20mm Drill Chuck

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Bsco85

Member
Joined
3 Dec 2018
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Location
Oxford
I was planning on boring some 3" holes in a figurative lump of hardwood for a Wine bottle holder, quite a big one!

I've got hold of a large Bormax forstner bit. But have realised its got a 20mm shank.

Now what drill rig should I be looking at for this?!

I've currently only got the largest Metabo SDS drill, has a exchangeable 13mm bit.

Now I'm not sure its suggestible that I use this drill bore with a 3" plus bit or if its even possible to retrofit it with a 20mm Chuck.

Is there any hand held drills that are man enough for this?

Advice on what to drill with please?
 
I think if it were me, I would go with a router, guidebush and template.
 
A 20 mm shank forstner bit is way too big for a hand held drill. it will break your wrists.

If you secure the wood down firmly, you could use a tank cutter in a hand held power drill, slow and steady, with lots of lift ups to clear the teeth and stop the wood burning.
 
I’m sure your right and am asking for collective advice.

But Famag make and sell Forstners up to 5”! What machines did they intend to use these on?! Bigger ones than mine have a 24mm shank.

I’d imagine anything but the largest pillar drills would be liable to get ripped apart or burn belts if the bit binded in the cut. Well that’d be my worry. (The material is a 40kg ish chunk of hardwood, Walnut)

Anyway I’ve got the bit, would like to know how to use it, or on what, before I give up on it.

FYI, was going to pre drill with progressive augers up to a inch to guide the big bit and remove some resistance.

Not pretending to know what I’m on about though!
 
Forstner bits mst be at least started on a centre and ideally all the way through. If you are going to cut it is stages then you will need to plug the hole at each stage to get the next sized bit started.

To drive a 3" bit you will need a pillar drill, preferably a back geared one to get the torque and to clamp the work very firmly indeed.
Make sure you clear the waste regularly and keep the bit sharp otherwise it will burn and become soft and useless.
 
Thanks, pillar drill it is then.

The bit has a removable guide bit that takes various sized guide pins if that makes sense.

It’s a free standing piece and want the bottles sat at a angle so some jiggers pokery will have to be done to make a table/support/jig with a pillar drill.

No didn’t intend to go through else wouldn’t hold the bottles! Just a experiment really
 
Since it's a Famag bit it shouldn't need a lot of power to run, probably about a 1HP motor on a pillar drill should work. Although you would need a pretty stout pillar drill not to bend the drill table as you're drilling a 3" hole.
 
An example of not giving us enough information to start with to be able to give you right advice.
you said you wanted to bore holes (not hollows) with a power drill (not a pillar drill.

You are truly going about it the wrong way, but that doesnt mean it cant be done.

If I wanted to make a hollow for a wine bottle to sit in (see the difference wording makes?)
i would use a hole cutter to the correct depth, then chisel out the waste wood.
If you want a really smooth bottom to the hollow then once the hole cutter is in the wood, remove the pilot drill.
If you want those hollows on a slant, then you will definitely need a pillar drill, and to start off with ith a long pilot drill and go very slowly untill all the teeth are in the wood.
Trying to cut on a slope with a forstner bit? :roll: :roll: :roll: Now that really CANT be done.
 
you are going to need a serious drill press for a 20mm chuck
my mill only has 16mm chuck
interested to see the outcome

Steve
 
sunnybob":3ganmlll said:
Trying to cut on a slope with a forstner bit? :roll: :roll: :roll: Now that really CANT be done.

If you have a sturdy setup with the workpiece clamped solidly to the drill table, drilling holes on an angle with a pillar drill with a forstner bit is a trivial matter. Especially with the Famag bormax drills as they cut much easier.

Doing it freehand is a different story though, a friend of mine opened himself up nicely trying to drill a 1 1/2" angled hole with a forstner bit freehand in a pillar drill. As soon as the bit touched the timber it skipped the piece over and drug his hand into the bit leaving him with a hell of a gash on the back of his hand.
 
I rest my case, m'lud (hammer) (hammer)
Even in a pillar drill, the odds of bending the bit shaft are well in favour of disaster with a newbie at the controls.
 
All that needs be done is a piece of scrap fixed temporarily in some way to bring the start of the hole onto a level. With a decent bit in a good bench drill and the workpiece held down properly there's no reason whatsoever why you shouldn't start holes on an angle.
 
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/ ... lls/1854-1

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/ ... lls/1675-6

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/ ... ls/2711-20

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/ ... eed%20Bits

You gents have never worked around plumbers. They have drills that can cut up to 6" with a self feed bit. Basically a machine spur bit with a screw centre like an auger uses. Even the cordless ones can do holes over 4". They are very powerful and you have to be very aware of the dangers when you use them but the trades use them constantly without injury. They can twist your wrist apart and if you have body parts between the drill and a fixed object you'll get crushed if it catches. The OP can likely get one at a rental centre if he wants, but the 20mm shank of his bit is a little too large for the 3/4" chuck of the big drill and would have to be ground down to fit unless your drills there have bigger chucks.

Personally I would do as suggested earlier and use a router with a pattern clamped in the wood. The pattern can have the slope in it for a clean bottomed angled hole.

Pete
 
Thanks all, I'll let you know how I get on and what breaks, hopefully not my wrists!

Yeah I do now see that a router and jig would be nice, smooth and progressive, gonna try both. Probably steer away from the pillar drill, somethings gonna break there for sure!
 
Keep your wine in a cool dark place like under the stairs in a cheap rack, it’s much better place for it.
Or keep it internally ;-)

Pete
 
Back
Top