A Forstner bit is really more of a boring bit than a drill bit. It is used when you need to make a circular cut in something and need a flat bottom when finished. They are circular in shape and some have a spur in the center that is slightly longer than the cutters around the edge.
If you are going to use European hinges on a cabinet door, you would almost have to use a Forstner bit. To describe one, they look much like a wheel on an overhead garage door. They have a shaft that goes into the chuck. At the other end is a circular cutter with teeth around the outside. The teeth aren't like those on a hole saw because they actually break up the chips of wood at the same time. The rim is also solid unlike a hole saw. They make very accurate diameters and leave smooth walls and hole bottoms. ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 11:26 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] cutting a circular hole what is this item? Please describe. On Sun, 25 May 2008, cheetah wrote: > yep a forstner bit will do the job nicely. > alls he needs is about an inch and a half. > i have a 3 inch forstner bit so they get quite large. > jim > At 07:52 PM 5/25/2008, you wrote: > >> Another option might be forstner bits. I don't know how big those bits go. >> >> earlier, Paul Franklin, wrote: >> >>> Somewhere in the distant past, probably at Sears, I bought a nest of >>> deep whole saws for about $12.00. They would Easley cut a whole >>> through 2 inch stock. They were definitely not of top quality and >>> because of their extra depth they got out of round easily. They got >>> a lot of use and didn't last all that long. They were a handy tool >>> to have in my shop and I have looked for another set with out >>> success, for the last couple of years. >>> >>> Paul Franklin >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: Dale Leavens >>> To: >> <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com >>> Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 11:00 AM >>> Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] cutting a circular hole >>> >>> A fly cutter is a drill bit set into a thicker mandrill which is to >>> be mounted into the chuck of a drill press. There is a bar which >>> runs through a square hole in that mandrill laterally which can be >>> slid further out from the shaft and tightened into place with a set >>> screw. This lateral bar has another rectangular bar extending down >>> with a beveled sort of sharpened chisel tip which revolves around >>> the bit center as they both turn and which describes a circle the >>> radius of the amount of the lateral beam protruding from the >>> mandrill.This sharp chisel then is spinning at the radius from the >>> center which has been selected by the user and of course the entire >>> thing is necessarily unbalanced. >>> >>> In a drill press it does at least maintain it's position relative to >>> the work being cut, on the end of a hand held drill though, just the >>> off-center vibration makes it near impossible to keep steady. Once >>> it begins biting into wood, and remembering at two points in the >>> rotation it is cutting cross grain while at two other points it is >>> cutting with the grain, the rotation torque is constantly variable. >>> As hard and strong as the steel is, the possibility of any number of >>> things failing is very high. >>> >>> Because of the design too, the depth of the fly cutter is only about >>> an inch. They do come in different sizes, the one I have probably >>> cuts up to about 4 and a half maybe 5 inches. >>> >>> My experience is that regardless of how much care I use one or other >>> of the set screws fails during the process and usually it is the >>> radius which begins expanding. I had such a problem when cutting to >>> form a nice arch shaped cutout on the fence I made for my router >>> table. My idea was to cut the hole just centered a little below the >>> radius of the hole then with the table saw cut away the edges to >>> form what would look like a very steady handed ban saw operator had >>> formed a fine archway for the dust collection. >>> >>> From one side it turned out like that, the other side ended up >>> having a quarter inch deep curved line about 3/8ths outside the >>> circumference of the arc. I hid this from view by making that the >>> back side of the fence and covering it with the construction into >>> which the dust collection hose gets fitted.I then ordered two sets >>> of what should be good quality hole saws. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: John Schwery >>> To: >> <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com >>> Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 9:10 AM >>> Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] cutting a circular hole >>> >>> What is a fly cutter and what sizes of holes do they cut? >>> >>> earlier, Dale Leavens, wrote: >>> >>>> Fly cutters in anything other than a drill press which keeps it >>>> running true are prone to breaking apart or having bits fly off if >>>> they aren't kept running absolutely true. You are warned never to >>>> use them outside of a drill press. >>>> >>>> A broken wrist is only one of a number of serious injuries one >> can sustain. >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: >> <mailto:spiro%40netaxs.com><mailto:spiro%40netaxs.com><mailto:spiro%40netaxs.com>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> To: >>> >> <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com >>>> Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 12:49 AM >>>> Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] cutting a circular hole >>>> >>>> spade bits and fly cutters, (hole cutter for drill press here) are >>>> similarly difficult to 360 center and can wrench a wrist if they hit a >>>> knot in the wood. >>>> >>>> On Fri, 23 May 2008, Dale Leavens wrote: >>>> >>>>> You should never use a hole cutter in anything other than a drill >>>> press for reasons of safety however you can safely use a hole saw. >>>> These come in a number of sizes, I think my largest is 4 and a half >>>> inches. These can be used in a hand power drill. There is a central >>>> twist bit which is longer than the peripheral ring with saw teeth. >>>> The twist bit guides the rotating saw into and on through the wood. >>>>> >>>>> I suggest that once the bit comes out the far side and before the >>>> rotating saw part cuts through that you remove the hole saw and >>>> complete the cut from the other side to keep it from tearing the >>>> wood as it exits. >>>>> >>>>> You can buy individual hole saws or a set. If not readily >>>> available where you live I bought my sets from Leevalley.com. >>>>> >>>>> I doubt you will find a spade bit big enough but you could get a >>>> large auger bit for a hand brace & bit. >>>>> >>>>> Hope this helps. >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: Robert Riddle >>>>> To: >>> >> <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com >>>>> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 2:19 PM >>>>> Subject: [BlindHandyMan] cutting a circular hole >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I need to cut a circular hole in one of the boards comprising my >>>> picnic table for the umbrella. Everything I've read says to use a >>>> circle cutter in a drill press, which I don't have. Are there any >>>> other options? >>>>> >>>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>>> Checked by AVG. >>>>> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.0/1462 - Release Date: >>>> 5/23/2008 7:20 AM >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> ---------------------------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>> Checked by AVG. >>>> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1464 - Release Date: >>>> 5/24/2008 8:56 AM >>>> >>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>>> >>>> >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>> Checked by AVG. >>>> Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1464 - Release Date: >>>> 5/24/2008 8:56 AM >>> >>> John >>> >>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG. >>> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1464 - Release Date: >>> 5/24/2008 8:56 AM >>> >>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>> >>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >>> >>> >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG. >>> Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1464 - Release Date: >>> 5/24/2008 8:56 AM >> >> John >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG. >> Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1465 - Release Date: >> 5/25/2008 1:22 PM > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
