Posted by RandyT on 13, 2001 at 2:53 PM:
In Reply to: A really good bit for drilling 1 1/8" holes in wood posted by Wong Fey Hung on 12, 2001 at 9:08 PM:
Forstner bits work great, but they are NOT intended for use in a hand drill. Forstner bits are designed for clean, accurate holes and they achieve this by shaving out the hole with the bottom of the bit. Once the hole is deep enough, the body of the bit will follow into the hole, which will guide it straight through. There are no cutting edges on the side of the bit, and it is the same diameter as the hole you are cutting, making it very prone to binding.
It may work by hand, but it can be dangerous, especially in a larger drill with a lot of torque. If you get it spinning fast and you go off at an angle, the bit will bind in the wood and could break your wrist (or worse).
Borrow a drill press for these bits. Safety first!
Randy
: I bought a "Forstner" bit and used it today for drilling pushbutton holes in wood. It was much easier than the spade tip bit that I normally use. The Forstner bit made much cleaner holes than the spade tip bit too.
: I'd never heard of a Forstner bit before I bought it and I wasn't 100% sure it was for use with hand drills -- there wasn't anyone around to ask. The brand name is freud and it's made in Austria. It has a 3/8" shank so it worked fine with my 3/8" hand drill. It is relatively expensive, I paid $15.
: I'll try drilling Lexan with it later.