Titanium Forstner drill bits doesn't drill

[Fred]

I purchased a new set of Costco Mastergrip Titanium Forstner bits sizes form

1/4" to 2 1/8". This set looks very nice until I pullout a small 3/8" bit, put it in my hand drill and proceeded to drill. I need to go through a laminate flooring (about 1/4" thick) and 1/2" particle board below it. After one minute I just got through the top skin of the laminate then it won't go beyond the particle board. I put all my 180 pounds on the drill and nothing. I then took out my high speed twist bit and drill through like butter and then rim out with the Forstner. The Titanium on the cutting surface is gone from the friction. I've drilled through laminates with my hole saw before without any problems. I had other Fostner bits, not Mastergrip, on the drill press and its slow going but it does the job. Tell me Forstner bits are not efficient but not like this.

[Upscale]

Last time I had a problem like that was when I was drilling where I couldn't see exactly where the drill bit was hitting. Turned out that the drill was in reverse. Of course, it too me a few hours to realize it after trying different drills and buying a new bit.

[Charlie Self]

Forstner bits are slow, but not like that. It sounds like you got some super-low quality bits. Did you try other sizes elsewhere to see how they worked? That said, I don't understand why you're trying to use a bit designed to cut a super clean edged flat bottomed hole in a home construction situation. A twist bit should make a clean enough hole here. I'd take those Forstner bits back.

[foggytown]

You did take the little protective plastic cap off the head, right? (I've done it!) I think it's a trip back to Costco to drop the whole set on their toes.

FoggyTown

[Robatoy]

Forstner bit in a hand drill?

The compound on the first layer of quality laminate flooring is unbelievably hard. Your forstner bit was not match. NO forstner bits , unless carbide, will work there. Sometimes a small ring will form under the bit when it finally cuts through the phenolic (second layer) and all you get after that is smoke. That's job for sharp carbide. Forstners work better in regular wood, rather than new-fangled tough stuff.

[Toller]

I bought a set of Homier forstners. About half of them might as well might as well be smooth for all the drilling they do. Some of the others are okay. It is a case of getting what I paid for. Yours probably is also. Sorry, but this is how we learn not to buy junk.

[dingbat]

^^^^^^

Doh!

[Fred]

Thanks for all the responses.

My hand drill was not in reverse, I'm sure of that but I could be wrong.

No it didn't come with a protective cap.

I could have used a twist bit but I like to have a smooth hole since it will be exposed for viewing. I don't think I'll do this again with the Forstner bit.

Laminate is tough about 40x harder than hardwood but its a thin very layer and I though I could cut through it like my hole saw. Not!

Doh for Costco? Actually Costco has some good tools like Porter Cable, Hitachi, Makita and Milwaukee. They also have not so good tools like B&D, Skil and now you could add Mastergrip to that list.

Ok, this morning I use a larger size bid (1") on the drill press on wood and it drilled ok. I put the same bit that was on the hand drill yesterday to the drill press and it drilled ok too on laminate although its I had to put more pressure on the handle than with the 1" bid on wood. I also use the next size up, 3/8", on laminate and it also required more force than on wood.

The bid used on wood has no visible ware sign on the Titanium but the new drill bit used on laminate, the Titanium coating on the leading edges were gone. I'll use this set on wood only - lesson learned.

[Duane Bozarth]

...

Skil make the best circular saw on the market, bar none...

"Mastergrip"???? Obviously cheap (almost certainly Chinese) import stuff...

The set was what, a couple dollars/bit, no doubt at most? Don't see how you could possibly think you had anything but throw-aways...

....

[Fred]

I have two wormdrives, one B&D and the other Skil Mag 77, they are both great powerful saws and looked identical. But almost everything made by them is second rate and even at times pure junk and I get the better Chinese power tools first over B&d, Skil and Craftman.

Not all cheap tools are of low quality and beside this is a spare set I keep over at a different location. It cuts wood ok but not laminate. I have a more expensive American made Forstner that has gotten dull, not easy to sharp, so it becomes a throw away before the Mastergrip.

[George E. Cawthon]

I think it is operator error--the drill is running in reverse. Even a nail will drill faster than that. But if it is truly a bad bit, no problem just take the set back to Costco for a refund.

[George E. Cawthon]

Being a natural born skeptic, I thought I was on to a hoax here. So I went out to the shop (garage) put a 3/8" Forstner bit from HD in the drill press and picked up a piece of laminate that was remnant from the flooring job I had done earlier this year.

Results-- drilled right through with a perfect hole. Not wanting to stick my foot too far in my mouth, I took the bit out and put it in my trusty old Sears 3/8" drill. It didn't want to bite in, so I pushed really hard and it started through but it was still slow all the way through and I weaved a bit to get it through. As a result the hole wasn't round, but it took less than 1 minute also.

So, I', with you Fred. The bits are ok with a drill press but are lousy for laminate with a hand (portable) drill.

[john]

Cheap junk bits with 2cents worth of Titanium nitride plating

It is not a problem with Forstner bits, but just the junk bits you bought at CostCo

John

[Fred]

So what brand of expensive Forstner bits you use on hard materials like

*laminate* flooring with a hand drill? No argument with you just wanted to test out brands other people use.

BTW already did some drilling with a hand drill on a *wood* door yesterday and no problems with it and the Titanium plating was still intact.

[Duane Bozarth]

...

I don't think I'd pick a Forstner for the application at all, unless it were toothed. And certainly I'd not waste a very expensive one that way.

[Upscale]

You're pretty consistent with the using of a "had drill" for your use of a Forstner bit. I think most would agree that Forstner bits work much better in a power drill. Can you not get your hands on one?

[Duane Bozarth]

If I recall it wasn't a hand drill in the sense of a brace and bit or such but what he's used a term...

I think it's mostly a case of a very hard man-made material and a not very good bit and really not the most suitable choice. A spur would probably have helped.

[Fred]

Oh, I mean battery operated drill as opposed to a drill press. I have not used a brace and bit set since high school during the Dark Ages.

[Steve knight]

plus smaller ones like the 3/8 can plug up pretty easily and not drill well. Knight-Toolworks

handmade wooden planes