Suggestion to sand out Forstner hole

[Philip Florio]

I'm making a paper towel holder that also has holes drilled in it for salt and pepper shakers. I used a 1 7/8" Forstner bit with a 5/16" depth into red oak.

Trying to figure out the best way to sand the bottoms and the sides while keeping a tight 90 degree edge. I'm also figuring on adding some oak wood filler into the pilot hole before sanding.

Thanks,
Phil

[Greg Hines, MD]

I don't know that there is a good way to sand that. One idea would be to plane it smooth with a router and a flat bottom bit, inside a collar or with a guide bearing, and using a template.

Other than that, careful hand sanding would probably be the only way, and you would probably soften the shoulder you are trying to keep.

Doc

[Peter Quinn]

Piece of sticky back sand paper on a large dowel with a square end cut should do the sides referencing off the flat bottom, like a 1" dowel, or something round, even a piece of 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" PVC, or a PVC coupling from a plumbing store.

For the pilot hole, I would get a small top bearing template bit like used for mortising hinges to templates, chuck it in a plunge router and flush trim the bottom of the hole to just deeper than the pilot hole, using the 5/16" sides as teh bearing surface. In fact I would have made an MDF template with the Forschner bit and made the actual holes with the top bearing mortising bit to begin with if you are concerned about the hole the spur has left. For a salt and pepper holder which will cover those holes most of the time, I'd be inclined to leave them rather than fill them which might make them pop out more to the eye if the color match isn't perfect or a finish that darkens the wood will be used, as the filler will not darken to the same color. Or you could felt the bottom of the hole, or use cork, and side step the whole issue.

[Pete Bradley]

I don't think you'll be happy with the results if you use filler. It will likely look amateurish. You could use a tapered plug cutter on an offcut of the same board to make matched plugs. If you're planning to stain though it's likely that you'd get a ring.

The suggestion of covering it up with felt was a good one, or you could drill a through hole in another board and use it as a template with a top-bearing pattern bit to rout a flat bottom.

Pete

[glenn bradley]

Dado clean-out bit.

[David Christopher]

Put some sticky sand paper on a dowl and put it in the drill press
presto hole sanded smooth

[Peter Quinn]

Dado clean-out bit.

Yup, that's what I'm talking about. Whiteside 3000A, same bit, different name. Every wood butcher should have at least one. I have several.

[Philip Florio]

So the Dado Clean-Out Router Bits are really for the sides?

I'll try the drill press and dowel method.

I was thinking of using a flocker with suede. I made a number of jewelry boxes for Christmas with this. But this is a kitchen item where it will be contact with water.

I'm going to give it 5 coats of spray on gloss lacquer, should really make the red oak pop out!

Phil

[Josiah Bartlett]

You could just drill the hole all the way through, clean up the hole, and glue in a dowel the same size for the bottom. Then you could clean up the end of the dowel before you put it in the hole. You could even use contrasting wood.

[Jim Kountz]

You could just drill the hole all the way through, clean up the hole, and glue in a dowel the same size for the bottom. Then you could clean up the end of the dowel before you put it in the hole. You could even use contrasting wood.

Or......... Laminate a another piece of wood to the bottom.

[Chris Padilla]

I think for a better feel, you probably don't want such sharp edges and over time, they will dull or possibly split.

[Tony Ward]

Hi

Use two of the same size forstner bits, one with the pointy bit (starter tip) and the other with the pointy bit ground off.

Use the bit with the starter tip (the pointy bit that leaves the dimple) first, drill to commence the hole and then use the second bit, that way you'll finish with a level base and no dimple mark and minimise the amount of sanding!

Happy Christmas to all Creekers from Australia,

[Dave Verstraete]

Or......... Laminate a another piece of wood to the bottom.

+1 for Jim's idea

[Norman Pyles]

Drill the same size hole through a peice of mdf or wood for a template , and use the router bit Glenn sugested.

[David Epperson]

Or, you could use the router to "engrave" a "P" and an "S" in the bottoms of the holes that would not only take out the "dimple" but designate the purpose of the holes.