I just bought an older pro shop drill press for my garage. Drilling ovals is the one thing I wasn't sure how to do on an old press... and now I know. Thanks!
JR - Awesome video, i personally have 3/8 of lateral pitch, no forward or reverse... I have been waiting to figure out how to drill ovals for a long time and this makes it very simple - I have it a go last night on a old practice ball and it feels great!!
That's awesome! Made it look simple. My question is why after all these years of standard thumb drilling why didn't someone think about this decades ago?
I use a jig bowling ball with a 2" deep hole at 0 pitches. I then have a 1/8" hole at a 45 degree intersecting the main hole. I tap a finish nail in to hold the slug in place. Then I drill first hole in slug, move table and drill second hole, making an oval. I remove the finish nail, then slug from jig ball. I then put drilled slug in ball or interchangeable sleeve at proper angle.
Someone else mentioned the round rasp. I use a mandrel with a sandpaper barrel in a drill motor. Not as accurate perhaps, but I get the oval I want in very gradual increments to the feel I want. I don't have a rig that can lock down the ball as solidly as most "bowling" drilling rigs.
Loving the reviews and the informative tips and tricks you pass on. Something I struggle with though is when is the right time to change balls during a a league night or a tournament.
I have a weird question. When you are adjusting your pitches, are you adjusting off your 45-degree thumb line or the line from between fingers to the thumb hole? I've seen every pro shop go off the center line instead of the adjusted thumb angle, and that seems wrong to me. By not going off of the thumb angle, the pitches would be cut in half the distance.
How does one go about getting experience drilling bowling balls? Are there some sort of classes I could take or could I get experience with one working at a bowling alley? I've always wanted to learn how to drill and drill my own equipment.
Drill pilot hole with your pitches, on the reference centerline. Mark oval angle through the center of the thumbhole. Draw a new centerline perpendicular to the oval angle through the center of the thumbhole. Measure the pitches on the new centerline and oval angle. (they will be different than your sheet) Set the press to those pitches. Place ball in jig using the new centerline, and center the pilot bit so it passes freely. Drill the oval moving only the x-axis in .025 increments.
@@jasonstender3102 I don't know how to check that kind of stuff and neither of the proshops within driving distance can help. I've already had the thumb moved on it once because he measured again after I showed him thumb and figured out that my span was a 1/4 inch too short.
I have a press that uses #2 taper bits that are very steep at the end of the bit. Every time I try to cut a small amount for an oval, the bit walks back in to the center of the hole, leaving a groove that then makes it impossible to drill down in to. Any advice on how to make that stop? Everything is locked down as tight as I can get it.
Yeah. This is not the correct way to mill an oval. The process is relief cut into the bottom right side of the thumb for a right handed bowler at whatever degree oval they happen to be ( vast majority are 45 degree). Also the cuts need to be in three series .021 at a time to not create too much ridge and risk the bit jumping. I was trained on this at Jayhawk in Lawrence Kansas by the great Russ Wilson.
I just bought an older pro shop drill press for my garage. Drilling ovals is the one thing I wasn't sure how to do on an old press... and now I know. Thanks!
Well done JR. And if you aren't 0-0 you can just use pitch gages to find the pitches on the oval line
JR - Awesome video, i personally have 3/8 of lateral pitch, no forward or reverse... I have been waiting to figure out how to drill ovals for a long time and this makes it very simple - I have it a go last night on a old practice ball and it feels great!!
That's awesome! Made it look simple. My question is why after all these years of standard thumb drilling why didn't someone think about this decades ago?
Seriously as the other person mentioned u r on fire with these videos awesome work!
I use a jig bowling ball with a 2" deep hole at 0 pitches. I then have a 1/8" hole at a 45 degree intersecting the main hole. I tap a finish nail in to hold the slug in place. Then I drill first hole in slug, move table and drill second hole, making an oval. I remove the finish nail, then slug from jig ball. I then put drilled slug in ball or interchangeable sleeve at proper angle.
Thanks for the great videos!
Good info. Just acquired a older press!!
Someone else mentioned the round rasp. I use a mandrel with a sandpaper barrel in a drill motor. Not as accurate perhaps, but I get the oval I want in very gradual increments to the feel I want. I don't have a rig that can lock down the ball as solidly as most "bowling" drilling rigs.
This is how we do it in the pro shop I work in. Pretty accurate.
Thank you sir! I'm going to try this. I've been using a sanding tool or half round rasp to oval.
Loving the reviews and the informative tips and tricks you pass on. Something I struggle with though is when is the right time to change balls during a a league night or a tournament.
Thanks. Good video
Right on JR.
Great video! Love the channel!
That looks like a Jayhawk jig and great heavy press. You can upgrade to digital easy
Theres digitals on that press, he just wasnt using them in this demo.
I have a weird question. When you are adjusting your pitches, are you adjusting off your 45-degree thumb line or the line from between fingers to the thumb hole? I've seen every pro shop go off the center line instead of the adjusted thumb angle, and that seems wrong to me. By not going off of the thumb angle, the pitches would be cut in half the distance.
I just change the coordinates on the table
How does one go about getting experience drilling bowling balls?
Are there some sort of classes I could take or could I get experience with one working at a bowling alley?
I've always wanted to learn how to drill and drill my own equipment.
wouldn't you size down on the drill bit ?? if I use my size by the time I get the oval wouldnt my thumb swim in there
Did guy use pitch to do the oval cuts?
That's fine when your at zero but my pitch is 5/8'
S under it would be much more complicated I would think
Drill pilot hole with your pitches, on the reference centerline.
Mark oval angle through the center of the thumbhole.
Draw a new centerline perpendicular to the oval angle through the center of the thumbhole.
Measure the pitches on the new centerline and oval angle. (they will be different than your sheet)
Set the press to those pitches.
Place ball in jig using the new centerline, and center the pilot bit so it passes freely.
Drill the oval moving only the x-axis in .025 increments.
Would an oval thumb possibly help someone that gets bad calluses on their thumb near the joint of the palm?
i think thats more of a bevel issue / gripping the ball with said thumb but could be wrong of course
That sounds more like a pitch and bevel issue. You might have too much reverse pitch causing you to squeeze and rub where the callus is.
@@jasonstender3102 I don't know how to check that kind of stuff and neither of the proshops within driving distance can help. I've already had the thumb moved on it once because he measured again after I showed him thumb and figured out that my span was a 1/4 inch too short.
@@sauronseyescream8394 You may need to make a road trip then. Where are you located?
@@jasonstender3102 southern Missouri
I have a press that uses #2 taper bits that are very steep at the end of the bit. Every time I try to cut a small amount for an oval, the bit walks back in to the center of the hole, leaving a groove that then makes it impossible to drill down in to. Any advice on how to make that stop? Everything is locked down as tight as I can get it.
Late reply. Machinist here, not a pro shop guy. My guess is, dull drill or you are feeding it too fast.
By going to the front the part of the hole, aren't you shortening the span?
Yeah. This is not the correct way to mill an oval. The process is relief cut into the bottom right side of the thumb for a right handed bowler at whatever degree oval they happen to be ( vast majority are 45 degree). Also the cuts need to be in three series .021 at a time to not create too much ridge and risk the bit jumping. I was trained on this at Jayhawk in Lawrence Kansas by the great Russ Wilson.
Thats because these pro shops are machinists and cant do the work even without DRO