Hand powered countersink?

[Mark Stutz]

LN sells a countersink. http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1309 Looks very nice, but for less, I can make several different sizes using "standard" countersinks and turning my own handles. Does anyone use these and how do they work? Are there different kinds for metal or wood? Any particular ones to recommend? Thanks.

Mark

[Jim Becker]

My only concern Mark would be with the cutting edges of the countersinks made for power use...they may not be "sharp" enough to work well under hand power. And my experience is that they also dull quickly.

[Kevin French]

Mark I have a Crown hand countersink. I don't use it a lot but it is a nice piece to have in the apron.

[Tony Zaffuto]

I bought a hand countersink at a Lowes--had a plastic handle on, believe it was made by General, and only cost a few bucks. Actually I was thinking of the same project the other morning, after perusing a LN catalog. I compared the hand countersink to a countersink that chucks into my 3/8" drill and the drill powered one is not nearly as sharp, but the question remains did it come that way or get that way through use.

I use a countersink quite frequently, and it is predominantly hand-powered. It is a countersink type that chucks into a brace, and in my case, chucked fulltime into one of the Fray/Spoffords I have. As an aside, I have a Fray problem, and have also chucked (fulltime) a number of centerpoint bits, 1/4" through 1", plus a straight screwdriver bit. In case anyone is wondering, I do have a Fray problem!

Tony Z.

[harry strasil]

so do I tony, nice isn't it

FWIW - a powered counter sink has manyflutes and is made for speed, in a hand application you may see a wavy pattern as they tend to jump around at low speed and the relief angle is not much so they will not dig under power and pressure. they also are not self cleaning with wood as the gullet is not deep, they plug up and just ride on the accumulation and just polish the surface.

You can make any drilling tool for steel excell at drilling wood by just sprinkling the flutes with talcum powder as it makes it slick and the sticky wood cuttings will move up the flute, this works well with files used for wood, brass, lead, aluminum and solder also. its the poor mans alumicut for drilling aluminum.

easiest way to apply for a drill bit is to just put some talcum powder in an old prescription pill bottle and stick up over the end while it is running.

[David Weaver]

If yours has an orange handle, I have two sets of the same thing. They work fine. Not as sexy as the LN tool, but they do what they're intended to do.

[Doug Shepard]

I'be got the same orange handled one. Works pretty good. If I have to to more than a couple I put a bit in the DP or cordless but for just a couple, the hand one is quicker.

[Richard Niemiec]

In a moment of madness, I splurged on the LN, and in addition to being purty, it works really well.

RN

[Bruce Page]

I've been using them in either modified file handles or custom made handles for years. Any "machine" countersink will work great in hand held mode...just slower. ;)

[Mark Stutz]

Thanks, guys. I should have assumed that LN wouldn't make something that didn't work!:D Looks like this will need to be a rainy day shop project one of these days...not much to lose but some time.

[Scott duprat]

I use them in my classroom all the time (pre-engineering, so mostly steel and aluminum, sometimes plastics), work great. We make our own handles, with knurl and set screw to hold in place.

[Jim W. White]

I bought an older countersink bit that is made for a bit brace (found it on *bay). It stays in my brace all the time now while it's hanging on the wall.

It does a very good job of countersinking holes quickly when I don't feel like chucking up the cordless driver. (it gets a lot of use in the winter months as the battery on my cordless is always dead when I reach for it and requires me to swap out to the one on the charger :()

Jim in Idaho