digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: He says the best choice depends on hole size, cut quality needed, and budget, and notes Forstner bits are the best choice for clean woodworking cuts in general. Spade bits are the cheapest option for rough work, hole saws handle larger diameters but cut the roughest, and a router with a shop-made circle-cutting jig can make small or large holes without needing a different bit for each size. The video frames these as four methods, and the speaker advises buying tools only when you truly cannot accomplish a task with what you already have.
Key Points
- The four methods named in the video are: the spade (paddle) bit, the Forstner bit, the hole saw, and the router.
- The jigsaw is the simplest way to cut a hole of any size, but it can drift, making a perfect circle nearly impossible, so the video does not focus on it.
- Spade bits are inexpensive and suited to rough construction work, but they produce surprisingly clean cuts in solid lumber when drilled slowly with a backer board.
- Spade bits typically top out around 1.5 inches in diameter, and he says they're worth keeping in the shop because they're cheap.
- Forstner bits give the cleanest cuts with minimal tear-out, leave a flat bottom for partial-depth holes, and he's seen them up to about four inches or larger, but they can be expensive.
- Hole saws reach the largest diameters and cut out plugs, but they produce the worst cut, with burning on the inside and a more ragged edge.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Spade or paddle bits: drill slowly and use a backer board to get clean holes in solid lumber.
- Forstner bits: buy a multi-bit kit to save money; the speaker bought a Costco kit for $50 about 15 years ago and still gets good results, and a 16-piece set was seen on Amazon for a little under $50.
- Hole saws: use a drill press if possible; if not, clamp the workpiece down because it cannot be held by hand. Drill slowly, raising and lowering the saw to clear sawdust, and if the saw stops cutting, check whether the teeth are clogged.
- Router method for large holes: remove the router base and replace it with a scrap plywood board; attach the oversized workpiece and scrap board to the workbench so they don't move; fit a straight bit and measure the radius of the desired hole; drill a hole through the base at that radius and screw the base down at the circle's center without tightening too much, since it must still turn; with a plunge router, lower the bit into the wood, or slide it down manually as the speaker did.
- Buying advice: buy a new tool or upgrade only when you cannot accomplish something with what you have.
- The router example used a six-inch hole, and the speaker says the router is good for both small and large holes, with a longer setup time than the other methods.
- The three bit and saw methods each require a separate tool for each hole size, which gets pricey for very large holes, such as ten inches.
Bottom Line
For most woodworkers, a modest kit of Forstner bits covers clean holes, while a router with a circle jig handles very large diameters without buying a new bit for every size.
