Forstner drill bit for wood. Furniture production drummer

When the need arises to make holes in wooden blanks, the question always arises: how and with what tool will it be easier, faster and more convenient to do this. Of course, in today's construction markets there are a huge number of drills available that can make different types of holes. However, their extraordinary cleanliness and complete absence of chips can be achieved only by using so-called Forstner drills for wood.

The history of the drill

The inventor of such a tool was the famous American gunsmith Benjamin Forstner. His woodworking drill was first patented in 1874 and brought him unprecedented success and profit. Forstner drills are still manufactured to this day, but since that time many other types of similar tools have appeared. In some cases, the appearance of the samples is only vaguely reminiscent of the first invented drill, but they all continue to work on the same principle.

Best Drill Sets

In home workshops and industrial plants, drills of different sizes and diameters are required. Manufacturers produce sets for such cases, equipped with equipment of different diameters with shanks of the same type. The tool is of stable quality, and convenient packaging makes storage simple and convenient.

Bosch Promoline 2.607.019.435

The German set of metal drills contains 19 pieces of tools, with a diameter from 1 to 10 mm. A step of 0.5 mm allows you to select equipment with high accuracy. All products are made of hard alloy steel, which has undergone additional heat treatment. The sharpening angle ensures high quality drilling; the tool copes well with carbon steel, aluminum and other metals.

The cylindrical shank allows use with chucks of electric drills and small drilling machines. The set is supplied in a convenient box with an informative stand, where each drill diameter is labeled.

Advantages:

• Ideal geometry;
• Durability;
• High strength;
• Low price for its category;
• Small box size.

Flaws:

• Not detected.

Hammer 202-921 DR set No21

The universal set includes products for working on concrete and metal. The equipment is made of tool high-speed steel. The tool can be used for processing heat-resistant, carbon, corrosion-resistant steels and alloys. The edge sharpening angle of 135 degrees allows you to drill quickly and efficiently. The diameter is selected to work with the main types of rivets. The short pitch makes selection easier.

The tool for working with concrete has high-quality grinding, which helps create smooth holes and quickly remove construction dust from the hole being formed. Supplied in a convenient case that does not take up much space.

Advantages:

• Low price;
• Reliable fixation in the grooves of the box;
• The equipment can withstand intense loads;
• Stable geometry.

Flaws:

• Sometimes there is displacement of the tips.

Forstner drill. What is it used for?

The Forstner wood drill bit was originally developed for the purpose of making flat-bottomed, blind-type holes in soft and hard woods. Now it is also used when working with MDF, fiberboard or chipboard, as well as their various modifications.

The drill is used mainly in furniture production, for example to obtain:

• blind recesses for door hinges, locks, threaded and eccentric couplers;
• holes of great depth when installing fittings and the need to obtain neat and even edges.

In other applications, the drill bit can be used for installing window openings, door locks, electrical wiring, and plumbing and electrical work.

A Forstner drill for wood makes it possible to obtain ideal recesses with a flat bottom, missing the outer edge by only 1-2mm. Drills are designed for installation in electric or hand drills with a speed of 400 to 1400 revolutions per minute, depending on the diameter.

So, the main advantages of such drills are:

• increased fineness and speed of the drilling process due to the centering head;
• compliance with clear cut geometry and specified dimensions;
• availability of a wide range of sizes;
• high performance;
• obtaining smooth, clean holes.

In addition, screw drills of a conventional design with a conical sharpening, compared to a Forstner drill for wood, cannot provide a plane, and crowns and feather types do not allow obtaining clean and accurate side surfaces.

Areas of use

The Forstner drill is widely used in the furniture industry and carpentry. Thanks to the correct design solution, it helps to very quickly and accurately make blind holes and grooves for various types of fittings.

This type of drilling is also used in large centers in cabinet furniture production: for various kinds of mounting fasteners , tie rods, and hinges for furniture. The diameter of model 35 is considered the best. It is also applicable in ordinary carpentry.

In addition to holes for door and other fittings, they are used to repair various natural wood defects: knots, resin pockets, mechanical damage to the structure and inclusions. An element of pure wood of suitable diameter is inserted into the hole using glue. It is made with a special device - the same in diameter as a Forstner drill.

You can purchase a drill in any specialized stores. It helps save expensive dry wood and improve the quality of carpentry. The negative aspects include the difficulty of sharpening the device and the rather high price compared to simple spiral drills. But this can be paid off by the efficiency of its operation at large production volumes.

Design features

The drill itself is shaped like a milling cutter with an extended tip. Has a cylindrical head. The working part of the tool consists of a short centering tip and two main cutting edges (knives) located diametrically to each other. The resulting chips are removed by two chip removers. The centering point makes it possible to install the drill in the center of the future hole. In two places the outer cutting rim is interrupted by the main blades. During drilling, the peripheral edges create the side walls, and the chip removers create the bottom of the holes.

