I'm just trying to get some pros & cons on these bits.

Thanks,
<>Dave

Love them!! I don't know of any cons. Does arbors and cork rings in seconds and save a ton of time in reaming

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I agree 110% with Mike. They are the next best thing to a good magic trick.

They're sweet. Only con is that they save you so much time you won't be able to hide out in your rod building shop for as long as usual.

..............

I also like the reverse pilot drill outlined in Rodmaker. Basically just sharpen the backside of a long spadebit and use the shank of the drill as your pilot. Stick the shank through the grip,seat etc, chuck and pull it toward you.

Picked up the jig for making them at the show. Works great. Can't believe I did without them for so long.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

The 5/8" one is perfect for boring out wood and exotic cork handles so you can insert a 16mm flexcoat arbor to lighten them up. :)

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

No problems with drilling concentrically? How much damage do they do entering and on exiting cork?

The system is great. I made my own using copper tubing and resharpened spade bites. I also use a step reamenor. Plus the Batson reamer. Each item has their place

Good Wraps Bob

I have the jig for making them also. Found out one thing by using them, if you use Rod Bond to attach the piece of tubing, drilling out anything denser than burl cork can cause heat and the Rod Bond will let go. I now use JB Weld, problem gone!!

Bill in WV

Love um!

Like William said, you have to watch the heat buildup, and with ALL of them, the ones you make and the ones you buy. Too much heat and the epoxy will soften enough to lose the tip. I use paraffin wax and keep the tips waxed as I go and that helps.

DR

Entry is clean, exit can be a bit ragged adjacent to the borehole diameter.
Not a problem with rear grips as both ends are either hidden by the reelseat or the butt cap.
Just make sure foregrips are entered from the front end and make the exit slowly, on whatever you are boring.

Only problem I have experienced with the longshaft spadebits is that on a number of brands the shaft diameter is just a bit bigger than 1/4" centre holes in cork rings.

One thing to help with clean exit, is to use a piece of wood at the exit point. Use a piece of wood with a slightly larger hole than the pilot jig, but smaller than the outer diameter of the bit. Drill through the cork, and to the block of wood allowing the jig to go through the center hole. When the bit goes to exit the cork, the wood backing will keep the the cork from becoming ragged as the bit exits.


Eric

Well it sounds like I'll be buying the jig sooner then later.

Thanks for the feedback.
<>Dave

Why not enter from BOTH ends with the bit, making both ends of the piece have perfect entrance/exit holes and let the bit meet in the center of the piece. Works perfectly and never a exit problem because both ends are entrances. You're welcome :-)

DR

I've actually been using spade bits with a piece of tubing not even glued on. Works just fine for me. Jut put the tube into teh 1/4" hole, it fits snug, then press teh spade bit into it and turn the lathe on. Just make sure teh tubing doesn't fall out when it exits teh tube. The only reason I found this out is my friend poured 16# foam with a 5/8" bore, and I didn't haev any way to make a bit with a 5/8 pilot tube. Worked fine, I started playing with teh regular size bits - it worked fine too.

I'm not recommending this, I'm just sayin git works for me.

Billy,

All you have to do with the FC bits to change the size of the 1/4" tip is wrap electrical tape around the tip until you get the desired diameter of the tip. Wax and roll on :-)

DR