drill bits in router?

[jake_xms3_punk]

has anyone ever used drill bits in a router? to drill holes not to cut. i have some forstner bits and a collet that they fit in and im quite tempted to try as i dont have a drill press. i've heard mixed comments on this and want to know what you guys think. obviously safety is my main concern. would the low setting on a router be higher then the highest setting on a drill press?

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: drill bits in router?

A router will spin waaay too fast for a drill bit, and if the bit breaks i wouldn't want to live in the same suburb as you.

Don't risk it. Use a drill.

(I bought a drill guide for my drill at the local hardware shop for $20 because i didn't have a drill press. I still have two eyes and no metal shrapnel in my body. Any engineering shop would probably drill your holes for you for a few dollars.)

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: drill bits in router?

1) Router bits are made of carbide, which is great at holding a sharp edge and having lots of torsional rigidity. Holding an edge is important because if an edge on a rotary cutter becomes dull, it absorbs more of the rotating force, hence placing a greater torsional stress on the bit. That's where torsional rigidity is important - carbide router bits, even if they become dull, are much more capable of handling the torsional stress applied by a router motor.

2) Most drill bits are made of low carbon or high carbon steel. These materials lose their temper when overheated, which will cause them to lose their hardness, and become dull, quickly, once that temper is lost. Dull cutting edges invite more heat and more torsional stress, and the drill bit will "twist off." What might overheat a steel drill bit? See #3.

3) The widest range of revolutions per minute seen on most commercial routers is 10,000 to 27,500. The maximum RPM of most commercial drills is 1,500. Operating a drill bit at 10x its designed operating speed will cause it to overheat, lose temper, become dull, become hot, and fail, metallurgically, resulting in an elastic failure (twisting off).

4) As convenient as it may seem, you should not use a drill bit, even a stout forstner bit, in a router. Think of it like using bike tires on a car.

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: drill bits in router?

A router will spin waaay too fast for a drill bit, and if the bit breaks i wouldn't want to live in the same suburb as you.

Don't risk it. Use a drill.

(I bought a drill guide for my drill at the local hardware shop for $20 because i didn't have a drill press. I still have two eyes and no metal shrapnel in my body. Any engineering shop would probably drill your holes for you for a few dollars.)

thanks, thought as much. are those drill guides any good?

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: drill bits in router?

thanks, thought as much. are those drill guides any good?

They're better than not using one if you want a perpendicular hole. Remember too that smaller drill presses may not allow you to access the central area of a guitar body to drill bridge posts or tailpiece studs (throat of drill press may not be deep enough) so the drill guides are useful for that too.

They're not perfect but they are helpful. I used one in place of a drill press to build a Les Paul style guitar and that worked out okay. If you already have a drill, you might need to check that it will fit a specific drill guide.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: drill bits in router?

So a carbide drill bit would be ok?


If you're drilling control pot holes through a top, you can do it with a handheld drill. I did one on a Warmoth 5A quilted body with a Forstner bit and a B&D handheld.

Original version with only one hole:

The Tone hole I drilled:

It was my first attempt. Ever.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: drill bits in router?

It's about speed ratings. Check the average speeds for electric dills. Then check the typical speeds that routers operate at. Then check the maximum recommended speed rating on drill bit packaging. You will clearly see why it's not a good idea to use a drill bit in a router.

Using the right tool for the job is vital for two reasons. A good outcome, and safety.

It might be helpful to know exactly what it is you want to achieve ... because yes, there may be the possibility of using a hand tool to achieve a good result.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: drill bits in router?

So a carbide drill bit would be ok?

No. Even if the drill bit was carbide, it's design; the pitch of it's wings, etc. was made to rotate around 1,500 RPM.

Back to the bike tires on a car metaphor: they're both made of identical rubber, but still not designed to be operated interchangeably.

A carbide drill bit would actually be far more dangerous than a steel drill bit in a router. At high temperatures, steel becomes ductile and has elastic failures, whereas carbide will maintain form until its threshold is reached, and then shatter. That's why you hear about shrapnel sometimes - carbide does not fail elastically (think bending a paper clip), it fails catastrophically.

Guess what armor piercing ammunition is made of? Carbide. This isn't even safe if you're wearing a bullet-proof vest :laughing:.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: drill bits in router?

I border on insane and even I think it´s completely nucking futs if not suicidal (which isn´t necessarily bad, but very necessarily dangerous :laugh2: )

What exactly do you want to achieve? It may be possible to do it and have a decent chance of survival at the same time

BTW ISix: Bike tires on a car? Been there, done that, it was fun, let´s never do that again :chairfall:beerchug:

 

[PoorMan]

Re: drill bits in router?

"drill bits in a router" Sure, if you want to die. This would be so incredibly dangerous. If you own a router, you should know the answer to your question.

No! Do not put a drill bit in a router!!!

:nono:

Router bits go in routers.

Drill bits go in drills.

Step away from your router and go read the manual before you kill yourself.

 

[Kam]

Re: drill bits in router?

Yeah, man, go for it. I think you'll be fine.

Set up a camera first, though. :friday:

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: drill bits in router?

That. ^

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: drill bits in router?

there is a hybrid
Drill/Router