Faustner Bits

[Ian57]

Is the porter cable set of forstner drills ok. Santa left me a few dollars.

[LCHIEN]

I presume you mean "Forstner" bits?

[Ken Massingale]

I've had the 12 piece set for several years. Use the recommended DP speed for respective size and they will perform well. Like router bits they like to be cleaned when needed.

Ken

[Stytooner]

Can't comment on the PC bits, but I have a larger Grizzly set and love them. I have used many of the bits multiple times with no sign of wear.
I think any woodworker that does not have a set will find good value and utility in any decent set of Forstner bits. Merry Christmas to you.

[LCHIEN]

don't know about the brand you mention but Forstner bits are very useful I use them all the time, I've actually had pretty good luck with the Harbor freight drill master brand. They cut clean, large (1/4" to 2+ inches) diameter holes in all kinds of wood. Much cleaner than hole saws, spade bits, and beam-type bits. In a previous thread on Forstners, I called them "furniture-grade" holes which is an unconventional term and generated a lot of conversation but most people got the idea.

[cwsmith]

I too have the Harbour Freight 16 pc Forstner set. I wasn't sure how well they would work being at that price, but I've had pretty good luck with other HF products, so I thought they'd be worth the try.

A friend had a gun cabinet that his father had built and the locking bar had been broken on it for a number of years. The cabinet was notty pine, so I figured even a cheap set might do the trick for making the barrel scallops (is that the right term?).

In any case, the bits cut very nicely with very little effort on the drill press. Nice clean sides on the holes. These were thru-holes, but a couple of test cuts shows nice flat bottom holes too.

IIRC the P-C sets have hex shafts which might prove to be an advantage. While this HF set doesn not, I had no problem with them though.

CWS

[Bill in Buena Park]

+1 on the HF sets - I have both the large 16 bit set, and the smaller 8 bit set, both have worked well, second the comments using the right speed. Also remember to raise the bit frequently during the cut to clear chips and avoid heat buildup.

[durango dude]

I use Forstner bits to drill out mortises ----

I originally had a full PC set of Forstner bits ---- but have been gradually replacing the PC bits with Diablo bits ---- which I find are measurably better.

It turns out that I use 4-5 out of 10 bits regularly ---- and those are the ones I replaced.

My recommendation - skip the PC bits ---- they're okay ---- but you can really tell the difference between them an a nice set.

There are nice sets available at:
- Peachtree USA
- HD (Diablo ---- stay away from anything else)
- Woodline

http://www.woodline.com/p-2728-forstner-bit-sets.aspx

[dangre]

I presume you mean "Forstner" bits?

Well, that's not how Norm pronounces it. I also have the large Grizzly set and am happy with it.

[LCHIEN]

i would say hex shanks are a plus, the HF set I have and currently on their web page does not have them. With large holes there's a lot of torque, sometimes the shanks slips in the chuck - hex shanks would help prevent that slipping without having to use a cheater on he chuck key!

A larger shank would help the bits but they are probably sized to fit most drill presses with 3/8" max chucks.

.