Thread: What type of drill bit?

A spade bit will do it quite well provided you keep it sharp. But they only need a light rub with a file to do that.

Ben

If you wish to use the Veritas range of accessories (recommended) then you need 3/4" holes.

You will get the cleanest and most accurate cut from a plunge router.

After this use a Forstner bit in a portable drill press or a homemade jig.

Regards from Perth

Derek

A bit from left field here but...........

My bench is a a few sheets of MDF on to of a welded steel frame.

I used a decent Sutton spade bit to drill the dog holes. The holes arent exactly accurate but the upshot is that the standard dowel I sue for bench dogs fits nice and snug-tight. I can set it at any level (even 3mm above the benchtop) and it sits there nice and firm. Lucky to be sure, but perfect.

Heya Ben

Funny old world - I'm at exactly the same stage as you with my workbench. Based it loosely on Bob Key's "ultimate', but using the Veritas bench dog with 3/4" holes.

I'm going to do it like I have the rest of the bench; by hand, with a Good 'ol Stanley brace, with a honed modern auger - sandvik and a few others do a good double cutting job. When I hogged out the mortices (from very dense old h/wood from the Supply River Bridge) I found it HEAPS easier to have an oil pad handy. Used Yates White Oil - a pure petroleum oil. A wee wipe and she's apples. Very good when planing too.

www.terraclavis.com/bws/benches.htm - 30k

Thanks for the replys guys.

I do have a 3/4 inch spade drill bit (irwin) but it's cuts a little ruff, to many torn fibers for this job.

I did like the nice smooth cut left by the Forstner bit, and I'm told that these leave the cleanest hole, I'm mainly concerned about cuttin edge life and depth of hole (my forstner bit has about 70mm max before the chuck gets to timber level).

I do have a Z-vise and can use that as a bit of a drill press jig, So that aspect shouldn't be a problem.

I don't have a plunge router or a 3/4 inch plunge bit, so that's not really going to work.

TassieKiwi, using a brace? you'll look like Popeye when you done.


Ben.

Ben,

If you are worried about the cutting edge life of a forstner bit, go for a High Speed Steel bit because they last longer (HSS v. HCS ).

You can also get a Forstener Bit Extension Bar that will give you a deeper hole.

Slavo

No sweat - only a few minutes each hole. The bits I use are an auger type with a wide machined flute, a lead screw, and most importantly a cutter which scribes the circumfrence of the hole before the auger bites. Using a brace, one can 'lean' the auger over slightly to cut all of the fibers as the centre lead screw bores in, so that when the main cutter bites there is no side tearout of the wood.


http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/...Type=BM1000002

Thanks again guys.

TassieKiwi.
I do like hand tools, and My father has a brace, but I'll use a power drill this time.

Slavo.
I wish I'd read that info about HCS forstners before I bought the other one. It's useless. It went blunt far to quickly, I got impatient and the result is not pretty.
The entire bit has darkened a few shades from the heat (except for about the last 35mm of the shaft) and I think it might be a throw away.

HSS forstner it is.


Ben.

Holes wot i drilled wiv auger.

Oh what a lovely pair of holes. I do like the way they are nice and round and sit so nicely in the bench top.

You could use both. The Forstner to start with and an auger to get the last bit of depth.

Originally Posted by Termite

Oh what a lovely pair of holes. I do like the way they are nice and round and sit so nicely in the bench top.

Hint of sarcasm there? Why? :confused: Only showing the zero tearout to the doubters of the method.

Woodworkers Supply sells carbide forstner bits in conventional lengths. Bulldog sells longer ones that will drill a 6" hole but I did have some problems with the first set I bought (quality control issues).

Gday Dennis, I suspect Termite was just muckin' about.

Those holes look like my eyes after a big night

This thread is giving me the brace and bits

Cheers..........Sean