Zobo forstners

[Brian Holcombe]

I'm curious about these forstner bits. I'm currently using Famag, but planning out a project involving an angled cut. I understand these to be excellent bits for cutting at an angle (using a Bridgeport mill in my case). Is this due entirely to the adjustable center point? Those using this setup, how do you like it when fixtured into a machine? Any noticeable difference between the Zobo bits an other high quality bits in such a scenario?

[David T gray]

ive done angled holes with forstners on a drill press with a $10 bit from china from hd and it worked perfectly as long as the work is clamped down i dont see how it would matter.

[Bill Dufour]

I suppose a piloted counterbore would work well. Many use a replaceable pilot. You could even use. a drill bit in place of the pilot.
Bill

[Jerry Wright]

For those of us who are challenged, please explain why it matters.

[Jack Lemley]

Maybe he doesn't have a way to adequately clamp the object on the drill press table or he is just wanting to be more efficient on a big part run and not fuss with clamps. I have and have used the Zobos an really like them. They are designed to be used at multiple angles. The pilot is part of it especially at sharper angles. I suspect that am not sure that the geometry of the bit contributes to its ability to do angle boring.

Jack

[Jerry Wright]

Thanks for the clarity!

[Brian Holcombe]

Maybe he doesn't have a way to adequately clamp the object on the drill press table or he is just wanting to be more efficient on a big part run and not fuss with clamps. I have and have used the Zobos an really like them. They are designed to be used at multiple angles. The pilot is part of it especially at sharper angles. I suspect that am not sure that the geometry of the bit contributes to its ability to do angle boring.

Jack

Thanks Jack, appreciate the insightful feedback. I'm planning out a dining chair build and if it's at all successful I will be making multiples of each part. They have to be accurate from one to the next so I'll likely build a fixture to quickly hold the assembled chair back then bore the holes. Eliminating clamps would be a significant time saver but it was not my main motivation in looking at a variety of bits. My feeling is that the quality of the finished joint is only as good as the accuracy of this cut. So it is worth the effort to investigate rather than assume that what I've got is good.