The profile of the drill resembles the letter “Z” (when reflected in a mirror, it looks like the letter “S”). A selectable cutting edge is placed on the transverse bridge, and along the entire circumference of the drill there is a scoring edge, which acts as a limiter and holds the tool in the required diameter. The drilling direction is maintained by the rim rather than the central point.

Forstner drills are made from carbon steel by turning. This allows you to maintain a significant thickness of the drill walls, which reduces overheating of the tool during operation and achieve greater durability of the cutting edges. Considering the material of manufacture, the relatively high cost of a Forstner drill compared to its analogues can be fully justified.

Advantages

The Forstner drill (photo above) has two important advantages in comparison with other designs: the cleanliness of the surfaces being processed and the fact that it holds the given direction well. This is possible even on blocked holes, or when their diameters extend beyond the edges of the workpiece.

The quality of the cut of the side walls is achieved by cutting the fibers around the circumference even before they are touched by the main cutting edge. This allows you to avoid chipping and tearing of the material outside the processed diameter.

The second advantage is ensured by the fact that the direction is held not by the centering tip, but by the side annular cutting edge and the entire cylindrical plane of the working surface. After starting to sample the material, the drill is held tightly in the formed hole.

Existing varieties and modifications

Nowadays, Forstner wood drills are produced by many companies. Some of them focus on maintaining the traditional configuration of the tool, while others focus on using quality materials and improving the device to work under different conditions.

The standard range of drills often starts with 10mm. Such small drills are less popular than, for example, drills with a diameter of 35 mm, which are used when making door hinges. You can also find larger diameters on sale: 50 mm, 55 mm or even 60 mm. It should be noted that the larger the diameter, the lower and slower the speed of the working drill should be.

It is very important not to exceed the maximum permissible drill rotation speed, which is indicated in the manufacturer’s documentation.

Depending on the type of cutters, Forstner drills are divided into:

• drills with carbide cutters - in their design they have soldered cutters made of hard alloys. They are distinguished by their high cost due to their proximity to the device of the original version of the drill. Disadvantage: susceptibility to vibration and the possibility of tearing off the surface when drilling due to the placement of the side cutters on a small part of the circle;

• Serrated drills – have tooth-shaped cutters along the entire cutting edge. The main advantage: less overheating during operation due to small contact with the material being processed. Therefore, drills with a diameter of more than 25mm are always produced with teeth. Disadvantage of the drill: there is a risk of failure when drilling on the edge of parts or at an angle.

The average drill length varies within 10cm. Because of this length, in some cases it is necessary to resort to lengthening it. For these purposes, specialized extension cords up to 300 mm in size are used. The length indicates the amount of depth that will be obtained with the selected equipment.

Selecting cutters

Which cutters are better to buy - expensive real ones or cheap non-original ones? The choice depends on how often you need to use them in your work. In a workshop where constant production of furniture products is planned, you will have to use this tool quite often. Moreover, cutters of different sizes will be required. But it is unprofitable to purchase expensive tools just for your home needs.

During active use, it is better to choose original products to ensure continuous operation and at the same time keep the tool in good condition for a long time. The high price will pay off over time.

For rare use, it is better to buy a set of 6-7 cutters of standard sizes (including a 35 mm Forstner drill), the price of which will correspond to one expensive original copy. With this kit you can perform many types of work that require creating holes of different sizes. Using these tools, you can create a furniture set with your own hands or simply replace new fittings that require the manufacture of high-quality holes.

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Features of work

In order to achieve a high level of accuracy when working with Forstner drills, a centering point is used. To do this, mark the point of its future placement on the object. After this, the tip is pressed into the material until it evenly touches the surface of the product along the entire circumference. It is recommended to start drilling at minimum speed. On average, such drills are designed for operating speeds ranging from 800 to 1800 rpm. In addition, the larger the working area, the lower the drilling speed should be set.

For convenience and safety when working with a drill, especially in situations with main parts, you can use special stops in conjunction with a Forstner drill. They will allow you to complete the tool on time and ensure the required hole depth.

When drilling holes in thin materials, two drills with the same diameter are often used. Initially, the work is carried out with a standard tool, with which the initial diameter is obtained. The second drill first grinds off the tip in the center, and then completes the design of the recesses. Thanks to the first diameter, the tool is held in the hole without the risk of breaking or going beyond its limits. This leaves walls with the minimum permissible thickness.

Scope of application of the tool

Initially, Forstner wood drills were intended to produce blind holes in various types of wood. Today, the device is used in the processing of furniture boards and their modifications. With the help of such a drill in furniture production one obtains:

• Blind holes.
• Large deep holes.

In addition to the furniture industry, the tool has also found application in other industries. It is used for installation:

• Windows
• Door lock.
• Electrical wiring.
• Water supply.

Using a Forstner drill, it becomes possible to obtain excellent recesses that do not reach the surface by 1-2 mm. This tool can be easily installed in any electric drill that has a speed controller.