Drilling plastic/acrylic pen blanks Problems.

They make bits that have a very long tapered point so that when the bit comes through it sort of melts it’s way out instead of blowing it out. Not sure if you could find one long enough for a pen blank but you might experiment with an old bit and try grinding a tapered point onto one.

Your idea of leaving the blank long and not drilling through is 100% spot-on.

-- Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

You have the solution right there by drilling and cutting of the end. You can also have a sacrificial peice at the bottom. If you drill through acrylic and you have noting supporting it at the bottom it will “crack through”.

One other thing to note is that there are special acrylic drill bits. Most drill bits will “corkscrew” through plastics like acrylic. Even if you dont crack through, regular drill bits will give a bad looking finish. Plastic drill bits need to have a 0 degree hook. You can grind a metal drill bit on grinder or better yet buy a plastic drill bit at a local plastic distributer or I have another source:

http://www.thefabricatorssource.com/products/06drills.htm

Cheers,

Ben

Sounds like you hav it handeled

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com

1. Put the blank in the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours, better overnight or longer if tou wish.

2. Use minimum pressure while drilling (be patient).

3. No more than three short stabs at one attempt, stop, feel the drill bit. If it is warm or hot, cool it off with cold water in a jar.

4. Set your drill press accurately and when nearing the end, slow down and use even less pressure.

5. Make sure that your starting point is absolutely in the middle of the blank.

6. Heat build up and drill bit wandering from excessive downward pressure are the enemies. Avoid them and you will avoid frustration.