Going the cheap route costs more!
Drilling some 1 1/2″ holes in a piece of birch should be relatively straightforward, right?
Mount the forstner bit in your drill press and have at it. NOT, if you have cheap bits like I was suckered into. Or at least that’s the way I feel. I should have known better after being a participant in Knots.
Yea sure, any excuse for buying that new tool, but there seems to be some amount of truth to buying the best you can afford and I should know better than to buy cheap crap.
Where do you get the best quality? I guess that may depend on what you’re looking for? Right now I’d like to purchase the best Forstner bits for use with hardwood. Anyone have any suggestions?
I apologize for this negative attitude as I guess I’m PO’d at meself! I hate it when I’m stupid!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 4/19/2007 8:56 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Replies
The Fraud carbide boxed set. Yes Chuck M. I said Fraud.
Just tell us how you really feel.
I know the feeling. I hate doing dumb things. When I do, I can lay it onto myself but good.
I have always said that if one is not careful, the low bid can be the most expensive.
Speaking of doing dumb things, Today, I cut out the parts to make a podium. I am using walnut ply for the case. The face side is really good quality while the "back" has a lot of sapwood. I am going to do some dado. When I got ready to do the dado, I realized that the side pieces should have been reversed so the dados would be on the sapwood side. I cut another side and, guess what? I just cut a third piece exactly the same.
It was time to shut the door and quit for the day!
Hey bob, at least you wont have to look at your mistake every day. I made this box for my wife (my second project). she loves it and displays it prominently in our home, I grit my teeth every time I walk by it. Chris
for stuff like this, early on I shared my introspectives on my wwing shortcomings on particular projects with my wife, and she came up with an axiom....."never keep the first one"So I don't. Eric
My new motto! Thanks, eric
I see two examples of love: You made it for her, beautifully designed and executed (the 1 mistake is minor compared to the former) and she loves it because you made with love. I see two winners.Congratualtions, Frosty
I read your message and a warm feeling came over me, then I looked over and saw the box, it's gone. Only kidding, she loves it because I put so much time and effort into making it for her. Thanks for the props, Chris
Hi, it is nice to know that your wife, mrs, her, she who must Be obeyed,etc. sill loves you, no offence to the box, nice polish [is it a new type of shellach] come on share your secret. God Bless America from this side of the pond
Well, they do say love is blind. And here I stand before you, hat in hand, looking down while I scuff my toes, and admit that I used poly on that box. God save the queen my friend!
Bob, tell us what happened. Sounds as though the bit has under performed slightly. Did you complete the job or is it spoiled? Is the bit dead?
Some of those bits may be crappy, but one can still tweak them....if only to finish the job , then they go into a dark corner.
Hi phillip,
It's really strange. I started to bore the holes for the Twin Screw through the end apron and front vise face with a 1 1/2" Forstner bit. I had them clamped together also as per the instructions.
The first hole went smoothly. I slid the boards across the drill press and proceeded to cut the second hole. As Grandpa used to say, "It's duller'n a hoe!" OK, then we'll switch to a 7/8" to hog out the center which worked fine. Swapped back to the 1 1/2". "Duller'n a hoe, wouldn't cut at all! Stalled the drill press. Pitched it into a dark hole!
I used this same bit to cut the holes in the front vise sevearl months ago and it worked great. I felt bad about pitching it so I retrieved it. I looked at the cutting edges and they were almost rounded over. Got out the file(s) and honed all the cutting edges and will try again tonight, after purchasing a new bit, just in case.
Didn't spoil the wood, just some fizzies around the top edge that a scraper will fix. The wood is yellow birch and am sandwiching it with 5/4 planed black cherry.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I once got suckered into a set of bits that looked like forstners and were not, as they lacked the brad type point. Wow, was I pissed at myself.
Hey Bob,I know you're probably still fuming, so please don't shoot me for asking... You stepped down the RPMs on the drill press to drill the hole, right? A high RPM is going to heat up the 1.5" bit faster and possibly ruin the temper. 1.5" does qualify as a "big" bit.I jacked up a perfectly good (and brand new) hole saw because I ran it at way too high of an RPM. And for that story, I can say "once." For other stories, I'll choose not to comment. ;-)Glen
Az,
Yes it's running at the slowest speed, 580 RPM. I will admit that the first time I used it, the DP was running @ 1,400 RPM, the bit chattered like a chicodee! Cranked it down to 580 and life is/was good. Was churning out nice chips and very little dust so it had to be sharp then.
Looking at the bit this AM, whilst a cooler head prevailed, I'm certain that at some point I overheated it and suspect it's relegated to the experience bin, that place where all unuseable tools live in infamy! Unless we find a way to recycle them into another tool/jig.
What's the most annoying is that mine is a one person shop so I can't blame someone else for my stupidity! :-) :-)
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I always blame my evil twin, KsDiscDog in that particular case. The wife gives me a funny look but knows not to say anything else. ;-)At least you know why that particular bit crapped out on you -- no steel can keep an edge for long after losing its temper.Glen
If 500 rpm is your lowest speed, the drill press may be the cheap tool in this case. That may be a high speed for your bit. I have a speed chart, but can't consult it at present.Cadiddlehopper
Hey caddiddlehopper,
The thing is that I bored two holes with no problems, albeit I went real slow as far as plunging the bit into the stock. You're right that the DP is an antique and it doesn't have much power, 1/6 HP! That's why I went real slow. I'm saving for a new one.
I think I may have pushed it too far and it heated up the bit thus killing whatever temper was it had. I even tried sharpening it to no avail. I bought a new HSS bit at the local hardware store and finished the boring with no problems.
Thanks everyone for all your help. I did learn that the cheap route doesn't work. And now I have a new reason to justify to the wife why I have to spend so much on high quality tools!
It's a beautiful thing,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I have found that the L.V H.S.S. bits (Made in China incidently )have stood up to hard use.I have not overheated them to blueing and tested them yet.Buy one and abuse it.There is no mention as far as I have seen, of the type of HSS used.
Bob: I bought a 7 piece set from Milwaukee when I setup my shop. It has been fine for 5 years or so. Made in Taiwan. There is also a place I buy bits from, both router and drill, called Carbide.com. Good service and just about any bit you can think of.
http://www.carbide.com/
Duke
Support the Troops, Support your Country
Support Western Civilization:
Fight Islamofascism
Duke,
Nice site, it's now a Favorite appropriately filed under Woodworking Tools.
Thanks, and their prices aren't that bad either.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Glad to be of service!
DukeSupport the Troops, Support your Country
Support Western Civilization:
Fight Islamofascism
Duke,
If I can return the favor, I'm here. Need help with the 'puter I'm there.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
http://www.leevalley.com
cant be beat
Indeed! And the customer service is par non!
Thanks,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"There is hardly anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and those people who consider price only, are this man's lawful prey.
It is unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little.
When you pay too much you lose a little money - that is all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot; it cannot be done.
If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better"
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
Sage advice.
If only I had seen B4. I've managed to escape the malady albeit not the way I wanted it to be, had to finish with a spade bit. Yes, I did have to sharpen/hone edges to make the cuts sharp and clean. The Twin Screw is coming out quite nicely and will post pics of the final result. The DTs don't look all that bad either!
Now that I've got past the basics, am adding the creative touches that Lee Valley advises against in the beginning.
I must admit those folks do indeed have it together. Am looking forward to the new end vise.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 4/22/2007 7:31 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
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