Drill Walking and Hole Deviation: A Systematic Troubleshooting Guide
When a deep hole comes out crooked, the natural instinct is to blame the machine alignment. I have learned the hard way that misalignment is often not the problem. Before I pull out the alignment laser, I check three things first. Nine times out of ten, the cause is one of them. How I Diagnose Drill Walking I start by asking two questions about the hole: Is the deviation consistent from the first part to the last? If every hole drifts the same direction by the same amount, the root cause is likely fixed — alignment, bushing wear, or entry geometry. If the deviation changes from part to part, the cause is likely variable — material hardness variation, coolant fluctuation, or chip packing. ...