Replies

1. 
   JsHerbel | Dec 03, 2004 06:53pm | #1

   Forstner bit. Conventional wisdom is that bits as large as 2" have to be used in a drill press, but they can be used with a hand drill. Just take it slowly.

   Since you probably aren't going to be using this bit alot, I'd get the cheapest I could find as they can get pretty expensive. Here's a link to some inexpensive bits.

   http://mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/forsbit.htm

1. 
   highfigh | Dec 03, 2004 07:48pm | #2

   If you have a 2" hole saw, go as deep as you need with that, then follow it with a spade bit, paddel bit or whatever you want to call it, using a drill press. Clean it up with a chisel. If it isn't an area that needs to be really clean, this will work. If it's going to be visible, use a Forstner bit.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   JohnWW | Dec 03, 2004 08:00pm | #3

   Three questions;

   1. You want to go lengthwise through a 7 inch long piece of 4x4?

   2. How neat does the hole have to be, furniture quality or rough because it's only going to slide over a post or carry wires?

   3. Do you have a tablesaw, a bandsaw, a drill press?

   John W.

3. 
   TomMGTC | Dec 03, 2004 08:12pm | #4

   Forstner bit will do the job nicely.

   Tom

   Douglasville, GA

4. 
   BenM | Dec 03, 2004 09:29pm | #5

   Make a series of small holes within the perimeter of the 2 inch circle.  I would use my smallest Forstner.  Clean up the perimeter with a gouge.

5. 
   triplenet | Dec 03, 2004 09:30pm | #6

   Can you slice the 4X4 in half? If so, slice it, router or dado on each half and reglue.

   Bob

6. 
   AlanWS | Dec 03, 2004 11:33pm | #7

   Your question seems to have confused us. What is it you want to do? I think you want to drill a 2" diameter hole 1" deep into the end of a 4" x 4". Is that right? And that you have a 2" hole saw, but are worried that you can't remove the waste because the hole will not pass through the entire piece. If all that is the case, just use the hole saw to cut the edge of the hole, then a smaller drill to remove most of the waste, and clean it up with a chisel or gouge.

7. 
   bones | Dec 03, 2004 11:56pm | #8

   I recently needed to cut an odd sized hole in a sheet of plywood. I did not have that particular size in my hole-saw kit. I used a circle cutter. It works well and it will work in a hand drill (that thing that woodworkers never use). It is variable and cuts a need whole. to avoid blow our you could but a sacrificial piece under it, or as I did, drill till the pilot bit comes through and turn the piece over and drill back to the center. Requires a little sanding in the middle, but works fine, just measure the diameter of the hole and lock it in and cut.  Or get a 2" whole saw with will not leave as pretty an edge, but cheap.

    

   http://www.woodcraft.com/Woodcraft/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=799&gift=False&mscssid=004CC1318623BF40BC8958897FB6AACF

1. 
   budreaux | Dec 04, 2004 01:00am | #9

   Another option is to drill a hole and use a coping saw.  You can also get deep hole saws that will do a 2x4 in a single pass.

8. 
   joinerswork | Dec 04, 2004 01:34am | #10

   Calendyr,

   As others have suggested, you can drill with the holesaw to outline the perimeter of the hole, 1" deep.  Then I'd use a router with a flat bottom bit to remove the waste from the center.

   Regards,

   Ray

9. 
   SRToolguy | Dec 04, 2004 05:10am | #11

   Test complete.... This one got me going so I fired up the drill with a 2" hole saw in it and punched an a 1" deep hole into the endgrain of a fir 4x4. I then took a 1/4" chisle and worked down the side of the hole between the good wood and the waste and the dang waste popped right out just as if I was cutting a plug. I kind of figured it would. I cleaned it up with 1/2 chisle in about 10 seconds and was done with it.

    

   Sincerely;

   The Tool Guy

1. 
   Calendyr | Dec 08, 2004 02:23am | #12

   Well I guess it does need some explaining because it doesn't seems to be common practice ;)

    

   Ok... here is the reason I wanted to do that.  A friend of mine purchased a projector and turned his basement in a small home theatre with surround sound and all.  Problem is that he only has 1 couch down there that will sit 3 people.  Next week Lord of the Rings : Return of the King comes out in special edition 4 DVD set and we want to make a Lord of the Rings week-end marathon watching all 3 movies in row with some friends.  Now there are 6 us... problem ;)

   So I told him, hey, let's just raise your couch 6 or 7 inches and add some chairs in front so we can sit 3 more. 

   My first suggestion was to make a platform to sit the couch on, but he does not want anything permanent and something 4 feet by 8 feet by 7 inches is not easilly stored.  So I suggested we make 4 small platforms for the legs of the couch (2 inches wide).  We decided to go with that.  I suggested we simply make a leg with 4X4 and add 2 cross pieces at the bottom to stabilize.  Won't be stylish but it will be solid and he can throw them in the shack without having fears of scratching them.  In the end we ended up with a pyramid design, 1 4X4 sitting on 2 more, seems a lot more solid than what I wanted to do. 

   Found a Forstner bit, worked extremelly well... thanks for the tip!  I used a pressdrill and was really surprised that there was no noticeble tork on the wood.  I was holding it but it felt that even if I did not it would not have moved.  Very impressive tool that was. 

   And yes my second plan was to use the wholesaw to cut the perimeter and then a flat blade 1 1/2 wide to remove most of the center and finally clean up with a wood knife but that seemed to me like a lot of work to drill 1 hole... well.. 4 actually ;)

    

   Edited 12/7/2004 6:25 pm ET by Calendyr

1. 
   JsHerbel | Dec 08, 2004 09:10pm | #13

   I can't seem to visualize your project no matter how many times I read it, but I'm glad the forstner bit worked anyway!

   It's alot easier to get the right tool for the job, if you can afford it, than it is to futz around making do with what you have. Though maybe a little less fun.

10. 
    johnhardy | Dec 08, 2004 11:46pm | #14

    A hole saw will work just fine.

    Drill as deep as the hole saw will drill (about an inch, give or take), and then remove the drill. Use a chisel to hog out the waste. Then put the drill back in and drill deeper. Repeat the hogging out process. Repeat until done.

    When the pilot bit breaks through the other surface, back out the drill and restart from the other side. It keeps tearout to a minimum.

    John

11. 
    MBL | Dec 09, 2004 10:30pm | #15

    Dear friend,

    If your drill press does not have a travel of four inches, you'd need to make sure that you center-line punch the work-piece at both ends so as to drill from both sides.

    Even if it did have that travel, would still drill it brom both ends, so as to compensate for any mis-travel of the bit through the wood.

    Best wishes.

    -mbl-