Stefan Trethan wrote:
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>Put a rod or drill in the chuck and line it up visually with a right angle
>set at the table. That's very precise if you look against a light. You
>need to do it from at least two angles of course.
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I find right angles a bit imprecise, and even if you get this perfect,
it doesn't tell you for sure if the travel is perfect or not without
moving the bits.
I load a #78 or #80 drill bit put my 1/64th" ruler behind it, and get
it so the tip is just in front of the ruler, and visually touching the
edge of a line, at the upper edge of the ruler. I then advance the bit
until the shank end of the fluted area is at the edge of the ruler, and
check that it is also just barely touching the edge of the same line
visually. This way, you know for sure that the travel goes through the
same point and the motion is aligned properly, and can get it to a
fraction of a line on the ruler. Check again 90 degrees off, and the
drilling will be exactly square to the table, or at least 98%. The only
way I have found to make the other 2% is to then drill with one of those
very fine bits. As it goes through the board and advances more, any
remaining off travel will make the bit bow out in an arc, and you can
adjust alignment in very tiny increments and minimize this. Then you're
aligned. I haven't found anything that's accurate enough to tell me
whether the bits will bow out before drilling some holes, it's the only
thing to check the final alignment that is an accurate indicator for the
last little bit.. Note that this is with the very fine #78 and #81 bits
I have. Larger bits won't even begin to visually bow at these small
angles, they'll just break more often because you're putting additional
stress on them that you can't see, and will blame on other things.
Large bits aren't an accurate indicator of their own alignment, they
simply will not flex enough to tell what's going on. Only the tiniest
bits will let you really align a system well. For sure, if you align
with a bigger bit, then chuck up a very fine bit, you'll get a severe
bow in that little bit when you drill some holes, that'll be a great
indicator of just how poor that first alignment was.
But, I do have plans to focus one of my webcams in very close, put it
right next to the bit, and move up and down. 640 pixels from 1/4" away
and move the bit up and down should detect if there is any off angle a
little better than using a normal visual method, should get it very
close to perfect on one pass.
>For holding the spindle, if you have no good straight section use v-clamps
>or something on two points, one near the business end and one somewhere
>above. That ought to be dead stable then.
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I took mine apart, found 'roomy' areas and drilled holes through the
case, used I think 8-32 nylon screws out through the case, and screwed
on nuts. That gives a secure threaded portion coming out from the
drill, easy to hook things to it from there with another nut or two.
Only use nylon inside of course, so you don't have problems with the AC..
>I haven't found a quiet drill yet, the brushes seem to make much of it.
>Better quality grinders make less noise, but still not as little as a
>brushless motor.
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Brushes make a lot, and I think the little fan and bearing noise is
most of the rest. The Walmart off brand Handi tool I got for $18.88 is
by far the quietest stock tool I've ever seen, still up there but
noticably less than my Dremels, and overall seems to have less play.
And of course brushless would be 10 times better, I have some large
fans just for it but it's low on the totem pole..
Alan