john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I've tried several different drills for hollowing out the center of hollow vessels and I usually either use a 3/8" bit when I need to go deep or a chinese forestner style bit with extension for shorter larger holes. Neither one works very well.
Yesterday I was at Lowes and saw the Irwin Speedbore bits. I bought the 3 flute variety pack of 3 for $12.95 and a 12" extension for $9. I tried them out this morning and they work great. You can use a hand drill but you have to push a little on endgrain. In a chuck in the tailstock it works great. The threads on the leadscrew don't pull it in, on endgrain so it was perfectly safe to use in the tailstock.
They have a forestner style cutter that is heavier duty and takes thier 7/16 extension. I want to try one of those but it looks like it will run about $50 for the pair when you add on our states super high tax.
Yesterday I was at Lowes and saw the Irwin Speedbore bits. I bought the 3 flute variety pack of 3 for $12.95 and a 12" extension for $9. I tried them out this morning and they work great. You can use a hand drill but you have to push a little on endgrain. In a chuck in the tailstock it works great. The threads on the leadscrew don't pull it in, on endgrain so it was perfectly safe to use in the tailstock.
They have a forestner style cutter that is heavier duty and takes thier 7/16 extension. I want to try one of those but it looks like it will run about $50 for the pair when you add on our states super high tax.