New to me wood boring bit

[ebinmaine 66,312]

General Hardware No. 55.

Makes a hole from 1/2" or so up 8".

 

Depth is just shy of 3/4"

 

I used it to make an oval shaped hole in the barn wall for an AC warm air vent. 

 

Takes a light careful touch with good speed going. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JimSraj 382]

Yup, a light touch is right. Too much pressure and that will break your wrist and make a mess of your project. Steady as you go there. 

[sqrlgtr 544]

light touch or big guns...I'm beginning to see why they call you the BEAR ... 

[CCW 1,280]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Takes a light careful touch with good speed going. 

 

 

I get it and boy do I hate those bits.

 

[lynnmor 7,218]

General number 4, 3/4" to 5".

Haven't used it since Mr Jig invented his saw about 50 years ago.

[ebinmaine 66,312]

1 hour ago, CCW said:

 

I get it and boy do I hate those bits.

 

 

Absolutely understandable.  

I picked this up a year or three ago and hadn't used it for a real purpose yet. 

Whatever reason I had for purchase must have been done by other methods. 

 

This bit would certainly be more friendly in a drill press but I had to get down low on a wood wall. 

 

 

 

[Ed Kennell 37,281]

44 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

This bit would certainly be more friendly in a drill press

In the press is the only way I use mine.     For cutting large holes with a hand held drill,  I use hole saws.

[ebinmaine 66,312]

4 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

In the press is the only way I use mine.     For cutting large holes with a hand held drill,  I use hole saws.

 

Normally I would too. 

I needed a 3-3/4" hole and didn't have a hole saw for that. 

[peter lena 8,413]

@JimSraj broke my right wrist many years ago , was setting up some piping for another small area , shop, went for the second step on a 8 ft ladder , next thing I  was on my back on the floor , no pain  but the 45 degree angle said it all , up until that had no accidents  on my file . had lots of mechanical related opportunities for a  problem .  pete 

[Wayne0 361]

I have 2 of those from my Dad when he passed. Different sizes. I remember using them as a kid. They also work for -.125 aluminum.

[Red-Bovine 309]

I have those and use them from time to time. Drill press only. Probably one of the most dangerous tools. BE CAREFUL. 

[squonk 40,663]

We got some Spyder Carbide tipped hole saws for work. We were installing a multi head AC system in an old house that the school was converting into offices. There were still some old gas pipes in the walls for the gas lighting system. Didn't know the pipe was there and this hole saw tore right thru it! 

 

[Handy Don 11,820]

18 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

This bit would certainly be more friendly in a drill press but I had to get down low on a wood wall. 

 

The temptation is to go deeper than ~½” when control becomes very difficult.

I inherited three of these in different sizes. After one use that nearly cost me broken bones, I decided I could afford good hole saws more than the inconvenience, pain, and medical bills. So far, so good.

[ebinmaine 66,312]

7 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

The temptation is to go deeper than ~½” when control becomes very difficult.

 

 

Luckily I was able to access both sides. 

 

 

 

As a "safety measure" I left the bit just a little loose in the drill so if it stopped turning the power unit wasn't wrenched from my grip.  

 

 

 

[Rick3478 414]

I have too many memories of splinters, bruises, and sprains to use those or spade bits in anything but a hand brace.  For a power tool I'll usually get a hole saw, or for a couple special uses I've become enamoured with ship augers.  When the going gets really tough, I've been known to toss aside the power and use a long handle ratchet.