Woodworking Drill Bits

Circles Anyone?

Monday, July 19, 2010 by Betty Pomeroy

I was looking through the Popular Woodworking Pocket Shop Reference Guide and came across a list of “Circle Templates around the House”. I thought it was so funny that they have a measurement for the bottom end of an Old spice Shave Cream 11 oz. can! By the way it measures 1 5/8” and has a radius of 11/16 “.

If you need to make circles, you don’t have to trace pennies, or the bottom end of a coffee can. Eagle America has many woodworking accessories for making circles. Here are 6 different router accessories and router jigs to help you cut circles:

If you are using other woodworking tools, like a Drill press, or Jig saw, don’t forget about our 3 Piece Circle Cutting Pins Set.

Simply drill a 3/16" diameter hole half way through material being cut, thread proper length pin into filler strip, place material onto pin and cut to shape using straight or spiral router bits. Circular pieces should be rough cut using a band saw or jig saw prior to cleaning up the edge. Pins measure 3/16", 3/8", and 3/4" long for various material thicknesses.

Another woodworking accessory we carry at Eagle America for your drill press is the Wheel and Circle Cutter.

Certainly, with all these woodworking tools and woodworking accessories, you should never have to trace another bottom end of the Borden’s’ condensed milk can again!

A Quick Clock Project

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 by Eric Reed

Whenever I have an hour or two to kill, I dig through my scrap wood box and come up with a quick project to keep me occupied.

Recently, I came across a Eucalyptus log that had been sitting in my woodshop for a while.

It looked like it would have some nice figure to it so I gathered a few of my band saw accessories and of course, the duct collection accessories to go along with it and began re-sawing some slices to see what I would get.

Sure enough, it had a nice figured grain but there wasn’t enough material to build anything substantial.

After a few moments of pondering, I looked through my selection of woodworking drill bits and found a hole saw that happened to match a clock movement that I had sitting around.

After drilling the hole for the movement and cutting a base, I had a small clock. After a quick sanding using my sanding supplies, I gave it a few good coats of clear polyurethane.

It is always great to walk into the woodshop with no clue of what to build and to walk out with a completed project!

Wine Bottle Stopper Project

Monday, May 3, 2010 by Eric Reed

One of the great things about Eagle America is that our Outlet Store offers classes for woodworkers of all skill levels.

I had a chance to participate in a turning class where the group was turning wine bottle stoppers. Now I am not an expert turner by any means but I had turned a few projects in the past. The wine bottle stopper looked like a fun project that I could do in between larger projects so I signed up.

The class was very informative had the instructor was easy to understand.

The process is very simple. You can turn the stoppers from one piece of wood or if you want to get fancy, you can glue up different species for contrasting colors.

Grab a few band saw accessories and dust collection accessories and cut your piece to size. Find the center of one end of the material and use a premium drilling bit to drill a hole in the end for the threaded mandrel.

Chuck the mandrel up in your lathe and turn to your heart’s content. It is almost impossible to mess up. You can turn any design you want. Use a few sanding supplies to smooth your turned piece. Then you can burn in some wax and polish it to a nice sheen.

Remove the turned piece from the mandrel and thread the bottle stopper into the bottom.

This is a quick and easy project that makes a great gift for family and friends!

Outdoor Woodworking Projects - Make Something Fun

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 by Tim Walter

Here's a news flash - it's spring time! I spent a lot of this past weekend dealing with the inevitable...cleaning out flower beds, getting my garage in order, and thankfully riding bikes with my kids. Two-thirds of that was a lot of work (did I mention that I also mulched my beds on Monday night?) which made me yearn for a lot more fun.

That brings me to you and woodworking. You can put your woodworking skills to work outside this spring by making planter boxes, bird houses, wooden signs, Adirondack chairs and even picnic tables!

You can make these too - put your skills to work!

These are things you and your family can enjoy for months on end, so get out your pencil and paper and sketch up some plans. You can always select one of our outdoor woodworking plans as well. Once you have your plan, put your woodworking tools and woodworking accessories into action and start building! A lot of outdoor projects are much more simple to complete than more complex interior furniture and cabinetry projects. That means it won't take many tools to get some of these basic project done. A Kreg Router Table here, some wood bandsaw blades, table saw blades and woodworking drill bits there...each project will require something different.

Finally, I am a fan of all things Maine and I stumbled across this video from
The Maine Wood Treaters, Inc. It is all about assembling one of their picnic table kits.

So, what shape is your picnic table in? Do you need to simply refinish yours this year or do you need to build a new one? If you are building a new one, will you get a kit like this or will you build one of your own designs from scratch? Let us know, comment on this post!

March Madness Woodworking Specials

Saturday, March 6, 2010 by Tim Walter

March Madness Savings have come to Eagle America! Starting now you can Save Up To 60% on 16 different woodworking accessories. Click here to see the complete selection or scroll down for a preview.

SAVE $10 - Miter Gauges

Fit any machine track with a standard 3/4" x 3/8" miter slot
Adjustable stops at 45° and 90° positions
18" guide bars and a pivoting work support body with pointer and calibration readings
Click Here

SAVE $20 - 13-Piece Carbide Tipped Brad Point Set

A premium drilling accessory that will easily outlast conventional steel bits
Feature a center ground point and two outer spurs for exact drilling control
For use with 3/8" or larger chucks
Click Here

SAVE $20 - Band Saw Tension Crank

One of our most popular band saw accessories
Makes fine adjustments simple
Allows you to easily release the tension on your blades at the end of each use, increasing the life of your blade
Fits 14" models including Delta (and Jet 12") and most imports
Click Here

SAVE $10 - Router Bit Storage Tray

Protect your investment in Router Bits!
Trays will help you keep all of your bits clean, sharp and accessible
The High-Density foam tray includes a wood case and holds up to 100 bits
There are (50) 1/4" holes and (50) 1/2" holes
Click Here

SAVE $5 - Scroll Saw Blade Container

One of our most popular scroll saw accessories
Protect and organize your scroll saw blades
Measures 4"W x 5-3/16"D x 6"H
Comes with 12 unbreakable, removable plastic tubes and identification labels
Tubes and case are clear for easy identification
Click Here

...that was just a sample. Click here to see the complete March Madness Sale selection.

