bits for barn beam drill.

[DansSawmill]

hi all, i have a snell beam drill, and i have been looking for a modern drill bit for it.
thinking about dabbling in timber framing, i dont really want to get a antique drill bit and sharpen it , to drill with, i guess that makes me not a purist, just want a simple 1 1/2 modern auger bit with a 1/2" shank . and am having trouble finding one. most have a hex 7/16" .
the max clearance on the snell is about 14" so the 17 and 18" bits are out, tried cutting down a 17" no go, the shank was hard steel.
any ideas ? or should i just get a chain mortiser and be done with it.

[Brian_Weekley]

A modern auger bit, designed for a power drill, has lead-screw threads that aren't well suited for a hand-crank beam drill since they're meant to be turned at a much higher rpm.  Jim Rogers often has sharpened auger bits for sale to be used on your Snell machine.  It's worth getting a 1-1/2" and a 2" bit for it.  I love using my vintage boring machines and built my barn with them.

Alternatively, if you want to use modern auger bits, you might be better off making a drill guide to work with a power drill.  I made one here that works very well with an Irwin ship auger bit:



Both of these options are considerably cheaper than buying a chain mortiser.  If you want to "dabble" in timber framing, I'd suggest starting with these options before forking out $$$ for a chain mortiser.

[flyingparks]

I bought a 1 1/2" antique bit for my Snell from Jim Rogers. They're pretty popular. The bit came sharpened and in great condition. I put to some serious work right away and it worked perfectly. I am pretty sure Jim sharpens all his bits before he sells them so that's one and in my opinion the best option.

Option 2: buy a new bit and grind or file the shank down to the profile you need. I did this with an Irwin bit and it worked fine.

Option 3: If you have the money and are looking to get into production then a chain mortiser is what you want. There are a ton of used Makitas last time I checked on on eBay. New chains are around $500 and most places will not sharpen them. This convinced me to buy a new one. The best deal I found for a new Makita mortiser was from Timberwolf. I have used a mortiser with a dull chain and it really sucks.

[jander3]

Restoring and sharpening an Antique Auger Bit obtained from a farm-auction or junk store is my "go to" method.   It is not Rocket Science and turning a rusty, neglected 1 1/2" auger bit to sharp and smooth, generally take maybe one half hour.

Jim Rogers generally has an assortment of bits for sale. I've purchased a few over the last 10 years; I was very happy with the equipment..   However, if you want something modern that rocks....Wood Owl bit.  Spendy, but worth every penny. This is my "go to" bit for drilling holes to draw-bore up the joints.

If you need advice on restoration or sourcing tools, send me a PM.

Jon

[Dana Stanley]

This summer I took a class at Shaker village, and they were using modern auger bits in the old hand boring machines. Dave Carlson had a wood owl bit it was working fine. I made this.


 
 

 

[Brian_Weekley]

This summer I took a class at Shaker village, and they were using modern auger bits in the old hand boring machines. Dave Carlson had a wood owl bit it was working fine. I made this.

Dana, that's interesting.  Do you know specifically which Wood Owl bit they were using?  They probably needed an adapter or bushing to fit the boring machine?  The structure you built only needed 1-1/2" mortises.  However, I don't think a 2" bit is available from Wood Owl (modern 2" auger bits are rather elusive).

P.S.  Nice looking drill guide!

[Dana Stanley]

This summer I took a class at Shaker village, and they were using modern auger bits in the old hand boring machines. Dave Carlson had a wood owl bit it was working fine. I made this.

Dana, that's interesting.  Do you know specifically which Wood Owl bit they were using?  They probably needed an adapter or bushing to fit the boring machine?  The structure you built only needed 1-1/2" mortises.  However, I don't think a 2" bit is available from Wood Owl (modern 2" auger bits are rather elusive).

P.S.  Nice looking drill guide!

I do not know other than it was a 1-1/2" bit. Irwin has a 2"x17" auger bit.

[DansSawmill]

thanks guys, i think ill do a shotgun approach , and see what jim has so i have a antique set , plus make one of those modern drill guides.
should be fun.

[Jim_Rogers]

Thanks to everyone for their kind words about our tools.

Jim Rogers

[Heartwood]

The Wood Owl 1.5" x 7.5" Ultra Smooth bit should fit a boring machine. The hex shaft is 7/16" across the flats but the points and round part beyond the hex are 1/2".
It's a bit slower than a true boring machine bit, which can also be made by cutting off an antique t-auger bit.

[Jim_Rogers]

What we have done is we have purchased some new Irwin 1 1/2" bits and have had a welder add on a piece to the shank that will fit into the chuck on boring machines.
This allows the bit to spin true in the machine.



 
I only have one here available today. But I am expecting a delivery of restored tools here tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how many new bits I'll be getting in until then.

Jim Rogers
PS. I have a youtube video showing that the bit without the welded end still spins true in a machine. But it is much shorter and may not reach the depth you want.

[DansSawmill]

do you happen to have a link to that video jim?
thought i had seen all of yours.
i have some a owl bit coming from ebay along with some linear guides for making one out of a 1/2 inch drill.
ill email you after the holidays and see what you have for the beam drill, spent my allowance for right now

[Jim_Rogers]

Here it is:



Jim Rogers

[DansSawmill]

Just reporting back.
The wood owl smooth cut works great
Chucks up in the beam drill and cuts smooth.
I see there are 5" bit extenders on amazon, going to buy one and try it for when i need a deep hole.
Thanks all, happy new year