Bottlehead Crack - Coppermine Edition

[adamct]

Thanks. Here's my problem...I've recently bought a ton of tools for this project:

- a drill press
- a set of 5 stepped unibits
- a set of titanium drill bits
- a set of GreenLee hole cutters for metal
- a Proxxon rotary tool
- the Proxxon Flexishaft
- a set of cut-off wheels
- a set of Dremel engraving bits,
- a foot switch (for the Proxxon and drill press)
- a scribe
- an automatic center punch
- a deburring tool
- jigsaw blades for metal
- a respirator and filters
- various files
- a file card and brush
- safety goggles
- a heat gun
- screw taps
- a tap wrench
- cutting oil
- etc., etc., etc.

I dont meant that I've acquired these over the past two years -- I mean I've bought them in the last two weeks or so. Most of these I justified by saying that I would use them again in the future. But I doubt I will ever have to drill holes in wood over 1/2" again, so I am trying to avoid spending a lot of money on a nice bit that I will use to drill 8 holes and then never use again.

With that background, if you had to drill roughly 1" holes in wood that was not particularly hard and roughly 1/2" to 3/4" thick, would I be better off with a cheap hole saw, a cheap jumbo drill bit off eBay (these don't seem to get good reviews, but some people seem to be trying them on metal), or a spade bit? I can always clean up the hole after drilling it by using the Proxxon or the deburring tool...

Best regards,
Adam

 

[4krow]

Well Adam, in my experience, hole saws are pretty decent as long as they are used in a drill press. It is usually a good idea to have a piece of wood under the piece that you are drilling to make a cleaner exit with the hole saw. Now that I re-read your message, I see that you are referring to holes of 1" in diameter. In that case, I like to use a Forstener bit. As always, you get what you pay for, so companies like Freud make decent bits that do what they are supposed to. This type of wood bit is the one that has a center point to center the hole correctly, and then the barrel of the bit has a shearing type of action to cut the hole. These are sometimes called flat bottom bits. Again, I will refer you to Lee Valley tools, as they are MUCH better at describing these various bits, and what each is used for. I don't think that I have ever ordered a product that I wasn't impressed with from them.
Also, tell me a little bit more about the drill press that you bought. Is it a floor standing model or a bench top model? How about the selection of speeds? I rarely can find one that is slow enough for my liking, but that is just me.
I have a feeling you are really going to like the Proxxon tool, especially with the flex shaft. You know, this all requires you to send fotos!

 

[Paul Birkeland]

A paddle bit in a drill press will work very, very well.

A more expensive option would be a Forstner bit.

The worst option, in my opinion, is the hole saw.  They have depth issues and tend to get dull fairly easily, then there's the whole part about digging the plug out of the thing!

 

[4krow]

  Paul, I would have to agree about hole saws, but that only applies to cheap ones. I have had some that dull so quick, I thought something was wrong with the drill press! In my experience, hole saws require patience. If you try to go too fast, they will likely burn. Also, I lift the saw quite often to clear any sawdust. A vacuum constantly running next to the saw helps a lot with dust and cooling. If I am confident about the cut, I will flip the wood over and start from the other side. Many times it lines up perfectly, and when the cut is finished, there is not the frustration of digging the damned plug out.

 

[Grainger49]

Adam,

For tools that I might not get a lot of use for I go to Harbor Freight.  I bought a set of Forstner (may have spelled that wrong) bits for under $25. 

This is not to say that I don't use some of their tools weekly.  I do.  They have a great 18V Drill.  I use a drill set often, stepped drill bits often.

 

[adamct]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I bought a set of hole saws that I will try out on some scrap first. You know what is funny? I actually bought a 1" Forstner bit recently too. I didn't list it above, because I plan on using it for another project. For this purpose, a 7/8" or 15/16" bit would be better, but maybe I'll try out the Forstner bit on scrap and see if the hole is still small enough for my purposes.

As for the drill press, I'm not claiming it is any great shakes. It is a Craftsman Model No. 113.213151. It has 1HP and has 12 or 15 speeds, with the minimum being 250 RPM. It is a floorstanding model.

Best regards,
Adam

 

[4krow]

Actually, the drill press sounds just fine.. I prefer a floor standing model due to the increased drilling height. So may times, mine is a little short. And 1 HP is plenty, plus 250 RPM is great too, cuz a lot of models won't get below 500 RPM. Good BUY!

 

[adamct]

Thank you, Sensei!

 

[4krow]

  I will add a quick note-one of the silliest things I EVER did was to sell some of my best tools because they were very heavy and I was moving to another state. I figured that would just buy new ones when I arrived. You know, it never really works out that way, does it?

 

[Grainger49]

  I will add a quick note-one of the silliest things I EVER did was  .  .  .  . 

Sounds like the title to a good thread in my corner...????