Forstner drill bits

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Shappy

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Mar 21, 2011
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Location
Charlottesville, VA
Does anyone have experience using Forstner drill bits for making pepper mills?
I enjoy making pens but would like to try turning some pepper mills.
Colt Maxicut and Bormax brands, both made in Germany, are advertised as two of the better quality bits. Any difference between the two? Any other brands comparable or better? Thx.
 
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Maxicut are good, I have a few can't say about the others. I make my own spade bits from planner blades (1/4" thick) and I like them a lot better. They stay way cooler for drilling pepper mills.

Lin.
 
Maxicuts are sharper and cut cleaner than the imports from the far east that I have -- but cost more. The MT2 mount and extension are very handy for lathe drilling.

Sizes may vary a bit depending on which mechanisms you use -- generally 1 1/16 and 1 5/8 are backbone bits with 1 and 1 1/2 also being used with some gear.

These bits are resharpenable -
Have fun
 
I've been using the Colt bits, and they are certainly better than the cheap HF bits I used before, but I still find I have to touch up the edges pretty regularly. I do wonder if there is a better way (e.g. carbide bits?)

I've never tried the Bormax, but they look interesting in concept.

-Barry
 
Hardware Store

You can probably find pretty decent forstner bits right in your local hardware store. I know I did - actually better than decent - and as I recall not overly expensive.

Maybe I'm wrong but drilling pepper mills doesn't strike me as being like drilling Pen blanks.
 
I think I use bormax from Germany. I have made many pepper mills and these are the best but quite expensive. I usually work on end grain with a mill and I know it takes a strong lathe to bore that way. I use a 3520 and bore slowly with lots of breaks to cool the bit.

Don
 
Agreed

+1 on carbide - I have never had occasion to use mine on the lathe since most of the drilling of that type I do is with a hand drill.
 
Mine are just ordinary tool steel. I haven't used them for pepper mills, but I have used them in the tailstock to drill out tea light holders. I drill almost two inches deep with a 1 7/8 bit with no problems. I usually drill the first hole with a 1" bit, then drill a second time with the larger bit to prevent overheating.
 
The "standard" peppermill mech that has been used for several years requires a through hole that is 1 and one-sixteenth inch. My ACE Hardware doesn't stock them. Nor do any other Hardware stores in the area.

To drill a 10" mill, you are going through about 7" of material--you will need at least ONE extension, which eliminates using a bit that has a built-in Morse taper. You could START with that, but it won't finish the job.

Both WoodCraft and Penn State sell the required forstner bit--I have used both---neither is superb. Both cut wood, just takes time.

I have not seen a carbide version---and I have looked. So, if anyone finds one, please PM me!!!

Spade bits do work and don't generate as much heat---but I switched to a forstner, years ago---had to have been a reason, but I don't recall it now.

Hope this helps!!
 
I ordered the carbide bit from Woodline and it arrived yesterday. I hope to get a chance to try it this weekend (of course, the real test is on the second pepper mill :-)

-Barry
 
broitblat said:
I ordered the carbide bit from Woodline and it arrived yesterday. I hope to get a chance to try it this weekend (of course, the real test is on the second pepper mill :-)

-Barry
Click to expand...

OK, I gave the carbide bit a try. It zipped through 9 1/2" of Myrtle no problem. Just for reference I part of the way with my old Colt bit. I guess I've not been as successful sharpening the Colt as I thought I'd been :frown:

I also measured the diameter of the hole made by the carbide to make sure their tolerances weren't too far off. It seems to be right on what I'd expect.

-Barry
 
After trying the Woodline Carbide bit on a few pepper mills, now, it still cuts well. However, I am consistently getting a hole that is a little oversized.

-Barry
 
Spade bits drill faster and stay cooler. But they don't leave a smooth interior like a forstner bit.

Drilling end grain is not easy. And if you have a variable speed lathe that uses a variable voltage DC motor, you may find that you don't have enough torque at low speed, and increasing the speed increases heating.

A suggestion that I saw somewhere is to drill the opening of the hole with a forstner bit so that the opening is clean, and then switch to a spade bit for the rest of the hole where sides don't have to be as clean.
 
Interesting disucssion, sorry I missed it the firt time. I could not find any of the forester bits the size that I need in my local store, I thought about ordering them from Grizzley. Has anyone had any experience with those particular bits?
 
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