Drilling Pepper Grinders

[Edward Weingarden]

I'm about to turn my first pepper grinder and of the 4 forstner bits that are called for, one of them is 1-9/16". I haven't been able to find a quality bit in that size. Can a 1-1/2" or 1-5/8" bit be used instead? The grinding mechanism is a Crush Grind, without the post coming out the top of the mill. Thanks.

[John K Jordan]

I'm about to turn my first pepper grinder and of the 4 forstner bits that are called for, one of them is 1-9/16". I haven't been able to find a quality bit in that size. Can a 1-1/2" or 1-5/8" bit be used instead? The grinding mechanism is a Crush Grind, without the post coming out the top of the mill. Thanks.

You can buy one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Carbide-DC1861-Forstner-16-Inch/dp/B00CCBSFWU
I like to use carbide Forstner bits since they hog out wood well and don't dull quickly. The smoothness of the cut doesn't matter in this application.

But looking at the instructions, the 1-9/16" hole is near the end - it's been years since I built one of these but if I remember correctly I drilled with a smaller bit and used a box scraper to widen the hole.

JKJ

[Edward Weingarden]

John:
Thank you for the link for that bit. There are a significant number of negative reviews on Amazon, so I'm hesitant to go that route. However, I like your suggestion about opening up the hole with a scraper.

[John K Jordan]

John:
Thank you for the link for that bit. There are a significant number of negative reviews on Amazon, so I'm hesitant to go that route. However, I like your suggestion about opening up the hole with a scraper.

i bought some Forstner bits of that same brand and they have worked well. The thing about negative Amazon reviews many are written by people who should be gardening instead of working with wood. I didn't read many but the first negative review I read had a complaint about the roughness of the cut. As I mentioned, the carbide bits like this will not cut as smoothly as the expensive steel Forstner or multi-spur bits but that's not very important for this application. The guy also wrote about chips jamming up around the bit. Without watching him work it's hard to know if it's a problem with the bit or the operator. Some people even try to use these bits in hand-held drills instead of a drill press - this may work for some types of bits but not a good idea for these. The reviews are mostly positive on this bit. If you do get a poorly made one Amazon will replace or refund with no problems other than the delay.

I always use a method for drilling deep holes with Forstner bits: the entire time I direct a strong stream of compressed air into the hole behind the bit. This keeps the chips cleared out as well as cooling the bit. If the chips are blown out they can't jam around the bit or keep it from cutting without increasing the force. Using compressed air also generally results in a smoother hole. I don't use the compressed air for shallow holes.

But that said, I'd decide to buy a special bit or not based on the number of mills I thought I would make. I bought a special 2-1/16" bit to quickly drill recesses to fit 50mm jaws when preparing 8/4 stock for pre-hollowing and glueup for Beads of Courage bowls or blanks for a class. I might be preparing a dozen of blanks at a time and drilling them saves a lot of time.

JKJ

[Don Jarvie]

Look at the site where you bought the mill. They should have the right sized bits. Craft Supplies has a set of 5 (I think) of odd sized bits that will handle most mills for 54.00. They get the job done and are a good value. The set has the 1 9/16 bit.

[Edward Weingarden]

Don:
Thanks for bringing that set to my attention. They look like they'll suit my purposes just fine!

[John K Jordan]

Look at the site where you bought the mill. They should have the right sized bits. Craft Supplies has a set of 5 (I think) of odd sized bits that will handle most mills for 54.00. They get the job done and are a good value. The set has the 1 9/16 bit.

That's an excellent idea, especially if you don't already have most of the bits.

[Mike Goetzke]

If you plan to do many search Woodcut Mill Drill.

[Edward Weingarden]

That's an interesting device.

[Mike Goetzke]

That's an interesting device.

I looked at this a few years ago and as I recall seems the price has dropped.