On Fri, 07 Jul 2006 20:03:42 GMT, Lobby Dosser
wrote:

Ecnerwal wrote:

A set of large Forstner bits and a drill chuck mounted in the tailstock.
Brief search finds Forstners up to 4-1/2 inches, and they are a lot
faster than fussing with a boring bar setup. There may well be bigger
ones available, the search was not extensive. With a hole of up to 4-1/2
inches to start from, any further hollowing could be done sidegrain
rather than endgrain, and would thus be easier cutting. Be careful when
working with such large bits...


I'm thinking that forstners are maybe too short. I've got the obligatory
set of them and I don't think the shanks are much more than three inches or
so. They'd do fine for shallow objects - I've used them for that - but I've
never seen Long forstners, say 6-12 inches.

I'm having trouble seeing that as a problem, but maybe it's because I usually am
using bits that are the size of the drill chuck or larger..

With a 2" forstner and the chuck, I bottom out at about 6 or 7", I guess... I
know that I usually stop before the chuck is in more than an inch or so because
I don't do many deep pieces..
You can get extensions for forstners that are like the ones for drill bits, but
they have to be for the larger sizes, too..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm