Newbie Tool Tip: Forstner Bits

[@hubertdendraak9313]

Very informative and to the point, and with a dry sense of humour. This channel deserves more views.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks! 🙂

[@MrHasenfeffer]

I have an additional tip for preventing tearout when using a drill press. Drill a pilot hole in the center with a small diameter standard drill bit. Then, using this hole to center the Forster bit, drill about halfway through the material, flip it over, and then drill through the other half. Works great in my experience. I haven't tried this with a hand drill, but I'm guessing results would vary greatly. BTW, I really like your approach with these videos. Simple, friendly, easy to follow, and not afraid to say, "I don't know." Keep up the good work!

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Great tip! Wish I'd thought of it! I can see exactly how it works - just like how I use hole saws. And I would think that it'd work for handheld drills also. Thanks! And thanks for saying you enjoy my videos. Yes, I have no problem saying "I don't know". Besides, there's too many KZbinrs out there who would call me on it in a second, if I did try to BS my way through. :)

[@johnnichols8553]

I just used this technique yesterday on a 1-3/8" forstner bit, and can confirm it works great. I drilled 1/8" pilot holes first all the way thru, and set the stop on my drill press to not drill all the way thru the wood.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

@@johnnichols8553 👍

[@I-Love-Taylor-Swift]

Today, I was considering selling my top-quality (expensive) forstner bit set and changing it to a set of hole saws. But then I started to realise there aren't many good hole saw sets available AND I started to realise forstner bits are actually really good (especially the flat-bottomed hole capability, which other drill bit can't do). Then after watching your video, that totally confirmed it - I'm keeping my forstner bit set !! Thanks :-)

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Yes - keep that set! It's well worth it. And glad I could help! 😄

[@barstad-9591]

Stumpy Nubs says the ‘wavy’ forstner bits are awesome. I think it was in one of his Cool Tool reviews. Thanks.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Someone else mentioned that. I watched part of that video, but I guess I missed that part.

[@markbeiser]

The 16 piece Fisch set he recommended costs over $376 though! Frued make a similar looking Diablo set for around $175.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

@@markbeiser 😮

[@crztrn1]

my girlfriend asked whats a backer board. i have her watching your channel to learn basics. im too new to teach. love your channel thank you so much for your help

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks, I appreciate it. And dang! I was going to mention what a backing board was, but somehow I forgot. Sigh. A backing board, also known as a "sacrificial board", is a piece of wood you don't mind getting wrecked. Clamp down your stock to it good and tight. Then when you drill through your stock, let the bit go into the backing board a little before you stop. Since your stock piece is tight against the backing board, it can't tear out when the bit goes through it. Does that help?

[@titodejesus6238]

Man , I love your videos and how SINCERE you are when you do not know the answer to something. It feels like I am talking to a pal.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks, I appreciate that. I knew from the start that if I tried to pass myself off as someone who knows everything, I'd crash and burn. It's really freeing to say "I don't know". 😄

[@howardbecdove9780]

Hi Dan. I haven’t used wavy Forster bits either. However, stumpy nubs did a review on them and said he much preferred them over the regular type. If I hadn’t already bought a full set of regular bits, then I’d likely buy the wavy type. I believe they hold their edge better.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Interesting! I think I watched that video, or at least part of it, but I must have forgotten that part. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@Nathan-H]

Really informative video, I look forward to seeing more in the future

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks!

[@BrianSu]

Very good video. Thank you.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks, and you're quite welcome! 😄

[@stevedriver1476]

good video ,,well explained info.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks! Glad I could help! 😄

[@MrThfknsamurai]

How do you smooth out the bottom of the hole so there is no dot in the center from the bit

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

I don't. 🙂

[@puzzlering1]

Thank you for a very well explained and informative video, I have just bought a set and as I have never used one before, I am very pleased to have found your channel Thank you Take care and be safe Sam

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Awesome! Glad I could help. 😄

[@TheCyberHippie]

From what I understand the wavey bits create a cleaner hole than the saw edge, but generate less heat than a straight edge.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks for the info! 😄

[@dirkvercauteren1876]

Also existing with , as you call the chippers, with chip breakers.( Famag or Stern). Dividing the chips in smaller ones, making drilling a lot easyer, those needs less force. Best regards.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks!

