lead screw clogging on new auger

[Logman]

I am drilling 25mm holes 100mm deep in hardwood but the lead screw keeps clogging.
Surely these days there is a better way than this !!!

[justonething]

This might be caused by resin deposit on the lead screw. if you clean it with acetone and then lubricate with a bit of silicone spray afterwards, you might find it working better.

[Boringgeoff]

I was of the opinion that a lot of auger bits that are described as being hardwood bits are not very effective on some of our Australian timber and have clogging problems with both coarse and fine lead screws, and have experienced this problem frequently.
I've just been up to the shed to do a test and surprised myself by sharpening a 7/8" scotch bit and successfully boring a hole right through a piece of either swamp mallet or wandoo about 4' dia. With a coarse thread on the screw and using a 12" brace it was pretty heavy going and I put a lot of pressure on the brace to help it through. I did a second hole, this time not forcing the bit, to see if the lead screw alone could pull it through and that went ok as well. I am quite surprised because I was expecting the screw to clog.
There are a lot of variables, type of auger, fine/coarse lead screw and type and condition of wood, obviously more tests are called for.
I am surprised that you haven't had more responses to your query.
Cheers,
Geoff.

[Logman]

This might be caused by resin deposit on the lead screw. if you clean it with acetone and then lubricate with a bit of silicone spray afterwards, you might find it working better.

Thanks for that info, I'll try it out.
It seems very odd that the design has not developed to overcome the problem in over 200 years...or am I wrong ?

[Logman]

I was of the opinion that a lot of auger bits that are described as being hardwood bits are not very effective on some of our Australian timber and have clogging problems with both coarse and fine lead screws, and have experienced this problem frequently.
I've just been up to the shed to do a test and surprised myself by sharpening a 7/8" scotch bit and successfully boring a hole right through a piece of either swamp mallet or wandoo about 4' dia. With a coarse thread on the screw and using a 12" brace it was pretty heavy going and I put a lot of pressure on the brace to help it through. I did a second hole, this time not forcing the bit, to see if the lead screw alone could pull it through and that went ok as well. I am quite surprised because I was expecting the screw to clog.
There are a lot of variables, type of auger, fine/coarse lead screw and type and condition of wood, obviously more tests are called for.
I am surprised that you haven't had more responses to your query.
Cheers,
Geoff.

Thanks Geoff.
I am surprized too !!!???

[Big Shed]

Thanks Geoff.
I am surprized too !!!???

Maybe it has something to do with you posting your query originally in Have Your Say?

I moved it here yesterday, seems a more appropriate place to ask your question.

[Bob38S]

I would be very wary of using any silicone near timber. Depending on where it is used it can cause a world of problems when it comes to finishing.

It is probably slower but I would be more inclined to use a candle or beeswax as the lubricant.

Just a thought.

[Boringgeoff]

Hi Logman,

I did a few test holes in a piece of half dried Bluegum yesterday with varying results. The three bits used were Scotch and Jennings pattern 7/8' and 1". Now I know to do a proper test they should all be the same diameter and type and a wide range of wood types should be used, but here are my results on just this one piece of wood using mismatched bits. The Scotch bit has a coarse thread of 10TPi and ploughed through unassisted both cross grain and end grain, to the extent that I had to chuck it in a 14" brace because I was battling to crank it with the 12".
The two Jennings pattern have an intermediate thread of 16TPI and fine 22TPI The fine clogged badly on the cross grain run and was useless on the end grain, the 16TPI was better but clogged on the end grain but got through the cross grain OK both had to have a fair bit of force behind them.
A conclusive test? No way Jose, on the day you need to have a good selection of bits correctly sharpened and pick through them until you find one that can handle the kind of wood you're using.
The best thing to do, though, is to enter in the search box at the top of the page here "Auger-bit" there is heaps of opinions from knowledgeable people on this forum and links to other relevant info.
Cheers,
Geoff.

[Logman]

Thanks for that, Geoff
I still cannot understand why there is no development of auger bits for over a 100 years....or have I missed something ?

Hi Logman,

I did a few test holes in a piece of half dried Bluegum yesterday with varying results. The three bits used were Scotch and Jennings pattern 7/8' and 1". Now I know to do a proper test they should all be the same diameter and type and a wide range of wood types should be used, but here are my results on just this one piece of wood using mismatched bits. The Scotch bit has a coarse thread of 10TPi and ploughed through unassisted both cross grain and end grain, to the extent that I had to chuck it in a 14" brace because I was battling to crank it with the 12".
The two Jennings pattern have an intermediate thread of 16TPI and fine 22TPI The fine clogged badly on the cross grain run and was useless on the end grain, the 16TPI was better but clogged on the end grain but got through the cross grain OK both had to have a fair bit of force behind them.
A conclusive test? No way Jose, on the day you need to have a good selection of bits correctly sharpened and pick through them until you find one that can handle the kind of wood you're using.
The best thing to do, though, is to enter in the search box at the top of the page here "Auger-bit" there is heaps of opinions from knowledgeable people on this forum and links to other relevant info.
Cheers,
Geoff.

[AlexS]

It seems very odd that the design has not developed to overcome the problem in over 200 years...or am I wrong ?

Surely these days there is a better way than this !!!

There used to be a design of auger that had a varying pitch to help keep it clear. Near the business end it had a comparatively fine pitch which increased along the length of the bit. I've never seen one, but I'll see if I can find a picture and reference. I imagine they were mostly hand made.

I also have one of my father's that has no thread, just the auger. Ages since I used it, and it's mainly for shallow holes for recessing bolts. I think it would be hard to keep on line.

[Logman]

Thanks Bob. I,ll try that.

I would be very wary of using any silicone near timber. Depending on where it is used it can cause a world of problems when it comes to finishing.

It is probably slower but I would be more inclined to use a candle or beeswax as the lubricant.

Just a thought.

[Logman]

Thanks Alexs, I,ve been tempted to cut the lead screw off !!!
also looking forward to your your research.

There used to be a design of auger that had a varying pitch to help keep it clear. Near the business end it had a comparatively fine pitch which increased along the length of the bit. I've never seen one, but I'll see if I can find a picture and reference. I imagine they were mostly hand made.

I also have one of my father's that has no thread, just the auger. Ages since I used it, and it's mainly for shallow holes for recessing bolts. I think it would be hard to keep on line.

[msiemsen]

I would lay the problem to the cutting edge and not the lead screw. If the bit isn't properly sharpened the lead screw will strip out because it cannot pull the dull cutting lips through behind it. You may find that different sharpenings work better in different woods.

[clear out]

I guess the advent of power tools and the boring bits for them may be why development stalled on hand powered stuff.
Could you use a battery drill and a power bit on this job?
H.

[mark david]

There is a better way,carbide forstner bits !
I haven't used Auger bits since I used to tinker about in my Grandad's shed
They are great for softwoods but as far as hardwoods go they are probably not that good