Will a radial arm saw handle a 1.5" drill bit in Eastern Red Cedar?

[TKehl]

I want to drill a series of straight holes in cedar logs for log furniture.  I could do it freehand, but trying to build something more accurate than that.  I have a jig table I bought, but quickly found the drill press on it doesn't have enough travel to make a hole in an irregularly shaped log and changeouts get to be a hassle.
 
I'm thinking about mounting a chuck on an old radial arm saw and rotating the head on the arm 90° to have a horizontal borer.  Saw in question is a vintage Craftsman.  Drill bit is 1.5" or smaller.
 
Does this stand a shot of working, or will this tear the radial arm to pieces in short order?

[Crusarius]

I think I would be more worried about rpm's with that size bit your going to want to be slower.

[rjwoelk]

May not have enough torque to handle drilling, too high speed   I have a newer make then yours. 80s   

[rjwoelk]

Perhaps as a router head may work there you want highspeed.

[TKehl]

Yeah...  Forgot to mention that concern.  

Anyone know what speed these run off hand?  

Can I slow the motor down with a Variac?  

[TKehl]

Secondary question...  If I modified the mount to accept my low speed drill, do you think the arm would handle it?

[Ljohnsaw]

What you need to get is an old ShopSmith 10ER (or 10E).  It can drill both horizontally and vertically.  The table as well as the head can move on the twin supports.  So, if you have to drill a lot deeper than the quill can travel (about 6 or 7 inches), you just turn off the motor and slide it closer to the work piece and go again.  No need to have extensions on your drill bit.  They have a 3-step pulley so you can drill at motor rpm (1725), ~860 or 3450.  Or, if you want to go faster, put on a 3450 motor.

I now have 3 of these machines!  Two I picked up for free.

[TKehl]

Ugh...  My heart just sunk a bit there...

I had a Shopsmith knockoff that I had listed for sale for a long time.  Finally sold it for $50.  **Regreting sale engaged**   :D

[low_48]

I can't see any mention of what style of bit you plan to use. A Forstner bit requires low rpm, auger bit higher speed. 

[TKehl]

Forstner.

[Ljohnsaw]

Forstner.

You will have to back out and clear chips often.  What you need for deep holes is the old auger bits. Jim Rodgers would have what you need.

[muggs]

To answer your question about slowing the motor with a variac. The answer is no. It will not work with a capacitor start motor, which is what you have. Try to find a horizontal boring machine. I have one but you are too far away.   Muggs

[Don P]

That looks like my old radial arm. If so look on the right side of the motor, on mine the arbor extends out the right side and is threaded and I have a drill chuck for mine. I've never tried it though. Are you just wanting to punch a hole for a round tenon in the side of a log?

[TKehl]

Don, yes.  Round holes in the side of ERC logs.

Muggs, thanks.  

LJohn,

It's not that the holes need to be especially deep, but the variance of some of these "logs" (especially the uglier ones) is such that to clear one end of the log, the other end won't even reach the drill press at full extension.  (Granted it's only a small delta with 2" or so of travel.

Current setup has the drill press on horizontal rollers so the log can stay stationary and drill press is moved to each hole.  Just debating over keeping the setup but modified with a longer travel drill press or completely change it so the log moves to the drill.  


My three best options (that I see) at the moment.

1.  Use radial arm saw either with mounted chuck or made to mount hole hawg drill.
2.  Make a sliding mount for the drill.  Possibly out of pipe.
3.  Make a sled to move the log to the drill.  I have a nice old Champion Blower and Forge camelback drill press with 6" of travel that would do the job nicely.

[Don P]

Thinking about the radial arm, you would be cranking up and down constantly to center the hole down those tapered and gnarly logs. If your saw vertical travel moves and feels like mine I don't think they wasted much money on that jack setup.

I'm liking the long stroke drill press.
Just brainstorming, if you dropped the log into a V trough with the center bottom of the V under the chuck that would center the log. If there were roller tables left and right of the drill press and a set of rails clamped to the tables to make the trough track straight. Drop the log in the trough, roll it around till you're happy then roll the trough through the drill press punching holes as you roll thru.

Hmm, if the trough could pivot vertically at one end between trough and the sled it sits on, now you have a taper

[Ljohnsaw]

If there were roller tables left and right of the drill press...

How about just flat tables even with the drill press table (or continuous over the drill press table).  Put fixed caster wheels on the trough and "rails" on the tables to make it run straight.  Lots of ways to block up one end to account for taper in the log.  Maybe make "V" inserts of various thicknesses to slip under the small end.

[Don P]

There ya go, more gooder.

[TKehl]

Those are the lines I've been thinking of.  I'll go ahead and put the tennon on both ends of the log so I don't have to fiddle around with taper.  Then slide the tennon into a sled with blocks made at a decent height.  Then move the sled back and forth on roller conveyor set up on either side.

I just know it will eat a lot of my limited shop space though...  Double the existing jig table.

This will sure get a lot easier when I get my new shop built...  Looking forward to floors that are both concrete and level.  ;)  Got to makeshift until then though.  :(

[sawguy21]

The saw will tun at 3450 rpm, probably too fast for a Forstner.