# Making mugs with forstner bit? Anything I should know before I buy the bit?



## Micahm (Aug 28, 2013)

I want to make some mugs and was wondering if I can use a 3 1/4 inch forstner bit in a jacobs drill chuck to hollow out the inside of the mug instead of using gouges and such. It would be faster and easier I imagine. My only wonder is the point in middle of the forstner bit if that would lead to any problems. Are there any other problems I may come across?


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

See no problem using a forstner bit if keep the speed down and back-out often to clear chips. I have never used a 3 ¼" bit to drill, but never had any problems with 2 1/8" or 2 ¼" bits.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

Would this be in a lathe? That sounds like a great idea for hollowing perfect cylinders, I might have to try it.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

What kind of horsepower does your lathe have?

To use a bit that big, your lathe's motor needs a lot of torque or you'll really bog down.

My lathe has a 1 horsepower motor, and has a hard time with a 2-inch forstner bit.


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## Micahm (Aug 28, 2013)

I have the Jet EVS-2 2hp 230v Lathe.

Will I need to level out the bottom inside of the mug to the tip of the hole from the point on the forstner bit; or will it be fine with the small hole a little deeper into the bottom. I will make the bottoms thicker to account for the point and make it a little bottom heavy.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

Well, torque shouldn't be a problem is you take it easy and back out to clear chips/dust.

The point could be a problem, so watch your depth. I use a round-nose scraper to take out the divot left by the point, then use a box scraper to flatten out the bottom.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Years ago, I used a 2" Forstner bit to drill out a nice piece of rosewood to make a pencil box. I used a metal lathe at a low speed, but it still took a monstrous amount of time. Something like 2 hours, as I recall. I did not have access to gouges or chisels at the time. You are going to develop a lot of heat doing this with a Forstner bit. If you are doing the deed in a wood lathe, the center point is of lower value, and I would recommend drilling starting with smaller diameters and working your way up.


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## GeraldH (Oct 29, 2014)

I've used a forstner bit with my lathe to speed up hollowing out many times. Just be sure you have a quality bit that is sharp. The bit makes all the difference. If you are doing this, I'm sure you know the other things you need to do like leaving room to scrape the bottom. I always use a faceplate for those type operations, it's more sturdy than a chuck.


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## GeraldH (Oct 29, 2014)

What type of wood do you use for the mugs and what type of sealing is needed?


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## RobS888 (May 7, 2013)

Try using 1 inch then 2 inches first, so the big one is only removing 1/2 inch or so on rim. Much faster and cooler on the bit than trying to one time it.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Are you drilling cross - grain or end-grain? I have used a 3" forstner bit drilling end grain on hardwood. Dulls the bit quickly.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

I was gonna suggest you contact Monte Pittman since he is a mug making wonder but he has already checked in.

Good luck with your project. Let us know what you do and how it works out. I am curious do you have to mortgage the farm to buy a 3 1/4" Forstner bit. I use a 3/4" for inletting pennies into work and they are over $20 for one that will last for more than a few holes. We have some wild bamboo that grows to 50'+ and the cane makes great mugs. Cut at a joint and use it for the bottom and strap a wood handle to it with leather straps.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

You will need to clamp and securely fasten the wood because a 3 1/4" forstner bit will work hard to spin the wood. The wood type and hardness will be a big factor.


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## vcooney (Jan 4, 2009)

I have made several mugs using Forstner bits up to 3.5" and it works well…just keep it slow and easy on the feed rate. When I make my mugs I use segmented stave construction so I'm not taking a lot of wood off.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

> Try using 1 inch then 2 inches first, so the big one is only removing 1/2 inch or so on rim. Much faster and cooler on the bit than trying to one time it.
> 
> - RobS888


That's the way to go. It makes it so much easier, and once you get past 1/8" depth, the bit sides will keep it straight. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

The best way I found to make the mugs is using a bandsaw if you have one, here is my build.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Personally I would prefer to turn mugs with a hollowing tool. That way you can taper the mugs which some think make it more graceful looking and also drilling against end grain builds up a lot of heat which can potentially crack your mug if you go too fast and it takes too long if you go too slow, assuming yours will be end grain. Another problem is that end grain will not hold liquid if it isn't epoxied. If you hollow out a wet piece of wood all the way through and put a groove in to hold the bottom, you can use a dry side-grain piece for the bottom and that won't leak and you don't need to use any finish on it. The wet side walls will shrink around the dry bottom and when liquid is put into the mug the wood will swell a little and make it water tight. That's how I made the one shown here


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## revjerry (Sep 2, 2014)

I use 2" and 3" forester bits on my lathe all the time. I mount to a Jacobs chuck and keep the speed between 350 and 500. Takes a bit of time working slower but it's safer too. The bottom only needs fixing if it bothers you. It bothers me. A small scraper will usually do the job.

One word of caution. After you're done drilling, back the tail stock off to the end of your rails and let it sit there to avoid one problem. The drill bit is hot enough to leave blisters; don't ask how I know this. The other problem, however, is leaving it sitting at the end; makes a nasty cut in your right elbow; don't ask me how I know this.


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