have much control  of what you are doing. If not go to sears and buy one

.IKE

[WayneMahler]

Using sharp drill bits is key to clean holes as mentioned above. Also the rate you try to push the bit through the wood. If the bit isn't real sharp when it gets close to exiting you essentially just push the bit through with little or no cutting action. I have a drill doctor in my shop that has paid for itself many times over. May want to look into something to touch up your bits. 

[Rockytime]

How big are the holes?

[redwine]

Thanks for all of the great info about drilling through maple. Although the holes are small, as stated in the original text, 1/8", 3/16", 1/4" and I do have a drill press, and I do clear the chips out by the "pecking" method. Having learned that the hard way drilling the small entry holes in the patterned wood and having the hole at an angle into the where the next cut would be. The method of drilling just till the brad point peaks through will most likely solve my problem. At the moment I do not have any maple left to try this but will write this down for future reference. Although I have been scrolling for 11 years I am still learning what wood will and won't do!

Thanks every one!

Erv

[Lucky2]

This is an easy issue to solve, don't let the punch through bother you. Drill all of the holes at one time, then use a random orbital sander to sand the back flat again. This is what I started doing, and I've never had an issue since.

Len

[amazingkevin]

Loads of tips and tricks for the book

 

I am hoping that some one can solve  a problem for me about drilling holes in maple. I have tried every thing I can thank of to drill the holes without getting tear out on the reverse side. I have a pattern for a Christmas tree that has 3 different circles all around the tree and for ease it is quicker to drill the holes than to cut them with the saw. What I have been doing is not working  even though I put blue tape on the back, put the wood on to a flat backer board and use a slow speed on the drill press. I have used a higher speed but than I get the burning of the drill. What gets me is I do not have this trouble with any other hardwood or soft wood. What am I doing wrong?

Erv

 

 

How thick is the wood and how big is the drill bit?

 

 

I routinely drill holes in 3/4" cherry, soft maple, walnut, etc. I have found that using a sharp brad point drill bit works best.

 

 

What Brian said. You need to use a brad point bit and a sharp one. Remember drill bits do get dull and wear out. Keep extras on hand.

 

 

The wood is 1/2 inch thick, the drills are I/8, 3/16 & 1/4 inch. The drill bits are brad point, not the best quality but fairly new, and the Dewalt  pilot point that are new.

Erv

 

 

My suggestions would be first to back the piece up with some flat scrap and make sure it is clamped tight to the top piece so that the drill keeps drilling like it was just another layer of wood. Next would be drill till the point starts to appear and then drill from the back side using the point as your starting point. finally do not push real hard when coming through. Lighten up and let the bit do the work. other than that that is all I have. Good luck.

 

 

One other thing that has not been mentioned is speed of the drill. There are drilling speed charts available online. One is on the Wood magazine web site. If you are not using a drill press, you will have to experiment with your hand drill.

 

 

Try these brad point bits from Lee Valley. They are the best I have found and they aren't cheap but IMO aren't so costly that they are out of sight. I really take care of mine and I don't use them for everything like drilling through 2X4's.

 

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=42247&cat=1,180,42240

 

 

I'd 2nd the use of  a small pilot hole and then drilling the actual size hole you want from both sides using either brad point or forstner bits.

 

 

Did you try peck drilling . that is drill  a shallow hole backing out to clear the wood chips On a 1/2  stock I would make about 3 pecks with the drill. i would use a good brad-point drill and don't go all the way thru . just far enough  so the point breaks thru, turn the board over and drill from the other side  where the point has broke thru. I am  I assume that you have a drill pres,  Other wise you will not have much control  of what you are doing. If not go to sears and buy one

.IKE

 

 

Using sharp drill bits is key to clean holes as mentioned above. Also the rate you try to push the bit through the wood. If the bit isn't real sharp when it gets close to exiting you essentially just push the bit through with little or no cutting action. I have a drill doctor in my shop that has paid for itself many times over. May want to look into something to touch up your bits. 

 

 

How big are the holes?

 

 

Thanks for all of the great info about drilling through maple. Although the holes are small, as stated in the original text, 1/8", 3/16", 1/4" and I do have a drill press, and I do clear the chips out by the "pecking" method. Having learned that the hard way drilling the small entry holes in the patterned wood and having the hole at an angle into the where the next cut would be. The method of drilling just till the brad point peaks through will most likely solve my problem. At the moment I do not have any maple left to try this but will write this down for future reference. Although I have been scrolling for 11 years I am still learning what wood will and won't do!

Thanks every one!

Erv

 

 

This is an easy issue to solve, don't let the punch through bother you. Drill all of the holes at one time, then use a random orbital sander to sand the back flat again. This is what I started doing, and I've never had an issue since.

Len