who makes quality forstner bits

[indychuck]

I'll be drilling 12 2" diameter holes about 1.75" deep in baltic birch 11 ply, plywood and I'd like a good quality forstner bit for this task.

I've heard there are some nice ones out of Sweden as well as Germany, but don't know the brands of them or any that are quality.

 

[RODELU]

Freud carbide.

 

[Piek]

Over here quality brands are: Fisch, Famag and Zobo ( Germany)and from Italy CMT Orange Tools.
Festool sells forstner bits under its own name and I believe these are made by Zobo.

 

[art.h]

You might try Lee Valley Tools they supply quality tools in Canada

 

[MCritchley]

+1 on Fisch, they make great holes in soft and hard woods. They also seem to cut cooler than a commodity bit. The best I’ve used so far.

 

[indychuck]

I do like what I've seen and read on the Fisch thus far.

I did forget to mention one thing I'd like to have in the bit and that's the ability to sharpen it.

The Fisch wave does not appear it can be easily accomplished.

I sharpen plane irons and even scrub plane irons with great success by hand (no jig), but that Fisch wave looks like it might have to go back to the manufacturer to put an edge back on it.

 

[richard newman]

Forstner bits are hard to sharpen by hand. Maybe you would be better with a multi-spur bit.

 

[michiganbuck]

I had good results sharpening by hand and by machine with first checking the drop to the planer/flat blade. and bumping the chippers (high points)on the surface grinder in a V block or out of a TC grinder work head to flat grind them all to the same height.. Then by hand or TC grinder make them sharp.

With not having a way to make the chippers the same height they are a bugger.

Never did a wave type..But for them likely I would flat circle grind the points the same, and then come in with A die grinder to wike away that land to sharp.

Yes, any sharp HSS you have to not get them hot, The sharp edge can get too hot.

I once had about a 150 piece order and tried another 46k wheel (a Bay State) and unknown to me the edge got hot and they dulled quickly, good it was a best customer, and he gave me another chance.
I was using a 46K Norton wheel that I went back to..and later found a 46 L Carordrum wheel that proved to be better than the Norton.

 

[michiganbuck]

I see on the Zobo add they use a spray with a forstner bit. Does any have experience with such a spray?

Does anyone have experience comparing steel to carbide?

The zobo 2" Hss bit looks decent but $178 is pricy.

Zobo System 2 Chromium Drill Bits, 2-1/16" to 2-1/2" - Timbertools.com

 

[richard newman]

I had good results sharpening by hand and by machine with first checking the drop to the planer/flat blade. and bumping the chippers (high points)on the surface grinder in a V block or out of a TC grinder work head to flat grind them all to the same height.. Then by hand or TC grinder make them sharp.

With not having a way to make the chippers the same height they are a bugger.

Never did a wave type..But for them likely I would flat circle grind the points the same, and then come in with A die grinder to wike away that land to sharp.

Yes, any sharp HSS you have to not get them hot, The sharp edge can get too hot.

I once had about a 150 piece order and tried another 46k wheel (a Bay State) and unknown to me the edge got hot and they dulled quickly, good it was a best customer, and he gave me another chance.
I was using a 46K Norton wheel that I went back to..and later found a 46 L Carordrum wheel that proved to be better than the Norton.

Buck, you are referring to multi-spur bits with the individual teeth, yes?

 

[dcsipo]

I do like what I've seen and read on the Fisch thus far.

I did forget to mention one thing I'd like to have in the bit and that's the ability to sharpen it.

The Fisch wave does not appear it can be easily accomplished.

I sharpen plane irons and even scrub plane irons with great success by hand (no jig), but that Fisch wave looks like it might have to go back to the manufacturer to put an edge back on it.

https://www.acmetools.com/forstner-...qlIzEWIveXUKg3RA6YIV6kNFnGT34FTxoCBDUQAvD_BwE

 

[richard newman]

Looks like the Zobo bits are made by Festool, which has a well earned reputation for high quality and high cost. Very cool system tho, with shank extensions and interchangeable center pilots and drills. I'd prefer the shanks were not tapered, so one could easily make custom pilots, as with counterbores. Drilling from both sides is definitely the way to avoid tearout on exit.

A less expensive method w/o pilot is to bore partway down, then flip part over and locate on a precise plug, and finish hole. Need a board securely fixed to machine table, then bored with bit, and turned plug inserted in hole.

Also, it looks to me like that spray might just be some compressed air (or other gas) to clear out chips. Like the stuff used to clean computers and electronics.

 

[michiganbuck]

qt Richard: {Buck, you are referring to multi-spur bits with the individual teeth, yes?]

Both the individual and the wave type, I would flat grind to make all the same height and tale the side OD wear-land down to .005 or less. Then facet grind the individuals to just sharp...

The waves only the highest place raidually would touch the part so that needs the removal of the flat grind brought to just sharp, and the wave scallop need be just made to be a nice looking grind for cosmetic appeal(looks nice)

A good way the do the individual toothed te is to hold your scale on a tooth facet and roll the cutter by eyeball until it looks straight verticle. then rotate until your scale looks like it will pick up the point angle. Go around all that are on that plane halfway through the flat grind..Then do the same to the other side of the teeth.

Oh, with not having a grinder one can put an abrasive paper on the drill press table and plung the the cutter to the paper, Yes with having the table center hole and a cut in tha paper to miss the cutter pilot.

A careful Hand Sharpening to just take the wear land will/can make a cutter +- .001. Likely more accurate than the cutter was at new.

 

[michiganbuck]

I went to an old-timers cabinet shop closing sale and he had a bunch of homemade narrow planer boards of various sizes and shapes. They were hardwood boards about 4" tall 15" long with a blade for cutting that size opening. Some had an angel and some a radius.

 

[Doug]

I thought a Forstner bit was like the right one is this picture. I call the left bit a multi-spur. But there seems to be some disagreement on this.

 

[richard newman]

I agree with you Doug. Different bits, different abilities

 

[MCritchley]

https://www.acmetools.com/forstner-...qlIzEWIveXUKg3RA6YIV6kNFnGT34FTxoCBDUQAvD_BwE

He mentioned easily sharpened, lol! The Fisch grinding jig looks like it was designed by Rube Goldberg!
I’ve got some shitty bits and a good metric and standard Fisch set. I sharpen both with a bench grinder, Foredom hand piece and a stone.

I’m not boring holes in the space shuttle so the hand sharpening is fine.

I think all of these jigs are marketing ploys, don’t be nervous to go at a $30 dull bit by hand!
You have a lot of skill and can get good results by hand and by eye. How did a good worker become good back in the day? Be proficient by sharping fast!