[@crazycutz8072]

A very good walk through. I now know what to do with my forsterner bit set

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Awesome - glad I could help! Thanks for letting me know. 😄

[@dianeladico1769]

Thank you. This video and the one on counterbores was exactly what I needed to refasten the removable panel on my privacy fence. Turns out half an inch of bite from a deck screw isn't enough to secure the panel to the post when the prevailing wind is coming from the backside. I'm going to bolt the stringer to the post under the picket. Should have been paying more attention when they were installing it, I guess.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Glad I could help! 😄

[@cryangallegos]

Drilled 16 holes in a plywood prototype last night with a forstner for the 1st time and had really bad tear out on the backside, it won't affect the product, but it still bothered me, idk what I was thinking, but sometime in the middle of the night I realized I just needed a backer to hold the end plys in place. I guess I was blaming the source of my forstners (Amazon/China) rather than common sense practices

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Yeah, tear-out can definitely happen. A backing board is a good idea, or drill partway through from one side, and finish from the other (requires a small pilot hole).

[@johnflatt6822]

Very interesting. My high school shop teacher would refer to the "saw tooth" bits as "Multi-spur" bits and the single knife bit as the "Fortsner" bit.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks. The term "Forstner bits" seems to be generally agreed upon, and that's what manufacturers call them. I *think* the term "hole saw" is pretty universal. The terms for the other bits go from "mostly agreed upon" to "Oh really? That's what I call *this* bit, not *that* one." At least, that's what I've seen.

[@yakkytory8236]

"Wavy" bits are a compromise between a "straight-edge" bit and a "saw-tooth" Forstner bit. They don't get as hot as the "straight-edge" ones, and at the same time are not as aggressive as the "saw-tooth" ones in terms of tearing the stock.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks for the info! 😄

[@danielriveraandujar7133]

I have a bed frame that uses a forstner bit hole how do I know how deep to go in its my first time using this bit any suggestions would be helpful

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

That's always guessing game, depending on what kind of screw/bolt/washer you want to use. I suggest using a piece of scrap wood and just experimenting. For me, I've kind-of gotten used to how much of the Forstner bit has to disappear before I've gone far enough. But like I said, start out with a piece of scrap wood. Don't forget to use the Forstner bit first, then a regular bit to drill the rest of the way through. Good luck! 😄

[@danielriveraandujar7133]

@@TheNewbieWoodworker should I go by the old hardware

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

@@danielriveraandujar7133 I would imagine so, although since I don't know exactly what you're doing, I can't say for sure.

[@danielriveraandujar7133]

@@TheNewbieWoodworker I'm replacing one of a bed frame that my son broke and I notice that a forstner bit was used

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

@@danielriveraandujar7133 Then just make sure you don't drill down so far that you really weaken the wood. And tell your son to stop jumping on the bed! 😂

[@DIYHobbyandpassionchannel]

Good clip. I also made a similar clip with these bits. Good luck.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks! 😄

[@larryjacobs5713]

Great video very informative

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks!

