Drill bit blank

I know that a lot of people on here have seen the o'brien guitars tip du jour on making a drill press router. Has anybody here tried it? Also, he uses drill bit blank stock for the router. Does anybody know of a good source for this? I was hoping I could find some different sizes and lengths than what's in my normal bit set. Any help would be great!

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  • You can get drill rod at Fastenall, I buy them to forge knives out of them they are 01 steel.
    I have one of those vises but it is not really flat on the bottom, other than that it works well for the price.
    You can make a lot out of one rod and send them to your friends
    Cheers Ron.
    http://www.fastenal.com/web/locations.ex
    http://www.fastenal.com/web/products.ex?N=0&Ntk=Search+All&...
  • This is what I used for years to make a drill press into a milling machine. Harbor Freight sells them for about $40.00 for the 4 inch model.:)

    Dave Onastik said:
    Great idea!


    Bob Harrison said:
    All,

    I tried the drill bit as a router bit for the truss rod slot. First I drilled a lot of holes to full depth, then routed the holes into a slot. This worked very well. Thanks for the good tip:)

    Bob


    Dave Onastik said:
    Good to know Doug. Thanks. I have a small Sears Tabletop router that would work for a truss channel, but the idea of cutting the channel with the neck face down where I can't see what's happening makes me nervous.


    Doug Thorsvik said:
    I use the technique to cut the slots in my poplar necks to accept a 1/2" x 1/8" steel bar and it works pretty good. I just grind down the other side of a normal 9/64" drill bit (smaller bits broke on me). I had to build a special jig to raise the table small amounts on my old drill press.
  • Great idea!
    Bob Harrison said:
    All,

    I tried the drill bit as a router bit for the truss rod slot. First I drilled a lot of holes to full depth, then routed the holes into a slot. This worked very well. Thanks for the good tip:)

    Bob


    Dave Onastik said:
    Good to know Doug. Thanks. I have a small Sears Tabletop router that would work for a truss channel, but the idea of cutting the channel with the neck face down where I can't see what's happening makes me nervous.


    Doug Thorsvik said:
    I use the technique to cut the slots in my poplar necks to accept a 1/2" x 1/8" steel bar and it works pretty good. I just grind down the other side of a normal 9/64" drill bit (smaller bits broke on me). I had to build a special jig to raise the table small amounts on my old drill press.
  • All, I tried the drill bit as a router bit for the truss rod slot. First I drilled a lot of holes to full depth, then routed the holes into a slot. This worked very well. Thanks for the good tip:) Bob

    Dave Onastik said:
    Good to know Doug. Thanks. I have a small Sears Tabletop router that would work for a truss channel, but the idea of cutting the channel with the neck face down where I can't see what's happening makes me nervous.


    Doug Thorsvik said:
    I use the technique to cut the slots in my poplar necks to accept a 1/2" x 1/8" steel bar and it works pretty good. I just grind down the other side of a normal 9/64" drill bit (smaller bits broke on me). I had to build a special jig to raise the table small amounts on my old drill press.
  • Doug,
    I like the idea of useing the dril bit to cut a slot in your neck. This method is much safer than useing a router bit. Unrestrained Router bits in a drillpress is a far differant animal than a drill bit used as a side cutting tool in this applacation. Drill bits can flex and this aids in not grabbing the wood, but drill bits can break easer than a router bit. Wear your safty glasses all :)
    Bob
    Doug Thorsvik said:
    I use the technique to cut the slots in my poplar necks to accept a 1/2" x 1/8" steel bar and it works pretty good. I just grind down the other side of a normal 9/64" drill bit (smaller bits broke on me). I had to build a special jig to raise the table small amounts on my old drill press.
  • Good to know Doug. Thanks. I have a small Sears Tabletop router that would work for a truss channel, but the idea of cutting the channel with the neck face down where I can't see what's happening makes me nervous.

    Doug Thorsvik said:
    I use the technique to cut the slots in my poplar necks to accept a 1/2" x 1/8" steel bar and it works pretty good. I just grind down the other side of a normal 9/64" drill bit (smaller bits broke on me). I had to build a special jig to raise the table small amounts on my old drill press.
  • Bob Harrison said:
    Matt,
    Sears use to sell a fly or plainer cutter to be used in a drill press.This cutter could make 3 inch wide cuts at one pass. I agree light cuts work the best in a milling machine or drill press. Push sticks could also help:)Bpb





    I don't think Sears still sells them, but there is a thing called a Saf-T-Planer ( I think) and that's what it is ... a flycutter of sorts for wood. I think the call it a thicknesser or sumpthin.

    Hard to find and more than I wanted to pay.

    Matt
  • I use the technique to cut the slots in my poplar necks to accept a 1/2" x 1/8" steel bar and it works pretty good. I just grind down the other side of a normal 9/64" drill bit (smaller bits broke on me). I had to build a special jig to raise the table small amounts on my old drill press.
  • How would this method work for cutting a channel out of a neck for a truss rod?
    • I think it could work pretty well as long as you have a template to go by. Just make sure you dump the woodchips regularly.

      Dave Onastik said:
      How would this method work for cutting a channel out of a neck for a truss rod?
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