Auger bit recommendations

[Derek Cohen]

With hardwood, drill a pilot hole that is a little narrower than the screw. This will enable you to use an auger bit as wide as you like in hardwood.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Prashun Patel]

That's a great "tip" tip, Derek! Thanks. I bet this helps with the screw point stripping out the hole in harder woods like oak.

[Josh Robinson]

I have my dads old brace from the phone company which Id like to collect a set of augers for that match. But I’ve used the wood owl bits Derek mentioned....like he said they cut smooth and fast! Very sweet bits.

[freiler thompson]

I second the vote for the Wood Owl bits. They make for a very clean hole.

[Prashun Patel]

Steve that is very generous of you. I already purchased a set. I will remember this gesture tho. Thanks!

[Eric Danstrom]

...I already purchased a set. I will remember this gesture tho.

What did you get? Wood Owls look good. Just curious....

[Prashun Patel]

I received my bits from Grandpas Little Farm today.
What a great find.
The bits are generic, and were advertised as such. But they arrived in good, clean condition. I'll try them out for sharpness tonite, but I expected to have to sharpen them myself.

However, the shipping was quick, the price was good, and the packing was impeccable. The bits came zip-tied to a piece of carboard, which was hand labeled. They even included an envelope with a signed note. I love finding businesses like this.

[lowell holmes]

I would look here

https://www.ebay.com/b/Auger-Bit-Set.../bn_7023319187

[Prashun Patel]

The #8 (1/2") worked fine out of the bag. The feeding tip on the #6 (3/8") keeps stripping out as soon as the spurs engage. I tried drilling a pilot hole but have not been successful. In addition, upon reflection, the reason I'm using a brace and bit is to allow more controlled drilling at odd angles than a power drill can sometimes allow. If i have to drill a pilot hole - with a power drill - I'm not sure it helps. I'll try sharpening the tip first.

I never gave the brace much thought, until I saw how much Curtis Buchanan seems to love his - not just the results, but the experience of using it. So, I'm determined to spend a little time exploring this.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Prashun, for a pilot hole, I just use a nail or a nail set, and make a little hole where I want the bit centered. Usually just hand pressure is enough. I have never needed a full pilot hole.

ETA: I should add that I use normal American stuff. Nothing from the lands where people walk sideways or upside down.

[Derek Cohen]

Prashun, I've never experienced an issue using a pilot hole. Keep in mind that the reason for its use is to make it easier for the screw to bite into hard wood. It is the screw which pulls the bit through the wood, not the cutters. The cutters just clear the waste. The screw still needs to bite, so the pilot hole must be smaller that the screw. If it is larger, there is nothing to bite into.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

The feeding tip on the #6 (3/8") keeps stripping out as soon as the spurs engage.

Can you post an image of the lead screw and spurs?

This sounds like what can happen if the outside of the spurs have been filed. If the outside edges at the tip of the bit are smaller than the rest of the bit it will bind. If that is the case you may want to work on returning it for an exchange.

This is from a post about building a saw table:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?146777

Boring holes at an angle can present problems:

2 Edge Blow out.jpg

The image shows what happens if the hole boring is started plumb. The bit was started at an angle to the surface. The spurs were not able to complete a full circle before the cutting edges started lifting shavings.

3 Start Perpendicular to Work.jpg

To avoid this, start the hole perpendicular to the leg surface. Once the spurs have cut a full circle, back out the auger completely and reset it plumb. There will be a lot less to clean up with a chisel.

A gimlet is often a useful tool for making a pilot hole for accurate hole placement.

A pilot hole is also important when boring with larger bits, especially close to the end of a work piece, to help keep the lead screw from splitting the work.

jtk

- trying to copy this over from an old post was a bit cumbersome and the attachements didn't work as expected. Hopefully it isn't too big of a mess.

[Brian Holcombe]

Buy a set of Corradi auger files. They’re great.

[Derek Cohen]

A "bit" more on the Owl Augers ..

Ellia Bizzarri reviewed them here: http://handtoolwoodworking.com/testi...class-opening/

This would be relevant for those making chairs. Ellia experienced issues with them in this situation. His comments are worth noting in view of his being a very experienced Windsor chairmaker. I have not found the issues he has, but then I have only done a few staked stools to date.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

Welll...these are still sitting here...needing a home
Augers 3.JPG
A # 6, a #8, and a #10
Augers, 6,8,10.JPG
Just saying...