Drilling Railings For Spindles

orson

What are you guys using to drill angled railings for spindles? I use a regular spade bit but sometimes I get large splinters on the upper edge of the hole. I'm not sure if this is due to my bit or the fact that my Makita cordless drill has a wobble to it. I've also tried the new irwin speedbor bit which I liked but had about the same amount of splintering.

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Ruby Construction LLC
Lancaster Kitchen Remodeling
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buildenterprise

Try a forstner bit.

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Dan_Watson

exactly right, forstner bits should eliminate your problems, and use a drill that doesnt wobble

Leo G

You can't use a forstner bit for the hole because of the starting angle. Get the spade bits with the starter tips on each wing. Use an electric drill that has a high rpm. Start the hole slow after you have penetrated you can speed the boring.

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Custom Cabinets in Hartford County Connecticut

dlcj

I agree with leo. Forstner bits cant start good on angle. I use the 3 tip spades also.------- A tip that maybe everyone knows already but after i have the holes laid out. I flip the rail over and end for end and let it sit on the stairs with end against bottom post so it dont slide. then all you have to do is keep the drill level and push straight down.

JulTrim&Cab

This is the way I do it.

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Julius Trim and Cabinet
Wichita KS

Railman

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Do what dlcj said above!

I've not tried the 3 tip spades, but over the years I've tried about everything else. We still use spade bits, preferably Irwins "Speed Bore", even in our shop. It's also nice to be able to custom size a bit by filing/grinding it down sometimes.

Leo brings up an equally important fact in that you need a high rpm drill...the faster the better. I used to use a hammer drill (with hammer off of course) when drilling on site for this very reason. It was a 3300 rpm Bosch with big hp. I always got a kick out of people recomending 1200 rpm drills for doing rail bals bores. They just didn't have a clue. 2,500 rpm works ok, but not as well as 3300.

On pitch rails, start bit at a shallow angle first (closer to square), & then slowly drift over to plumb, before bit makes a full contact oval. You need to practice this on scrap to get the timing right. Use light feed pressure when doing this. You don't need to drift if your drilling for 5/8 holes, but you do for larger bores. We do mostly 7/8" pin tops
In our shop, we use a radial drill press. That's the ticket!
Joe

orson

Thanx for the tips guys, since you're using the same bits and methods I do I guess my problem is the expensive one...the drill

www.rubycon.us
Ruby Construction LLC
Lancaster Kitchen Remodeling
Lancaster Bathroom Remodeling