Who makes good forster bits and drill bits? Or who should I avoid? I just had a Delta forster wear out after four holes in birch, so they are out, and no I didn’t overheat it. How are Lee Valley’s?
Thanks
Edward
Edited 3/6/2005 4:56 pm ET by EF
Discussion Forum
Edited 3/6/2005 4:56 pm ET by EF
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Replies
I've purchased Forstner bits from WoodCraft, the Austrian ones, they work well. The older Craftsman bits have also served me well, don't know about the new ones.
The Taiwanese/Chicom ones are pot metal junk. Bought one Bosch Forstner bit, had to have it re-ground, the clearance for chip ejection was wrong. Works fine now.
The titanium nitride coatings aren't worth it, they're shot the moment you sharpen them, albeit they do have a longer life before sharpening if that's important.
Ta,
Edward,
I have a set of LV's high-speed steel forstners and have had no problems with them.They hold their edge very well . Remember when using forstners to adjust your speed according to the bit size. Too high an rpm will burn the bit and dull it very quickly.
Brent
I second Brent's comments. I bought the complete set of LV Forstner bits maybe 5-6 years ago, and they really are very good. I am glad I bought the whole shebang (which as I recall was something around $250), since it is amazing how often, over the years, I have used the odd ball sizes in the set.
I've taken a different approach to the Forstner bit thing. I bought an inexpensive set, in a carrying case, to get started, figuring that most of my heavy work will be done with just a few bits. As those particular bits wear out, I'll replace them with higher quality. The hardly-ever-used ones should hold up fine for quite awhile.
I've used them in alder, oak and plywood. So far, so good.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I've been very happy with Rockler's carbide Forstners. Using their 3/4" I drilled 40 holes through 2 1/2" of tempered hardboard and MDF plus 26 holes in 2" maple - for bench dogs for the work bench - and the bit still cuts quite well.
Had a set of L-V, HSS for years and no problems Howevever they are made in China from what I have seen.
I have found the best forstener bits, by far, to be the original, made by Connecticut Valley Manufacturing, CONVALCO. They have been in business well over 100 years. You can buy direct from them. Their website is http://www.convalco.com/using.html .
I've used the Convalco forstners myself. They are really nice bits ( although personally I don't think there is a whole lot of difference from LV's bits), but they have a major draw back. They have no center point on them. Setting up for 1 or 2 holes is o.k. ,but if you have alot of holes to do, we're talking a real pain in the a..... and the price is a liitle bit high compared to others. Maybe this is why LV has their's manufactured in China?
Brent
"Convalco forstners ...have a major draw back. They have no center point on them." What a pain! They state: "Guided by the cutter rim, not the center point, to allow any arc of a circle to be cut in any direction regardless of wood grain." Thanks but no thanks. If I have to bore at an angle, I simply press the center point into the wood (without the bit spinning) to poke a starter hole, then back out and turn the drill press on.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
It just goes to show you..........sometimes a good idea can be improved. The addition of the center point on forstner style bits made them that much easier to use. After reading your post I went down stairs and tried a very scientific test(LOL). I drilled one hole at 45 degrees in 8/4 red oak with a 3/4" convalco, and one with a 3/4" LV. Guess what? There was NO dissernable difference in the quality of hole. I'm not sure what the Convalco goes for now, but the LV is less than 10 bucks I think. So how much more do people want to pay for the priviledge of taking forever to set up the cut. As you said Forestgirl it's so much easier to use the point to center your hole.
By the way Forestgirl, was the info I sent you on aquarium stands of any use to you?
Have a good one,
Brent
"was the info I sent you on aquarium stands of any use to you?" UhOhhhhhhh. Don't think I got it! You sent by email? If so, what is your domain (e.g., aol.com, mindspring.com)?? Some are blocked, which I could undo. Sorry!!!!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Hi -
Yes - ours are made for us (and us only) in China. Our design, our tooling, and our engineer in the plant during production.
Heads are HSS, and overall bit length in the larger sizes (above 1") is longer than standard. We also put 1/2" hex shanks on (larger sizes again), so they won't slip in your chuck.
Sized in 1/16" increments from 1/4 to 3", and 1/8" increments from 3 1/8" to 4"...
Cheers -
Rob
I am very happy with my 35mm HSS forstner from Lee Valley. Cuts very cleanly, and the price was an excellent value.
Ken Werner
The Lee Valley are really an improved forstner bit. They added the saw tooth and improved shank. The standard forstners burn real easy on the rim. I've bought them for everyone over the years and find the LV are just as good a quality as bits I would spend 6 times the cost of and we use them professionally in timberframing, millworking and cabinetmaking.
Connecticut Valley makes the best that I have used. There is a German company,do not recall the name, that also makes high quality Forstner bits.
I have a set of Taiwanese forstners , but only buy Connecticut Valley bits for high use.Some of my CV bits are over 5 years old, with heavy use. The el cheapo bits I have wouldn't last 5 weeks with this kind of use.
As far machine drills, I buy from either Enco or McMaster Carr.They both have websites.
mike
I've a set of "cheap" mlcs - not particularly happy with them but they were cheap. I like the poster above who said he'll replace only the ones he burns out with good ones...Mark
I have a few Freuds that I've used too few times to comment on. But I have a Rockler 1 3/8" carbide bit that I use constantly for hinges. It cuts as good now as it did when I bought it.
Mike
I DONT OWN ANY FORSTNER BITS FROM LEE VALLEY. I DO OWN A NICE SET OF BRAD POINT BITS. I WOULDN'T TRADE FOR ANY OTHER ON THE MARKET. LEE VALLEY IS OVER PRICED IN MY OPINION BUT I HAVE NEVER RECIEVED ANYTHING THAT WASN'T EVERYTHING THEY SAID IT WAS OR MORE. I CANT SAY THAT FOR ANY OTHER SOURCE I HAVE DEALT WITH. I AM STILL A WEEKEND WOODWORKER. I HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF SO MANY TIMES BUYING TOOLS, MATERIALS AND ABOUT EVERY LAME DO IT ALL GADGET THATS ON THE MARKET. ANYWAY, I DOUBT YOU WILL GET THE BEST PRICE. I AM ABSOULTY SURE THAT IF YOUR NOT HAPPY WITH LEE VALEY QUALITY YOU WONT BE HAPPY BUYING ANYWHERE ELSE EITHER. I HAVE SEEN THE BITS YOUR LOOKING AT AND EVERY ONE ELSES I CAN THINK OF. IF YOUR BUYING MDF DISREGARD THIS AND GO CHEAP. IF YOUR BUYING REAL WOOD AND DONT LIKE FILLING TEAR OUT WITH PUTTY. IN MY OPINION LEE VALLEY IS THE WAY TO GO. WAY OFF THE SUBJECT ATLEAST A MILE LOL. IF YOU EVER NEED A STRONG MAGNET BUY A COUPLE OF THERE RARE EARTH MAGNETS THEY ARE EQUAL TO STANDARD MAGNETS TEN TIMES THERE SIZE IF NOT MORE. YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED.
The LV saw tooth forstners are priced lower than any other comparable bits and I have bought from Fuller, Forrest, Convalco and many others over the years.
Andy, Andy, all caps is awful to read (and is the typist's version of yelling).
Andy,
A gentle reminder: bold and all caps is very hard to read and I wouldn't want to miss your contributions.
Doug
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