I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

Hello Ted,

Probably the Lowes set is imported and of questionable quality at that price.
High speed steel will be quite adequate for your purposes. I personally don't
like carbide tools for woodworking. They may hold their edge forever, but they
are never very sharp.

You can touch up a Forstner bit with a diamond hole, it use the little paddle
type for this.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com/

In article , Ted says...

I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

Like all things, you get what you pay for, and more expensive stuff is
usually better.

Having said that, I have the $30 set from Lowe's, and I have used most of
the bits extensively. They make nice holes, and I'm glad to have them.

The only one I've replaced so far is one I ruined by boring through several
sheets of 60 grit sandpaper. I tried to sharpen it, and never got anywhere
good.

I replaced that one with a Freud bit, also from Lowe's. The one bit cost
almost as much as the entire set. I must say that there is a *huge*
difference in performance. It cuts about four times more easily, and is
less likely to clog up.

Whether you'd get even more performance by stepping up from Freud, I don't
know. It probably really depends on how much cutting you plan to do with
the things, in what kind of woods. I've bored probably into the hundreds
of holes with my cheap $30 set, and I haven't felt the need to replace
them, even after seeing the performance difference with a better quality
bit. I will eventually replace them, but it's not urgent. The cheap bits
work, and make nice holes, they just take much longer to cut.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

I think the choice depends on the purpose of the hole.

If the hole will be visible, I have had good luck with Freud carbide bits
and then sanding the hole on the late with 80/120/150 grits to minimize end
grain tearout visibility.

If the hole is more structural, you may be ok with the cheaper bits where
tearout is not much of an issue.

George

"Silvan" wrote in message
...
I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

Like all things, you get what you pay for, and more expensive stuff is
usually better.

Having said that, I have the $30 set from Lowe's, and I have used most of
the bits extensively. They make nice holes, and I'm glad to have them.

The only one I've replaced so far is one I ruined by boring through
several
sheets of 60 grit sandpaper. I tried to sharpen it, and never got
anywhere
good.

I replaced that one with a Freud bit, also from Lowe's. The one bit cost
almost as much as the entire set. I must say that there is a *huge*
difference in performance. It cuts about four times more easily, and is
less likely to clog up.

Whether you'd get even more performance by stepping up from Freud, I don't
know. It probably really depends on how much cutting you plan to do with
the things, in what kind of woods. I've bored probably into the hundreds
of holes with my cheap $30 set, and I haven't felt the need to replace
them, even after seeing the performance difference with a better quality
bit. I will eventually replace them, but it's not urgent. The cheap bits
work, and make nice holes, they just take much longer to cut.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

Hi Fred
What is the "correct" method for sharpening Forstners particularly the
saw tooth ones. I've been around wood turning for 10 years but have
yet to see a decent article on the subject. My method is to drive down
to the local turning supply shop and buy a new one which can become
expensive.

Regards
graeme

Fred Holder wrote in message ...
Hello Ted,

Probably the Lowes set is imported and of questionable quality at that price.
High speed steel will be quite adequate for your purposes. I personally don't
like carbide tools for woodworking. They may hold their edge forever, but they
are never very sharp.

You can touch up a Forstner bit with a diamond hole, it use the little paddle
type for this.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com/

In article , Ted says...

I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"
html
Ted, I buy the mid-range: $40-$60 sets and replace them when they quit
cutting well.  I also have a large, 3 1/2" forstener type bit that
I got from Woodcraft for <$25.  This one has been resharpened once
which cost less than a new bit. After you have used the bits for a while
you will soon decide if there is one particular size that you use the most. 
In that case, I suggest you replace the cheapy with a better quality bit
but don't think carbide bits will serve any advantage in wood.
pJim
pTed wrote:
blockquote TYPE=CITEI have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety
of prices:
pLowes set sells for about $30.
brWoodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
brI have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.
pWhat should I look for?  Is carbide better or is high speed steel
OK?
brIs it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?
pI will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
brcutting into various kinds of wood.
pThanks for any info,
brTed/blockquote
/html

The best Forstner-type bits I've ever used are the HSS ones that Lee
Valley sells. Highly reccomended.

rr



Jim Pugh wrote:

Ted, I buy the mid-range: $40-$60 sets and replace them when they quit
cutting well. I also have a large, 3 1/2" forstener type bit that I
got from Woodcraft for $25. This one has been resharpened once which
cost less than a new bit. After you have used the bits for a while you
will soon decide if there is one particular size that you use the
most. In that case, I suggest you replace the cheapy with a better
quality bit but don't think carbide bits will serve any advantage in
wood.

Jim

Ted wrote:

I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel
OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

(Ted) wrote in message . com...
I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

Hi Ted I also use the bits but do not get the carbide ones because to
sharpen they are very difficult also if you are going to bore an end
grain hole you are better with a regular bit I use a 1-1/2" machinist
bit to bore the hole in my vessels if they are end grain otherwise I
use forstner bits for side grain only also they last longuer ED

I go this way too. I got some of those oversize brad point bits from
Woodcraft, I believe - Chinese manufacture. They're not class steel, but
when boring deep holes they will clear for an inch or so at a time, and it's
easy to resharpen the annealed metal. My attempts with forstners on the
lathe have been more a case of clearing shavings every 1/4 inch or so.

Neat thing is that the brad point drops naturally into the indentation from
the live center.

"Eduardo Sarmiento Hall" wrote in message
om...
(Ted) wrote in message
. com...
I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

Hi Ted I also use the bits but do not get the carbide ones because to
sharpen they are very difficult also if you are going to bore an end
grain hole you are better with a regular bit I use a 1-1/2" machinist
bit to bore the hole in my vessels if they are end grain otherwise I
use forstner bits for side grain only also they last longuer ED

Be sure to keep the speed low enough so the bits do not burn. Forstner bits
heat up more rapidly than most other bits. Once overheated, the bit never
holds an edge for very long.

Barry


"Ted" wrote in message
om...
I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted

Even better than Forstner bits for lathe boring are the Selfeed bits
made be Milwaukee. They bore faster, clear the chips better and tend
not to get as hot. You can also "drill" with them at a higher speed.
Shanks are hexagonal and won't slip in a drill chuck or extension.

Ted wrote:

I have seen Forstner bits sell for a wide variety of prices:

Lowes set sells for about $30.
Woodcraft has sets for about $50 up to $400.
I have also seen carbide tip sets for about $130.

What should I look for? Is carbide better or is high speed steel OK?
Is it hard to sharpen the non carbide bits?

I will be using the bits in a chuck in the tailstock of my lathe
cutting into various kinds of wood.

Thanks for any info,
Ted