advice on drilling holes-forestner bit?

[clovis]

The wife has a craft project for me, and would love your input.

She wants holes, 2 1/8" round, 2" deep, drilled into pieces of 4x4" wood.

I am pretty cheap, and hate to spend $27 on a forestner bit at Lowes. I also hate to buy a cheap Chinese made bit.

Any ideas?

By the way, is Freud descent quality? Made in Austria.
Thanks!
clove

[GREEN_ALIEN]

Originally Posted by clovis

The wife has a craft project for me, and would love your input.

She wants holes, 2 1/8" round, 2" deep, drilled into pieces of 4x4" wood.

I am pretty cheap, and hate to spend $27 on a forestner bit at Lowes. I also hate to buy a cheap Chinese made bit.

Any ideas?

By the way, is Freud descent quality? Made in Austria.
Thanks!
clove

If you have got the tools then a router makes a fine hole with a straight cutting bit, a guide bushing and a template.

Freud is makes great cutting tools.

GA

[agmantoo]

Take a 2 x 4 and use a sabre saw to cut the hole, drill a through hole so you can start the saw blade. Then glue the 2 x 4 to another 2 x 4 and you will have a 4 x4 with a hole as you want.

[Windy in Kansas]

The Freud brand is a well respected name, which among others "Rockler Woodworking and Hardware" sells. I respect their the choices they offer their customers, so I certainly wouldn't be afraid of Freud. Rockler does offer carbide tipped Forstner style bits with their 2 1/8" bit being offered at $30.99 and nearly $7 on top of that for s&h. Doesn't state brand other than Rockler exclusive. Perhaps made by some company to their specifications and only for sale by them.

A decent hole saw would be cheaper to purchase, but you would have to use a chisel to pop out the remaining wood, and be careful not to select one with too long of a pilot bit.

Making candle holders are we?

[Bob_W_in_NM]

How about a nice bi-metal hole saw with an extension? 2 1/8 is a standard
size (the same one that's used to bore a hole for a lockset).

A 2 1/8 forstner bit, IF you could find one, would be REALLY expensive.

[mary,tx]

At the risk of getting into trouble, could you explain what your wife is trying to accomplish? How many holes and 4x4s--a few or a lot? Is it possible that there is an entirely different problem to be solved?
Dale (dh of mary, tx)

[Janon]

If this is a "one-time" activity, call your friends and see who has what... to either borrow or have them drill the holes. If this is something you're going to be doing quite often, buy the bit. $27 is a bargain compared to the grief the wife will fire your way should you not complete this project... and soon!

cheers,

[tallpines]

OR----IF this is a one time project-------
But the cheap bit and get the job done---then toss the bit.

Sometimes those cheap tools are the easist and quickest solution.

[clovis]

First and foremost, THANK YOU for all of your replies.

The project is a candle holder. Drill two or three holes in a 4x4 piece of wood, drop in a glass votive candle holder, paint and stencil the wood, and you have a cool $3 christmas present for a co worker. I think the wife wanted to make about 20 of them.

The candle holders we have seen, are made of 4x4 stock, which I have on hand. I dont have any 2x4 stock.

Keep the suggestions coming.
Thanks again!!!
clove