Sharpening Forstner Bits

[@philipallard8026]

I know this vid has been up for awhile but I still need to say thanks. I hit a nail with one of my bits the other day and you have helped me get it better than new. Love your explanations.

[@zak-a-roo264]

Great help, thanks...I also know a Pete Follansbee but from New Hampshire, also a master woodcrafter!

[@tonyditty3158]

I really liked this video, I watch a lot of videos and you really covered all the points, especially how the bit works. Bravo

[@gitarplayer229]

I’m loving these short quick videos daily. Appreciate your hard work!

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@tpobrienjr]

Perfect timing for me too. 1 7/8 bit needs a tuneup before I make a bunch of tea-light stands for family. Thank you Shawn.

[@wortheffort]

I'm sure they'll appreciate em.

[@RobertTHouston]

This was a great clear instruction video! Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

[@RGRGJKK]

thanks my friend , you helped me a lot with your videos. God bless you :)

[@bensummerhill8771]

I live in in Virginia Beach, next to Williamsburg, Va. and those craftsman over at Colonial Williamsburg are amazing. I don't know if you have ever been there, but it is definitely worth checking out the Cabinetmaker's Shop as well as a few others. Great tips.

[@wortheffort]

Never been. Peter left Williamsburg a few years back but he was there for... 20 yrs? in the Joiners Shop.

[@censusgary]

My aunt lives near there and has been a volunteer at Colonial Williamsburg. I’ll have to ask her about the woodworking shop there.

[@timcgrew]

Thanks for the tips. Really enjoying them and learning something in every video.

[@wortheffort]

Great

[@murphsworkshop4214]

Really enjoying the daily tips and bonus material. Thanks, Later, Murph

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@FrenchieFrench1555]

Excellent video, thank you

[@BasteLey]

Thanks, and your english (americanish😂) is good to understand for me in good old germany, greetings from channel to channel, with thumbup and abo👍

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@EM1473]

Thank you for the video, very well explained and entertaining.

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@hunterwolfe9059]

Perfect timing. I have a 2 1/2 forstner I have to sharpen today

[@wortheffort]

Get after it.

[@brianlasch144]

thanks Shawn, I have a few bits that needed to be sharpened.

[@wortheffort]

Then get after them.

[@harveypriest3011]

How do you keep your shop so clean

[@mjremy2605]

Great demo, thank you! That was very precise and useful information. Many thanks! fyi - Speak softer, you are yelling into camera. You may have lost some of your hearing working with power tools.

[@springwoodcottage4248]

Super useful! Thank you for sharing!

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@hardnox6655]

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff.

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@frankw8876]

Thank you I need to do some of mine too. But first I need to fix my drill press, I think the start capacitor on the motor is bad.

[@wortheffort]

Electricity and me don't mix. It's why I woodwork. Have no help on press front.

[@JF-mq8tp]

First, I'd like to thank you for a very interesting video. I've used Forstner bits for many years and never thought of sharpening them. There is one thing I don't understand. That's why anyone would use a Forstner bit with a round smooth shank. Since a Forstner bit requires much more torque than a twist drill it makes sense to use a hexagonal shank. I noticed in your video that at one point the bit stopped while the drill press was still turning. Maybe you could explain. Thanks again.

[@wortheffort]

Because that's how manufacturers make them because it's easier to get round centered. Hex are often out of round once in press due to many variables outside manufacturers control. A slightly offset bit will not make the desired size hole. I'd rather the bit slip than get a catch.

[@JF-mq8tp]

@@wortheffort Thanks again for the info. So far I've had no problem with hex shanks but from now on I'll be more careful and buy the good stuff.

[@weechitamex]

wortheffort : what are your sharpening stones called ? thank you sir .

[@wortheffort]

diamond stones

[@rickjj91]

Those diamond files are ok for LARGE fortner bits.. but not for 3/4 or below

[@deli1733]

Keep the vids coming👍🏼

[@deaconlink8934]

Is it possible to use a small file ?

[@DraganIlich-r1s]

Thank you Sir.🎉

[@jediknifefight]

Excellent Series, recommended to all of my ww friends. I am going to replace my ryobi set with a fisch set next month, any advice on how to sharpen up the curved cutters on the fisch bits?

[@wortheffort]

I'm not familiar with those but I'm sure if you examine it closely you'll be able to figure out which part you shouldn't touch (and when you can break that rule) and which part is designed to be ground upon.

[@jediknifefight]

Thanks for the quick reply, makes sense.

[@letstestthat123]

Hey thanks for all the information you share with us. I tried to go to your store and your Amazon link but your links are not working. I'll check back later. Thanks

[@wortheffort]

Troy Skinner I don’t have an affiliate account. My store is on my website wortheffort dot com.

[@d.k.1394]

Great video

[@cristremblay6392]

Your link doesn’t show where to get the sharpening tools, could you please send me the website

[@wortheffort]

Cris Tremblay you really asking me to google for you?

[@cristremblay6392]

wortheffort please just send a picture of the tool,name brand, something?

