FORSTNER DRILL BITS

I have touched up, just the cutting edges with a small stone, or file.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

It’s possible just more work.

Also there are differences in brands of bits. Some are better than others.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Hi Dave

We had a place out of St Louis that sharpen the prisons. Perhaps there is a sharpenig place near you. We usually got one sharpening out of a bit. After that it was cheaper to replace them. But those guys were pretty rough on bits

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

The way you keep (any) drill bit from burning is by letting the wood chips escape, which take the heat out of the hole with them.

When drilling deep holes with a forsner bit the chips tend to pile up above the bit (in the hole). Just bring the bit up out of the hole every few seconds to eject the chips (I am assuming you are using a drill press), and then continue cutting.

I don’t know about sharpening them.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

I agree with Gary’s statement about the quality of the bits. I have bought individual bits and they cut fine. But on impulse I bought a set of Tradsman bits at Lowe’s and they don’t cut very well, especially the larger ones.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I have sharpened one or two of mine with a small file. Seems to work OK.

-- Bruce from Central New York

Blake’s got it there. I have the same burning problem and have found that going slow and ejecting the shavings often, works best. Most of your carvings (some of the best I’ve seen in a long while) are in soft woods like pine right? Soft woods have a lot of pitch and moisture that would slow things down. Look at your blades edge after drilling. If the wood fibers are bent aroung the edge then it’s obviously not cutting. If the edge is clean, then it’s loading up.

As for sharpening, the bits had to be sharpened once before, right? I took a look at my bits and it looks like a jeweler’s file could easily touch them up.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Never tried it.

I have not tried it yet, but I understand that they can be sharpened with an auger bit file

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

I usually am drilling cherry wood, with the forstner bit, with speed of my drill press about half the speed it can go. I do clear the chips steadily while drilling. The cut is smooth….....it just burns.

THANKS GUYS, I APPRECIATE IT !!!
DAVE

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

I use a small Jewlers file set to work the edges on mine and it keeps the cutting. Staying ahead of the dullness is the key. Don’t let the bit become too dull before trying to sharpen.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

THANKS !

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

They can be sharpened. What usually needs to be sharpened is the circular rim around the bottom. Once that dulls it will not cut into the wood anymore.

-- www.greenheadsharpening.com

I sharpen them all the time. If you have a good eye and a steady hand it is a piece of cake. A little time consuming, but cheaper than new.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

It takes some time to sharpen but it is worth while. A small file or a diamond stone work great. One trick is to use a black magic marker on the edge that you want to touch up. good luck!

-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

Thanks Daren! What do you use to sharpen them ? I was thinking of going at it with my foredom flexable shaft and a stone of some sort.

Dave

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

Hi David;

They aren’t normally too bad to sharpen. I use a fine stone on the outside edge, and the inside edge, if possible.

Since there are so many different styles , each type will dictate which way to go. Typically they just need to be honed lightly. I have also used emery cloth to hone them on the inside edge.

Hope this helps.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

”Thanks Daren! What do you use to sharpen them ?”
Diamond hand files. I am a professional tool sharpener, so I have “practice” on my side, but a guy can do it with a good understanding of how the bit works (it’s all about angles) and some skill/patients. A novice with a power tool might as well throw them away, saves ruining the bit/wasting abrasives/getting hurt…just my $.02

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

I agree with Daren. Tool and cutter grinding is an art, so a tip-of-the-hat to your profession.

Those of you who don’t know what a Monoset is (or how to run one), should stick to diamond files and touch ‘em up by hand.

-- There is nothing in the world more dangerous, than a woodworker who knows how to read a micrometer...

Hey Dave, check out these links…

The site here, and the chart here. The chart link is pretty good…

I’ve “touch up” sharpened mine in the past, and it takes a while. I use a little diamond stone that I use with my router bits. Hope that helps.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †