# Spade vs. Forstner bits



## Strider

Hello all!
I wonder what do you use for drilling +10 mm holes. Is it spades/paddle drull bits or Forstner? I prefer the latter as the hole is much cleaber and there is no tearing on the exit hole, but I migh be doing something wrong with the spades. I intend them for rngs. My chinese cheapo forstner makes good holes for its price but if the grains on some wood are too tight, it tends to overheat...so I squeze hard and let go and repeat. It does not dull strangely. Good steel. Any cheaper recomendations (I have to have from 13-21 mm which would be costly for a 30$ per piece)?


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## Tony

I use Forstner exclusively. The spade bits tear out way too bad. The only thing I can recommend is to go slow, let the bit cool down some. Get you a diamond stone and touch it up frequently, just the inner wings. Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


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## Mike1950

spades are crude- Forstner and buy the good ones. Look in the new Griz catalog....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Schroedc

I've got brad point bits up to 21MM, They cut fast and very little if any tear out.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodman6415

I only use spade bits for faster cutting in construction where tear out doesn't matter ... holes in studs .. floor joints .. etc 
Use forstner for fine woodworking

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Strider

Tony said:


> I use Forstner exclusively. The spade bits tear out way too bad. The only thing I can recommend is to go slow, let the bit cool down some. Get you a diamond stone and touch it up frequently, just the inner wings. Tony


Thank you, sir! Ok, so it wasn't me then. I was working with olive burl, which splits like Red Sea when Moses joins the party, but I guess it is them after all. I have checked many videos and yes, they tear up every time. As I've seaid, the cutting ede doesn't seem to dull nor chip whatever I do to it. The center spike could have been made sharper- at the moment it's just like a four sided pyramid...It is by no means self feeding.
Strange note @woodman6415 - after so many videos and comparisons, most spade bits weren't that fast in drilling at the first place! Why use them then? Light weight and cheap price?

The best wood holes I've used were the TiN metal drills that were so sharp they'd enter the wood like butter. But, @Molokai taught me that metal twist drills aren't the best for it, as they don't clear the dust/chips the same way augers do, so they collect on the end and start clustering, filling the flutes, overheating and hardening, thus widening the hole. I did find it true, drilling a 5 mm hole and finding out that the exit hole is wider than that. I never needed to drill anything bigger than 6 mm into the wood, so I am quite green at + 10 mm sizes. 
The problem is we don't have Home Depot or ACE with all the sizes available at the shells. And if we do find bigger drill bits, either twist bits or augers, they tend to be...pricey. A lot. So, it is either Brad points or Forstners, right? 

What about hole saws or plug drills? All I need to drill is some rings.


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## woodman6415

Strider said:


> Thank you, sir! Ok, so it wasn't me then. I was working with olive burl, which splits like Red Sea when Moses joins the party, but I guess it is them after all. I have checked many videos and yes, they tear up every time. As I've seaid, the cutting ede doesn't seem to dull nor chip whatever I do to it. The center spike could have been made sharper- at the moment it's just like a four sided pyramid...It is by no means self feeding.
> Strange note @woodman6415 - after so many videos and comparisons, most spade bits weren't that fast in drilling at the first place! Why use them then? Light weight and cheap price?
> 
> The best wood holes I've used were the TiN metal drills that were so sharp they'd enter the wood like butter. But, @Molokai taught me that metal twist drills aren't the best for it, as they don't clear the dust/chips the same way augers do, so they collect on the end and start clustering, filling the flutes, overheating and hardening, thus widening the hole. I did find it true, drilling a 5 mm hole and finding out that the exit hole is wider than that. I never needed to drill anything bigger than 6 mm into the wood, so I am quite green at + 10 mm sizes.
> The problem is we don't have Home Depot or ACE with all the sizes available at the shells. And if we do find bigger drill bits, either twist bits or augers, they tend to be...pricey. A lot. So, it is either Brad points or Forstners, right?
> 
> What about hole saws or plug drills? All I need to drill is some rings.



I have not watched any videos so can't comment what happens there ..
But I do know construction in houses is all soft wood .. mostly pine or white wood ... put one in a half inch drill and lean into it ... you would be supprised how fast they cut ... added benefit is quickly sharpen on job ... and cheaper to replace ... some trades such as electrician will have paddle bits with shafts 12 to 18 inches long ...


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## Strider

Oh, pardon me, forgot the link! I'm getting old. Twenty four and already having a single wrinkle!
Although it's not a comparison with Forstner, you get the idea. Regular spade, vs pricey inventions.


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## Tony

Wendell is right, in rough construction with pine or other soft woods, spade bits are faster, but not good for what you are doing. I would say spend a little money and get you some good Forstner bits. Tony


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## Strider

I have no choice then haha! But really, the Chinese Forstner bit I have is crude, no final fit and finish, and yet I cannot feel any imperfections in the hole nor does it tear the end grain. I wish I had a name so I could buy more. I'll drop by Bauhaus store tomorrow. They will have the best choices. 
If I were to make bracelets, hole saws would be the best. But I'll stick with rings at the moment.


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## Tony

When you drill make make sure to clamp your piece to a backer board to minimize tearout on the exit hole. Tony


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## Strider

Ok, I will. I usually have the piece clamped in a vice, but with not backer board. Noted. I did make several mistakes I've learned not to repeat- drilling the hole after cutting the rough outer shape. Damn, some of them really exploded and flew across the workshop- living room and kitchen I make my mother cry about :D

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Patrude

I use forstner bits. Cleaner hole, less likely to grab like a spade bit. I have off the shelf bits & re sharpen as needed with a diamond file. E z to sharpen, only the flat at thr back, never sharpen the bevel. I'm slowly switching to Colt fostner bits, these run much cooler especially in end grain


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## SENC

Quality bits make a difference. Good bradpoints are excellent, but I also use well sharpened and designed silver and deming bits up to 1" (25mm) with no problem. For my calls, I use my lathe and a 3/4" s&d from norseman with a mt2 taper built in so no chuck is necessary. Sharpened properly and with low speed slow advance it will drive a 4+" deep hole straight and true in every hardwood I throw at it.


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## Strider

Thank you all for replying. My intention was just a simple this or that...but you prove your selves better each time! 
@SENC what is a chuck? Four inch deep hole? You use extenders? 
I presume cooling drill bits when drilling wood is a bit harder, right? I mean, the first thing is never to allow it to heat up, but if it does, how could you cool it while drilling? Oil? Water? Or just lay back and rest until it's back to normal. 

Now, I like these unorthodox tests of use and abuse. They give me much safety when I worry what might go bad...Let's say I learn the limits. However, this one is self explanatory, since it's a matter of hardness (except if it were a matter of...erm...really thin plates of SS or bras, they tend to mess things up).









Not going to do either LOL!


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## rocky1

IF you do, don't be dumb enough to video it and post it on You Tube, or Facebook, or anywhere else on the internet! 

The number of people in today's world that seek their 5 minutes of fame doing something ridiculously STUPID, simply amazes me!!!

Reactions: Agree 3


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## barry richardson

Spade bits most definitely cut faster than forstners. You can tune up a spade bit some with sharpening to make a cleaner cut , but never as clean as a forstner. Grizzly and MLCS forstners are a good value. I went through a lot of Forstners drilling endgrain on the lathe, which can dull them quickly, But the best I have found are Colt, they cut fast and smooth, clear chips well, and are easy to resharpen, but $$$$

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Strider

Nope, not a man of fame lol! It took me, like, three years just to put my photo here hahah!
But, nonetheless, good things to know. 
I found out what I needed to know, thank you!

Should anyone want to post any drill related issues, feel free to post here.

This one is a gem. Even though I don't know the RPMs, the low spped creates so much heat it burns the chips.


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## woodtickgreg

Actually that's in slow motion, that's a carbide insert end mill, and yes it will throw hot blue chips. Ever have one go down your shirt? Makes you do a funny dance. I had one hit my nose once and as it cooled it closed up on my nostrils and I couldn't get that hot little bugger off, watered my eyes for sure with that one.


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## Strider

I know, I know, but he starts slow and works it up. Carbide lasts and lasts, and is not effected by heath. One senior told me to avoid widening holes as that creats uneven torque and since it is brittle...better not waste money.

I had the blue, sawn off, nail head stuck between my pinky and the other toe, several hours before going to Spain for a week. The blister made it look like the 11th toe. That'll wake up a man.


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