SQUEALING BITS?

[LeAnn Haggard]

Hi Everyone! 

I'm brand new to Kreg Jigs and pocket screw joinery. I have K5 and HD jigs that I bought specifically for building a fence and other outdoor construction. 

I tested the K5 out for the first time today on some Alder pieces for my potato box. The holes looked great and the joints are solid.  YAY!  BUT....

The bit/jig makes an ear piercing squealing sound the further I get into drilling each pocket hole.  I'm doing my very best to make sure the bit is straight in the hole and not off angle.  I'm withdrawing it part way and easing it back in again repeatedly to make sure the chips are clearing out and not binding the bit.  The collar seems to be set correctly as it doesn't bottom out of the wood,  leaving a small portion left to help lock the pocketed piece in tight. 

How can I make the squealing stop?  Am I doing something wrong?  Do I need to do something to the bit or jig to stop this?  

I'm worried that I'm going to destroy the bit,  so I'm not doing any more until I can find out why.  I've called tech support and only got voicemail.  

Anyone else have this happen? 

Suggestions? 

LeAnn

[Ken Darga]

LeAnn,

The squealing sound your hearing, is the rubbing of dry metal on dry metal.

When this happens to me, I apply a DriLube---just spray on a light coating on the drill flutes.

Allow the lube to dry and then proceed.

Works for me.

[james wilhelm]

Hi LEANN , are you using a cord less or a corded drill , I use a corded drill and I upped the speed a bit and hooked up my shop vac. to the jig and the noise went away , also need to make sure your board is tight in the jig , hope this help,s , JIM !!!

[Tim Grace]

Drill speed is too slow. This will heat the bit and wood, causing both to swell and cause the squeal (and cause the bit to dull faster).  Use a corded drill or set your cordless to the high speed setting.  Kreg drill bit should be spinning at around 1000 - 2000 rpm, depending on the wood you are drilling into - slower for hard woods (oak, maple, etc) and faster for softer woods (fir, hemlock, pine, etc).  Alder is fairly hard, so around 1200 rpm with a slow feed rate.  You are doing right clearing the chips several times during the stroke, vacuum helps.

[Jay Boutwell]

Leann,

The squealing sound of the bit is from the wood becoming tight in the drill bit flutes and rubbing on the metal drill guide.   Some of the wood does not feed out of the bit flutes as fast as others.  Both Tim and Jim are correct about the speed change making the difference.  Lifting the drill bit up some will also clear the flutes and explained below.   If you can look at some of the wood chips that are large and not fully cut and you will see that some are polished from the rubbing on the metal.

Back when Kreg made the first jig for marketing they were the K-2 model.  That was one of the first problems that was complained about.  This is the reason for the holes that are cut at the bottom of the drill guides.  This is as closes at it could be to where the chips first appear after being cut.  These holes aids in clearing out the chip cuttings. 

I have two K-2 that I have used for years in production.  One has the clearance holes cut which was a "send it back in" for it to be altered.  The other one does not have the alteration and both work fine.  I do however note that the one without the alternation will squeal at times when the bit flutes load up.   To cure it I raise the bit up an inch or so in the drill guide while it is still spinning and it will clear its self and I continue on with the drilling.  I do however use a corded drill and although it is a variable speed, I run it at about 1500 RPM in speed in all materials and alter the feed rate.   The feed rate determines how fast the fiber is cut meaning for instance that a bit turning at 1500 rpms will be making more cuts per  minutes  (3,000 cuts per minute) than one turning at 1000 RPMs.   It is the feed rate that determines how big these chips are .  The smaller chips will eject easier than the fiberous and or large chips.  That is the reason I run the bit at a fast speed regardless of the material.  There is one exception to this and that is in the extremely hard wood that the bits refuse to cut and tend to burn the wood.  If you see or smell smoke then you are running too fast so slow down or your feed rate it too slow.   Contrary to some beliefs it is possible to burn up your wood and bit by running it too fast and at too slow of a feed rate as the bit is spinning on a material and is heating up without being allow to cut.  Fortunately that is not too much of a problem with this in the lumber common to what is in use by most who are building projects here on the Kreg Community.  Experience is the best teacher but the answer is in the speed of your drill bit and the rate you feed it into the material.   The rest is to pull the bit up while the bit is spinning but do not remove it from the drill guide.  Lifting it up about an inch will usually clear the flutes.

Like Tim has said wood differs in how it drills as wet wood will not feed the chips out very well and are harder to cut clean.  Woods with a odd grains such as twisted and intertwined will act the same way with one of these being some of the hickory lumber with the wild grain.  I drill a lot of alder and it is one of the fussy woods for chip ejection as the fiber is soft but does not cut as clean as most soft woods.  That is where the higher speed will aid you as you are making more cuts in relationship to your feed rate.  This makes smaller chips of which are easier to eject from the drill flutes.

Also being from the Pacific northwest I also know that some the lumber available here is not as dry as some from other localities.  I can tell you that there is a big difference in drilling douglas fir than drilling some of the spruce and other white woods.  The fir is an easier wood to drill.  I hope I have explained the squealing drill bit problem to you.  

[Dennis Baker]

Hi LEANN I am Denny Baker I am new to this site I have had my Kreg Jig for a few years now and I use a cordless drill with it all the time and have not had any problem like you described. However I live in Nebraska which may make a big difference also I work only with pine and plywood mostly. I hope this will help you. Keep making sawdust. Later Denny.

[LeAnn Haggard]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

Other than the lubrication, I'm not sure what else I'll be able to do. I'm using a Dewalt cordless 18v XRP Hammer Drill set on drill, max speed (2000 rpm supposedly), max chuck, and fresh charged battery. By all standards, it should be more than enough power and speed.

I am pumping the bit too clear it. All else I can think is that it is the humidity, heat, and particular wood.

I'm actually in the Puget Sound Convergence Zone in North Everett. We are wetter and weirder with weather than Seattle. And I was drilling in 100 degree temps and high humidity. The wood gets affected.

LeAnn

[Ken Darga]

Rem DriLube

GREAT stuff.

It suffices for many useful purposes.

It provides a tough, non-congealing film, which leaves no residue.

Very good for tools, and the like, that need dry lubrication.

Available in 4oz size container.

I get mine from sources that sells firearms cleaning supplies.

Home Depot stocks this product---

Same characteristics as Rem DriLube

available in 11oz size container.