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Getting a flat spot for installing a faceplate......

robo hippy said:
Just a warning on using the big Forstner bits, they can grab a smaller lighter blank and twirl it around. I have used clamps to hold them down. I did get my 3 1/4 inch forstner bits at Woodcraft.

If you want to use a radial arm saw, they do make a planing bit for them, I guess it is some thing like a forstner bit.

robo hippy
Click to expand...

Don't have a radial arm saw, so that option it out....!

Clamping.....yep, that should be done.

Just wondering what the life span of one of these saw tooth Forstner bits might be. Since I only intend to just flatten the surface and not really bore deep, I would imagine the life expectancy might be pretty good......but, then there are things like bark inclusions, foreign matter embedded in the wood, NAILS (!), and etc.......?

Is it possible to re-sharpen?

ooc
 
odie said:
Don't have a radial arm saw, so that option it out....!

Clamping.....yep, that should be done.

Just wondering what the life span of one of these saw tooth Forstner bits might be. Since I only intend to just flatten the surface and not really bore deep, I would imagine the life expectancy might be pretty good......but, then there are things like bark inclusions, foreign matter embedded in the wood, NAILS (!), and etc.......?

Is it possible to re-sharpen?

ooc
Click to expand...

Wouldn't pay the bucks for a big bit which is much more likely to grab than a smaller, personally. Not as if you need it done in one bite, after all. It will dull a bit, blade or cutters if you feed dirt. Knocking the bark off makes good sense, if you're going that way. Sharpening with a diamond file seems to hold my bits reasonably capable.

What doesn't make good sense to me is to use the weakest form of mount - spur center - on the least-balanced and most prone to catching uneven surface. A forstner can help you there by making a quarter inch deep counterbore to mount the spur center. That way you get a bit of side help against dismounts.
 
FWIW, you can use a Forstner bit to make a socket in the waste surface of a bowl, and use a scroll chuck in expansion mode to turn the outside and whatever bottom you like (socket or tenon) for the hollowing stage. It's somewhat stronger than first turning between centers, and best if you use the same jaws for both steps - no need to swap parts around, just different diameters for socket and tenon.
 
Life span of the Forstner bit is determined by what you are drilling. Myrtle wood and walnut are hard on the bits. Any good saw shop should be able to resharpen them for you, though it is more of a specialty thing.

robo hippy
 
Joe and MM.....thanks for your thoughts.....


robo hippy said:
Life span of the Forstner bit is determined by what you are drilling. Myrtle wood and walnut are hard on the bits. Any good saw shop should be able to resharpen them for you, though it is more of a specialty thing.

robo hippy
Click to expand...


robo....


At the price of these bits at Woodcraft, I'd probably try to sharpen them myself by hand until I get uneven teeth and cutter.....then buy another! I wouldn't know, but I suspect that paying to get them sharpened might not be cost effective.......?




Mark Warden said:
Are familiar with this Odie http://www.grizzly.com/products/Drill-Press-Safety-Planer/G4821
Click to expand...

MW......

Why no, I was not aware of that. I'm going to file that information away for now......might be a possible in the future. thx for letting me know about it......

thanks to all

ooc
 
Getting a flat spot...

Odie, if you have a drill press, a 3' forstner bit will give you the flat, now your faceplate has a place to seat.

Ahatchet does a good job too.
Jorge
 
Jorge Castaneda said:
Odie, if you have a drill press, a 3' forstner bit will give you the flat, now your faceplate has a place to seat.

Ahatchet does a good job too.
Jorge
Click to expand...

Yup, sure do, Jorge......

That's the direction I'm leaning right now. Looking to get a 3 1/2" Forstner bit because I have a faceplate that is 3 3/8" in diameter......perfect fit!

I also have faceplates that are 3", 3 3/8", 4", 4 1/2", 6", 8"......I think......!

Waiting to put together an order at Woodcraft......so's to cash in on their free shipping offer.......

ooc
 
sharpening forstner drill bits

About 6 weeks ago I got from Rockler item #32355 a forstner bit sharpening kit for $17.99. Sharpened a couple of bits and it worked great.
I use occasionally a 2 1/4" bit to make a recess in a board for my chuck to fit into to make pedestals for business card holders and a neighbor artist that carves alabaster and needed a base. Gretch
 
Well, I never tried a Forstner bit sharpening kit, but my saw shop does it for a couple of dollars, they do it right, and I take them when I take my bandsaw blades in for sharpening. Bill for it is way cheaper than the time it would take me, and $40 or so bits are not some thing to throw away.

robo hippy
 
Kudos on the sharpening service advice. On making a flat, it depends on what I'm trying to do. If I'm trying to mount a piece for a traditional bowl, I might just use a spur center & tailstock, then get a tenon, and reverse for a more secure hold than just the spur center. I turn green wood, which compresses over the time of the turning; you must re-tighten up the tailstock often with the spur center. If I'm turning a natural edge bowl, then a chisel and mallet are my friends. I have a Makita wet sharpener, which is very quick to put a scary sharp edge on a chisel. With green wood especially, its very easy to make a flat surface for mounting a faceplate. I try to get a reasonably even bark edge rim spinning true with the chiseled surface, but most of the pieces I've been doing like this end up looking better if irregularly edged, so it doesn't really matter. For straight grained pieces of wood that I might make natural edged pieces with, the spur center is most definitely the easiest tool for making the rim even from one side to another. You just mark the spin with a pencil, and move the tailstock to change the axis of rotation. Sorry I'm not more savvy with pics.
 
Just a memo-note here.........

I purchased a 3 1/2" Forstner bit and tried it out this evening. This is exactly what I was looking for! 😀:cool2:

I really like that you can bore a flat spot coming in from an angle. This allows you to position your wood block as you wish with shims on the drill press table.

Thanks to all who responded in this thread.....this has been a great help to me. This has solved a special need I've been scratching my head over for years.....but, never thought of the forstner bit before asking here on the forum........


ooc
 
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