At 10:38 AM 9/28/99 , Bill Webber wrote:
>Oh well, I guess I'll accept whatever public humiliation may be involved
>and ask:  How is a Forstner bit, with an auger, different in use than
>any other auger bit.  Modern forstner bits have a tiny center point and
>claim to be guided by the rim.  They are useful for flat bottomed and/or
>angled holes (under p*w*r).  If you put an auger screw on a Forstner you
>can't make flat bottom holes and you can't do much in the way of angled
>holes, right?  Tell me what I'm missing, please.

Well, I have a set of square shanked forstner bits in sizes up to 1 1/2
inches.  They came in my finish carpenter's tool chest photos of which I
will eventually put on my web page.  Along with the bits was a receipt
dated 1913 for purchase of these bits.  They have no auger screw, and I
think not even a point at the center.  So I think it isn't just modern bits
that have no screw.

BTW, one thing they are great for is countersinking holes over existing
holes where an auger bit would have nothing to screw into.  They can also
be used to make such holes bigger, or drilling overlapping holes, all in a
bit brace.  I haven't tried using them at an angle to the surface though.

When I got them they were nicely sharpened and blued, this despite the
brace being missing from the toolbox.

Mark

Mark van Roojen                                         P.O. Box 83836
Department of Philosophy                        Lincoln, NE 68501-3836
University of Nebraska                                  (402) 438-3724 (h)
1010 Oldfather Hall                                     (402) 472-2428 (w)
Lincoln, NE 68588-0321                          (402) 472-0626 (fax)
(msv@u...)                              Webpage: http://www.geocities.com/~mvr1
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