Anybody have a "best practices" recommendation? Spade bit? Forstner?
(I was looking at auger bits, but then I read the reviews which basically said stand back and prepare for a wild ride if you put them on a drill press and try to drill through hardwood with them.)
I'm making the faces for a bench vise.
Either will work, spade is faster, Forstener smoother.
You could also use a router. No, you don't need a 1" bit...drill - for example - a 3/4" hole then use a 1/2" router bit using the shank to guide on the hole edges. Bit too short? Do one side, flip and repeat from other side.
The ride isn't very wild, just short...an auger bit will pull out the chuck.
snipped-for-privacy@rahul.net (Edward A. Falk) wrote in news:lu57s1$s4k$ snipped-for-privacy@blue-new.rahul.net:
A Forstner bit in a drill press would be my first, last, and only choice. Spade bits are carpentry tools, not cabinetmaking tools.
Yeah, that's not safe.
You'd like a smooth finish, then. Definitely Forstner. Spade bits leave a rough cut, and they often don't really spin true. Whichever you decide to use, though, back the wood up with a piece of scrap to minimize tearout.
Brace and bit?
On mine, 2 1/4" maple, I used a 1/2" drive drill motor and a sharp Forstner bit, and the holes all came out just fine. Here are some tips:
As someone else has said, back it up with a clamped piece of scrap or it will blow out the underside. A contrasting wood color will tell you right away when you're through.
When you're driving the bit by hand, it's almost impossible not to rock the bit off vertical as the hole gets deeper; set up a couple squares on the bench top at 90 degrees to each other, and have a helper sight the verticals in both planes from time to time to keep you on track.
The rim of a Forstner bit heats up quickly, and can get damned hot, so drive the bit a half-inch or so, then back it out of the hole still spinning to let it cool off, then peck another half-inch or so, and so on until you're through. Or just set it down once in a while to let it cool off. The general rule on Forstners is to drill with a good speed of advance into the hole, so as to get through without heating the tool too much, but I defy you to horse a 1" Forstner through hard maple as fast as you'd need to go.
If your Forstner bit is dull, you're doomed.
Tom
As an alternate to a forstner, you can do this job with a good
1" bi-metal hole saw mounted in a drill press.Saw to 1" depth, then back out saw and reverse the maple, then insert 1/4" pilot drill in pilot hole and drill 1" deep or until it breaks thru.
Any miss match will be inside the hole hidden from view.
Make sure you use a high quality bi-metal hole saw and a drill press.
A cheap saw will guarantee the maple will leave burn edges.
Take your time, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Have fun.
Lew
My preference would be strong for the forstner.
A power feed drill press makes it a WHOLE lot easier- 5/8" and 1 HP motor. It's only 15Km from home, out at the Hangar, when I need it.
Forstner bit, for sure. If you're using a drill press and can clamp the stock, drill a 3/4 or 7/8 hole first, then drill the finished 1' hole. One thing that makes sloppy holes in hardwoods is the release of tension in the wood as it's being cut. This can cause burning and an oblong hole after the wood inside the hole has released and warped/swelled a bit.
Drilling the smaller hole first allows the burning to happen on the smaller, unused hole. When you go to cut the finished hole, the chips have an escape route and there will be less friction. Also, if you're
*really* concerned with the perfect hole, let the wood sit overnight after drilling the smaller hole to allow the freshly cut outside surface (inside the hole) to acclimate. Cut the finish hole after that and it will be perfect.
---------------------------------------------------------- And there goes my pilot for the forstner bit.
Lew
You quoted what I wrote, so I assume you read it.
"If you're using a drill press and can clamp the stock"
Clamping the stock to a drill press table negates the need for any pilot tip.
---------------------------------------------------------- Lew Hodgett wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------- "-MIKE-" wrote:
----------------------------------------------- You also lost your center, so you are screwed.
Time to plug and start over.
Lew
Lew
Maybe I misunderstand. I've done this dozens of times and it's as stable as drilling the first hole. You don't really even need a clamp but it helps if your Forstners aren't perfectly flat. The advantage of clamping is being assured the bigger hole is still perfectly centered on the smaller one. I've done the same thing with hole saws and spade bits.
Are you guys misunderstanding me or am I misunderstanding you? :-)
Have you never used a drill press? You can switch bits without moving the stock. The stock can be clamped to the table negating the need for the pilot. I've done this dozens of times. I hope whatever you're drinking tastes good. :-p
"-MIKE-" wrote
I vote with the others. Doing what you say will still allow the bit to flex, and any runout or slop in the quill of the drill press will amplify the problems. No way it will be as stable as drilling the first hole.
Drill the hole with the final size and be done with it.
Having done it without a problem, using the best bits money can buy to drill holes in expensive projects, keeping them sharp, and using a well setup, well maintained drill press, there is no reason what you describe won't work when the need arises.
1st- if you have flex in a FORSTNER bit, you have some serious issues. Have you seen the shank on those things? The do not flex, period. 2nd- I have a $49 Ryobi that probably has the most potential for runout for a drill press and I've done this technique dozens of times with the same exact accuracy as any other hole.
I'm beginning to think the people who doubt this don't actually have drill presses.
I was waiting for some who actually owns and uses a drill press to chime in. :-)
As I've stated too many time already, I've done this technique with Forstner bits, spade bits and hole saws with great results. Spade bits are the only ones I was cautious about using, but they worked fine as well.
You could also make some cheap templates from masonite that can be indexed to your workpiece. Drill a small (1/8" or less) pilot through all the templates in a stack. Every time you switch to a larger bit, toss on a new template to re-establish the center.
-BR
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As usuaul there will be many responders that have never done this but are voicing their thought on how they would do this with what they have personally.
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