"Gramps' shop" wrote:
I'm boring into some hard end grain using a pretty big forstner bit.
This is on a lathe at a pretty low speed. Lot of smoke and heat with the
first 1/4 inch, so I thought I'd stop and ask if I should lube the bit.
I seem to recall seeing a demo where the guy used a light brush on of
WD-40. The last thing I want to do is start a fire on the lathe.

Yes, I should be using gouges for hollowing, but I absolutely suck at
this (although I anticipate improvement with practice).

Any thoughts?

Larry

If using a bit larger than 1" you are probably turning too fast.