[@raruss1]

Very well explained

[@wortheffort]

Thanks

[@michaelaitchison154]

Did you say "import nit?" Good Vid.

[@wrecks2007]

I believe Follansbee was at the Plymouth Plantation in Mass., not at Williamsburg.

[@wortheffort]

wrecks2007 that could be right.

[@jbslittleshop2897]

Lol, great explanation of how the bit works. But!!! You never sharpen these bits on the front of the tips. It should always be sharpened from the top down. Period. Plus they are tapered on the inside in order to take less power to push through the material being cut. Thanks for your video. You helped me decide to do my own channel on how to sharpen things the right way. Been putting it off for a while. But 26 years of sharpening now and there are no channels on you tube explaining how things should be done. Again thank you! Oh, the bit you sharpened is not a fostner bit. It’s a multi spur bit. Just FYI!!!

[@wortheffort]

Ya lost me.

[@jbslittleshop2897]

wortheffort these bits have to be sharpened on the top. As you sharpen them you will keep the gullets at the same depth. But if you go back and watch this video. The bit is hollow ground. On the inside. After a couple of sharpenings you have to regash the bit then take a dremel tool and hollow it out again. Although I do have 100,000 dollars in machines. And know how these bits should be done according to factory specifications.like I said, he done a great job explaining how the bits work. But when he said sharpen them on the front of the tooth. That's where he's wrong. If you have a few and want to touch them up that will work. But if you continue to do that. You will end up losing the geometry of the bit. And that will cause a loss in cutting efficiency!!!

[@wortheffort]

What I explained was the same as the ruler trick with a chisel. not doing much.

[@jbslittleshop2897]

wortheffort wasnt trying to give you a hard time at all sir. Just was binge watching videos on this subject.. when I got to yours I had enough. So I posted. As far as touching these bits up you are right! But, if you continue to touch them up in the same manner you posted. At some point you will ruin this bit. But you did a great job of explaining how this bit works and a good job of touching it up. You also need a flat circular object to lay on the top. There should be no more than .010 in height between the spur cutters and the chip lifter. As you said, the outside cutters do nothing but score. The chip lifters remove the wood. Again sorry if I over stepped!!!

[@boristhebilder7553]

Hey Shawn, what's your take on the colt maxicut forstner bits? They are extremely steep in price but claim to be extremely easy to sharpen, giving longer life to the bits and making up for the high cost.

[@wortheffort]

I'm afraid I can't make any opinion of them as I've done no research and haven't used em. I'll use up what I got first. Make the most of what you have I say.

[@censusgary]

I know nothing about that set of bits, but “easy to sharpen” is usually diametrically opposed to “longer life.” The softer metal is, the easier it is to sharpen, but the harder metal is, the longer it holds an edge. The soft metal gets its sharp edge rubbed off faster.

[@censusgary]

“Longer life” is fairly irrelevant to me, because I probably won’t wear out a set of Forstner bits in my lifetime (though they might rust out). But some guys bore holes all day, full-time, so long-lasting bits would be worth a lot to them.

[@gabrielmanaila]

where you buy the dmt's ? All the best

[@wortheffort]

In the description I have a link to my Amazon store. You can find them there or many other online places. Most local dedicated woodworking stores also have them.

[@DKWalser]

Referring to the chippers (the large teeth in the center of the bit), that's not the way I was taught to sharpen them. Instead of sharpening the tops of the bits, I was taught to sharpen the sides. (Or, keeping with the analogy of a bench chisel, sharpen the back, not the bevel.) The reason for this is you want the chippers to be exactly the same height as each other and exactly the same height as the rim. That nice, even height is hard to maintain if you sharpen the tops of the chippers. Here's a link to a Wood Magazine article that is consistent with what I was taught such a long, long time ago: www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tips/techniques/drilling-boring/how-to-sharpen-forstner-bits.

[@chriscas-ToolAficionado]

I agree with you about not touching the chipper bevel. With Lee Valley HSS forstner bits, the height of the chipper bevel edge is about 0.005" lower than the rim. link to Lee Valley instructions: www.leevalley.com/en/html/06j7104ie.pdf

[@robertbrunston5406]

Thank you.

[@nathanast7036]

What about sharpening lathe chisels?

[@wortheffort]

See any of my turning videos. I normally show you how to sharpen the tools I use.

[@soledude]

👍👍👍

[@paulbuckeljr8870]

Good explanation! Unfortunately, I have the forstner without the teeth. Oh well...

[@wortheffort]

Never seen one of those.

[@paulbuckeljr8870]

wortheffort It's called a knife edge.

[@raoulselten9480]

don't know your stance on this, but perhaps you could make your video titles a bit more clickbaity like "Drilling Better Holes? HOW TO Sharpen Your Forstner Bits" If it could make your videos more widely watched (cause they deserve it) then I think it's worth selling your soul for :')

[@wortheffort]

Inside baseball: this is a daily series so I'm trying to train the audience to click it no matter what. A title might restrict an audience. It's an experiment. We'll see.