Woodcraft Forstner Set 50% off

[chopnhack]

Looks like a good deal on a boxed set, anyone have it care to comment? I have two forstner's and would like to increase my sizes on hand.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200...e-Bit-Set.aspx

[LCHIEN]

i have a 16-pc HF forstner set that I'm actually pretty happy with. Goes up to 2-1/8" and the ones over 1" of course are the costly part of the set. Like having the range up to 2+ inches. Gives me the flexibility to cut clean holes in a variety of sizes.

The woodcraft set you link looks pretty good for $21 and engraved wood box to boot. I'd prefer a bigger range but that's pretty good for a starter.
The personally engraved box would make me jealous!

[cabinetman]

Looks like a pretty good deal for a 10 piece set priced less than a 7 piece set. Says 'imported' whatever that means. I remember seeing forstner sets in light color flat wood boxes that looked identical even to the box, one from Asia, and one from Europe, with a surmountable difference in price. Makes me wonder if the higher priced one, it was just the box from Europe.

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[LCHIEN]

one piece of advice i'd give if buying the bigger forstners (e.g. 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter) is to buy the ones with a hex shank.

I've found that drilling with a larger diameter forstner and different woods and a high power drill press is that you can spin the bit in the chuck even if you have it pretty tight. There's a lot of torque to transfer from the chuck to the wood and the chuck may not be up to it if the shank is smooth and 3/8" diameter - a hex shank will make it easier for the chuck to grab and harder to slip.

Also when you have bigger forstners you have to drop the DP speed to 300 RPM or so, many won't go that low.

And the next thing after getting a hex shank is to clamp your work (or brace it against the post)... if the motor is 1/2 HP, the belts tight, the RPMs low and the shank won't slip, then the next thing to give if the bit really bites the wood is for the workpiece to spin and give you a nasty bruise or cut.

[cabinetman]

one piece of advice i'd give if buying the bigger forstners (e.g. 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter) is to buy the ones with a hex shank.

I've found that drilling with a larger diameter forstner and different woods and a high power drill press is that you can spin the bit in the chuck even if you have it pretty tight. There's a lot of torque to transfer from the chuck to the wood and the chuck may not be up to it if the shank is smooth and 3/8" diameter - a hex shank will make it easier for the chuck to grab and harder to slip.

Also when you have bigger forstners you have to drop the DP speed to 300 RPM or so, many won't go that low.

My large diameter forstners go to a 3/8" or 1/2" round shaft, not hex. I'm not saying they aren't available in hex, I just haven't seen them.

Some hole saws and other bits for drilling, like for rosettes require a drilling speed not available with the way a drill press was set up. There are pulleys with graduated diameters other than what you have that may facilitate the desired speed required. Example.

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[LarryG]

one piece of advice i'd give if buying the bigger forstners (e.g. 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter) is to buy the ones with a hex shank.

Good advice, Loring. Some of my Forstners have hex shanks, some don't, and I have indeed encountered the problem of spinning the big ones in the chuck under load.

The hex shank bits are readily available and not hard to find, if one looks for them.