February 9, 20179 yr Folks, I need to purchase a Forstner style bit, to drill holes for chair rungs, the hole size is 5/8". My existing Forstner style bit does not eject the shavings out very efficiently and I end up with a smokey mess by the time I hit the bottom of my depth I need. What brand or style of bit would you recommend for this operation? The holes are 7/8" deep, I am using the bit on a drill press. Thanks for any help.
February 9, 20179 yr 23 minutes ago, John Morris said: and I end up with a smokey mess bit is dull... 23 minutes ago, John Morris said: What brand or style of bit would you recommend for this operation German made, Freud or LV bits... see Woodcraft for the German made...
February 9, 20179 yr Well if money was no object- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Festool-500173-ZOBO-Rapid-Chip-Removal-Forstner-Style-Bit-Set-Metric-/172428179266 I try to remember to retract the bit often to clean the chips out. If the bit becomes clogged, I use a scratch all to release them and then continue drilling. This seems to reduce the amount of burning.
February 9, 20179 yr Author Just now, lew said: I try to remember to retract the bit often to clean the chips out. If the bit becomes clogged, I use a scratch all to release them and then continue drilling. This seems to reduce the amount of burning. That's exactly what I do Lew, scratch awl and everything, just like you, but I it still liquefies the wood and turns the hole black and smokes! I think Stick is on to it, it's just plain dull. Man, those Festools are pretty impressive!
February 9, 20179 yr I have a set of the larger brad point bits and they do good to clear the shavings.I got them from LV and they are spendy. Not all forsner type bits are equal. some eject the shaving while others plug up. Some have saw teeth ,some have a knife like rim. Spade bits and auger bits work too, also the old stanley speed bore bits. Herb
February 9, 20179 yr 4 hours ago, Dadio said: Spade bits plan your hole carefully if/when you are using them... never forget that the pilot removes material... if you use them to hog out a mortise hole the drilling operation leaves a line of these pilot holes... may even drill through given the amount/thickness of material at the bottom of the mortise... when there is minimal amount of material at the bottom of the mortise, and because there is an in line series of hole from the pilot holes these ''holes'' seriously degrade the strength/integrity of the female member.. especially when they are w/ the grain.. even more so when the grain is straight... pressures, wood movement, internal/external stress and drying can lead to splitting at the mortise... splitting may occur on assembly alone... VOE... same deal for the sockets for stretchers, round rungs and doweling... if all you have is a spade to work w/... regrind the pilot to a stub (European hinge bit style) to be safe... this can happen w/ auger/screw pilot/self feed bits too... Edited February 9, 20179 yr by Stick486
February 9, 20179 yr 7 hours ago, John Morris said: What brand or style of bit would you recommend for this operation? I know they are our sponsor but there is no way I can recommend WoodRiver fostner bits... points off center, not always round. short life and mediocre sharpness... this seems to hold true for most brands of chinese fostner bits....
February 9, 20179 yr Author 5 hours ago, Dadio said: Not all forsner type bits are equal. some eject the shaving while others plug up. I take back my statement about my bit being dull, this is the problem with it. The bit cuts great, it goes in like butter for the first 1/2" then it just starts clogging up and burning. I have adjusted feed rate and also tried plunging in and out a couple time to help eject the chips but no go. Spade bits are out of the question, the spur would exit the other side before I got to my required depth. I moved away from spade bits over two decades ago, hate em.
February 9, 20179 yr I have the Freud forstners in both the carbide and the HSS (a few)/ The carbide are really long lived, I've had this set for about 20 years and had them sharpened once (I think). But the HSS ones cut so much more cleanly I highly suggest one of them....they cut good, but they are usually available locally and are not all that expensive. Another one that might work just as well for the application is the LV lipped brad point bits. Edited February 9, 20179 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr
February 9, 20179 yr Author I purchased one of these lastnight at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AV6ZA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Price was right, free shipping, we'll see how it does and I'll report back. The brad point bits are a viable option, I have had wonderful experiences with them. I use them to cut the plug holes in my sculpted rockers and they are very clean and smooth working. Thanks for that reminder guys.
February 9, 20179 yr try some of these. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1
February 11, 20179 yr Author On 2/9/2017 at 3:06 PM, p_toad said: try some of these. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1 Thanks for the alternative Peter!
February 11, 20179 yr On 2/9/2017 at 4:06 PM, p_toad said: try some of these. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57713&cat=1,180,42240,53317&ap=1 A great suggestion. A mite pricy, but if you build lots of chairs, like some folks , probably a good investment.
February 11, 20179 yr 52 minutes ago, Gene Howe said: A great suggestion. A mite pricy, but if you build lots of chairs, like some folks , probably a good investment. they are very good bits...
February 11, 20179 yr Author 51 minutes ago, Stick486 said: they are very good bits... The only problem is I am not ready to bore holes the old fashioned way yet, perhaps later, but for now I like my Drill Press. I think these bits are for a brace only?
February 11, 20179 yr 1 hour ago, John Morris said: The only problem is I am not ready to bore holes the old fashioned way yet, perhaps later, but for now I like my Drill Press. I think these bits are for a brace only? yes .. brace only... and they are very good bits...
February 12, 20179 yr I have a set of Woodowl overdrive bits that I recommend. They have been mentioned specifically on a different forum about using them specifically for chair spindle usage -- and they were the top performer in a chair making class. It is surprising how easy they go into wood, and they have a 5/8" size.
February 12, 20179 yr Author 12 minutes ago, RJH30518 said: I have a set of Woodowl overdrive bits that I recommend. They have been mentioned specifically on a different forum about using them specifically for chair spindle usage -- and they were the top performer in a chair making class. It is surprising how easy they go into wood, and they have a 5/8" size. Those are sweet! I just did a quick google search on the brand, I am very impressed and the cost is very reasonable too, I think I may have to pull the till drawer on this one, thanks Bob!!!!!
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