New to me wood boring bit

[ebinmaine 67,570]

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 430]

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 552]

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

[CCW 1,295]

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 7,307]

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

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

[ebinmaine 67,570]

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 38,206]

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 67,570]

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 8,634]

@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 458]

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 41,145]

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 12,233]

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 67,570]

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 428]

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.

[BBQVultureWings 100]

 That Tool is Why we have a Handle to put on the side of the drill. I have used many a bit like that, Forstner Bits & Large hole saws as well over the years. When I run anything that can grab, & possibly break my wrist, I prefer to use the clutch settings for driving screws (if the drill I am using is so equipped) so it stops & it does so faster than I can release the trigger. Then go up another click or 2 on the clutch setting until I have a good kerf established, then I can go a Little bit faster but Slow & careful is always best. Back in the 80s n 90s we didn't have those clutches. Hopefully your Journeyman was smart enough to go over how powerfully Torquey the Ol' Millwaukee Hole Hawg was & How very careful you needed to be when cuttuing large holes. I was not so fortunate & my very first Jouneyman was appropriately named Dick for a very Valid reason. I at least had enough common sense to be extremely careful with th larger hole making bits & hole saws. The guy had No patience at all & was actually verbally & mentally abusive. I really wanted to learn so I put up with it for as long as I could & then 1 fine day after he exploded over something else stupid & really trivial, I snapped & suggested he "...enjoy some intimacy while traveling ..." amongst other colorfull names & called him out in front of people, I figured I was gonna get fired anyway so might as well make it worth it & to my surprise he basically ran away.....   I went back to the shop & told them I am Not doing it anymore & they just said ok & sent me out with a couple Really Great guys. I swore I would never treat an apprentice like that guy did me & every other new guy....  Actually had a few guys thank me Years Later for actually teaching them some things instead of yelling at them & making them do all the grunt work & unfun stuff. 

 It is really important to remember that Every & Any Power tool with a spinning sharp thing on the end of it has Every intention of removing parts of you that you'd rather keep.