The subject was brought up recently, so I thought I'd show how I do it. You have a drilled hole that is too small. You can't just put a bigger sized Forstner or spade bit it the hole because it has nowhere to center. Here's the solution!
Step Drill.
But you can drill a hole bigger with a true Forstner bit.
'splain, por favor. Go a picture?
--------------------------------------- Plug the hole with epoxy fairing putty, polyester Bondo, wood putty, or whatever you have handy.
When cured, sand flush and layout correct size hole.
Lew
Yeah, because that's a lot easier.
Take a correct size forstner bit and drill a hole in a 3/8 or 1/2" piece of scrap. Center this hole over the original smaller hole and clamp in place. Using this as a guide drill out the smaller hole with the forstner bit.
This is for when you have forstner bits but no Harbor Freight within
30 miles (as I am).
I do realize there are other ways to do this and I've offered several of them in the past. Next time you're at a HF, I encourage you to pick up a set of these bits because there are many, many other uses for them. They make nice, clean cuts in metal and the HF ones are sharper than I thought they would be.
If you watched the video, you saw how ridiculously fast this is.
Simple. Drill the desired larger hole size in a piece of scrap. Clamp the piece of scrap with the larger hole where you want it. You could even adjust the location slightly if you screwed that up too. Then, as they say in some parts of the world, "Bob's your uncle," what ever that means.
Got it, bought the t-shirt and have done it a dozen times. I'm asking Leon what a "true Forstner bit" is. Maybe I misunderstand and he's just saying to do what you said. In that case, see above comment. :-)
My technique is faster than it takes to find a scrap piece of wood. I think no shop is complete without a set of step bits, though, so I'm biased. Harbor Freight for 13 bucks, or Festool for 800. :-)
A true and well made forstner bit is capable of cutting a cove/scallop out of the edge of a board. It does not use a center point to guide it, the edges guide it.
Your way would be quicker if it is a through hole or you didn't need a flat bottom. However, if you need a hole of a specified depth less than the height of the step drill bit, or if you need a hole diameter larger than your step drill bit then you start diggin' in the scrap pile. :-)
Mount a forstner in a DP and drill a hole. Remove the bit replace with a larger forstner bit and drill over the previous hole. No scrap needed to guide the bit.
I think I know what you're talking about. I have some Forstners that are basically circular knives that slice around the circumference and I've actually done what you describe... but it took a very steady hand. :-)
Correct. I never said this was *the* way to do it. It is the fastest and easiest for that kind of hole, however. I should've known what I was getting into posting in this group. :-)
Yep, assuming you take your drill press to the job site. :-p
Whachu talkin' about, Willis!? :o
The better the bit and using a DP the easier this is to do.
Yeah! I try to never use a forstner bit in a hand held drill.
But additionally I have done the same "ONLY" with "Colt 5 Star Brad Point bits". These particular bits are phenomenal. The 1/4" and larger will drill and exit a board as cleanly as it/they went in with no back up board.
For some reason I've got one of these bits, no idea where or why. I don't think it was from HF so seems they're sold by others too.
Gordon Shumway wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
"Bob" is Robert Peel, British Prime Minister during Victoria's reign, and thus the most powerful man in the world at that time. Having him as an uncle would obviously make your life easier :-)
Peel also invented the idea of a police force, which is why British police are called "bobbies".
John
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required