[@catherinehargreaves1691]

thaks, i enjoy all your vids, ceep up your good work. jack ,from the u.k.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks! 😄

[@KL-bi2un]

thx for the explanation

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

You're quite welcome! 😄

[@bobbg9041]

As I understand a wave edge bit is the best of both knife edge and sawtooth edge bits, but they also cost more money like 4 times as much. You want a clean hole start with a knife edge once the surface fibers are scored simi deep change to a sawtooth type but stop short of drilling all the way, flip the part over and finnish with the knife edge. Your hole should be perfect without any blow out. Sawtooth cutters tend to pick up fibers on the way in and chip out they will also blow out the back end of a cut. You can prevent this with a backing board but better to be safe then sorry. Let's assume your drilling into some priceless wood you cant afford to turn into scrap or fire wood.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks for the info! 😄

[@monteglover4133]

Forstner bits are like most tools the prices and quility very widely from cheap to outrageously expensive, but for moust of hobbyist woodworkers the bits from cheap Chinese inc. work well and do the job and fit in to our limited budgets and hold up well. At one time I neede a 2" and a 1 1/2" bit it was cheaper to buy a whole set than just thoes 2 bits.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Yep, you're right. Thanks!

[@markharris5771]

I thought, and please remember that anyone newer that me to woodworking hasn’t been born yet, that saw bits and spade bits cut through the wood and forstner bits are for when you want a flat bottom. But in all probability I’ve totally misunderstood something somewhere.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

No worries about the newbie question - it's actually a great question! The main reason you'd use a forstner bit, spade bit, or hole saw is for larger diameter holes. You don't see many twist bits (standard bits) much larger than a half inch, very often. I suspect that if they got much larger, they wouldn't product very clean holes, but I don't know for sure - I could be wrong about that. But regardless, when you start needing larger holes, and look at what's available, it's usually forstner bits, spade bits, hole saws, and hole cutters.

[@markharris5771]

The Newbie Woodworker Thanks Dan, woodworking far more complicated than I thought when I said "I can make my own photograph frames, how hard can it be?" It’s also a lot more addictive.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

@@markharris5771 Mark, I know EXACTLY what you mean. My adventure, pre-KZbin channel, started a couple of years ago, when all I wanted to do was make a game controller box. The buttons and wiring were easy (relatively). But I didn't like the look of the box, and thought "how hard can it be to make a good looking box?" As you might suspect, I still have the original box sitting on my credenza, untouched. But I'm sure having fun!

[@chriskennedy1612]

Another great vid!

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks!

[@kyleschmitz4619]

"Stumpy Nubs" gives a good description of the wavy bits if you're interested! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpald5Z5ib2NoaM

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks, Kyle. I've seen it, and you're right, it *is* a good explanation. Thanks for sharing.

[@thelowmein9143]

Hmm I always thought that using a forstner bit with a handheld drill was a big no no. Interesting.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

I know what you mean, but it's perfectly usable as long as you clamp things down. I saw a video a while back where someone was holding the stock in one hand - not on a table, just in the air - and drilling with the other hand. Now *that's* something I wouldn't recommend! :)

[@honestinsincerity2270]

I heard the same thing but in my experience it's totally doable up to say about 3/4 to 1 inch forstner bits. And if you have a side handle on the hand drill or a stock to lean your shoulder into and keep it nice and steady, even better. I think they're originally designed for drill presses but just like every other designed item, people are going to cultivate the skill required to use them in different applications. I'm of the mind set to heed safety advice but try most other things out myself to see if those "rules" truly apply or not. (Now granted some of those things are undoubtedly going to put extra wear on my tools, but, hey, I don't want to pass along shiny brand new bits to my kids or their kids. Let them get the hand me down crap!)

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

@@honestinsincerity2270 LOL, and thanks for the comment. How can they tell it's an heirloom if it's nice and shiny? 😄

[@donaldcallahan450]

Good video keep the information coming

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks!

[@finholgeth4662]

cheers mate

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

👍

[@NonStopLoop]

Forstner Bits - 7 Piece - ERROR bad merchant

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Thanks, I'll remove the link.

[@Tanko3691]

Good, but 2 things, better comparison with flat/spade bits rather than hole cutters, last thing, please convert to metric......better.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

Got it. Thanks.

[@LightGesture]

Waited for a tip. Didnt get one. Whack.

[@TheNewbieWoodworker]

I guess I'm not sure what you're saying.