From Wood Scraps to Fine Woodworking

Monday, March 1, 2010 by Eric Reed

he other day, my April 2010 #211 Fine Woodworking magazine showed up in the mail. As usual, there were lots of wonderful projects to admire or at least, be jealous of the amount of time these woodworkers have to work on their projects. I think I speak for most woodworkers with day jobs that wish we all had more time to commit to our projects.

On the last few pages of the magazine I ran across an article about turning scrap wood into small platters or bowls. I instantly thought of the ever increasing pile of scraps in my shop. In between all of my other projects this last weekend, I sorted though the scrap wood pile and found a piece of mahogany and a piece of black walnut to get me started.

I laid out a few basic profiles on the scrap pieces that resembled something close to the images of the projects in the magazine. I grabbed a few band saw accessories and headed over to my band saw where I attached all of my dust collection accessories. A few quick cuts with the band saw and I was ready to carve out the center of the little bowl.

Before I went to town with my wood carving tools, I used a premium drilling Forstner bit to hollow out the bulk of the material. After carving out the center, I took both pieces over to my spindle sander where I used sanding drums and sanding sleeves to finish the edges.
With a quick hand sanding, I was ready for finishing.

To finish my little bowl and platter, I used a food safe salad bowl oil just in case my wife decides to use them for serving snacks.

Overall, this project took a few hours and quickly turned a few scraps into some Fine Woodworking!

Tool Chest Dreams

Thursday, February 25, 2010 by Eric Reed

Over the years, many of us have seen our fathers and grandfathers put their woodworking tools away in old wooden tool chests.

Primarily precision instruments like measuring and layout tools or wood carving tools.

Knowing that many woodworkers in today's busy world don't always have the time to build their own wooden tools chest, Eagle America now proudly offers Gerstner Tool Chests. These chests are recognized by professionals everywhere as the finest chests built in the world. These chests are ideal for storing any type of woodworking tools or woodworking accessories from precision measuring tools to scroll saw accessories and woodworking drill bits. These oak chests have a hand-rubbed lacquer finish, felt-lined interior and polished chrome plated hardware, just like the ones or fathers and grandfathers had.

For more information click here.

Introducing Woodworking to Others

Monday, February 22, 2010 by Tim Walter

This week I found an article from the Chillicothe Gazette in Chillicothe, Ohio about preschoolers and teens connecting through woodworking. It's a great, quick read about a preschool that is located right next to the high school shop class. In essence, the older kids are sharing their craft with the preschoolers. What a great example for YOU!

Please teach me how to make stuff!

Woodworking is a hobby that needs to be shared with the masses, are you doing your part? Did you know that due to budget shortages all around our country, school woodshops are being closed and programs are being cancelled?! It's a shame that an entire generation of kids will not be exposed to our craft...so it is on all of us to keep it alive!

Imagine how much better you could teach them than Lowe's!

So how can you spread the word? When people ask you about your finished projects, or compliment your handy work, volunteer to tell them how you made them! If a child marvels at the box you made, take them right out into your shop and show them where you made it. Show them the cabinet making tools you used to refurbish the kitchen, show them the Kreg pocket hole jigs you used when building that new end table, let them cut a piece of scrap wood with your wood bandsaw blades, let them whittle with your wood carving set, let them go to town on some scrap boards with your woodworking drill bits.

Just 5 minutes spent with an open eyed child could create a woodworker for life!

Woodwoking Gifts Made Easy!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 by Eric Reed

Mike, one of our Eagle woodworking guru's writes:

The Christmas season found many woodworkers looking for gifty projects. One type of project that was very popular this year was making bowls and trays using a router and various templates.

Besides the standard tray and bowl templates, there were also holiday oriented templates such as a Snow Man, Christmas Stocking and a Christmas Tree.

I too thought this to be a good project, but I wanted something different than the templates that were available, so I decided I would make my own.

I wanted to keep it simple since I planned on making ten trays. I also had some 5/4 wide cherry stock and did not want to do a bunch of Glue ups. I was in the shop one day thinking about size and noticed the template I had used to cut the opening in my router table top for my router height adjustment lift. It was the perfect size!

The beauty of this template was that is featured straight sides that could be ripped on the table saw to get the width of the tray sides after it was hollowed out using my routers bits.

Templates, patterns and router jigs are great time savers but don't let them limit your imagination. It’s easy to make your own for whatever shape you desire.

Following are some photos of the sanding supplies and finishing process I used after drilling out and routing the hollowed out part of the tray.

I first used the direct drive setting on the Festool Rotex sander to smooth out the bottom of the tray and clean up the radius corners.

The final sanding was done with the Festool rectangular random orbit sander so I could get into the corners better.

The inside radius edges were done with the Fein Multimaster with the profile sanding attachment.

To speed things up while applying the finish I used Painters Pyramids so I could do both sides at once.

And here is the final batch of nine trays. My kids loved them and it didn't take me all month to make them!

SAFETY - protection from harm, injury or damage

Monday, January 25, 2010 by Eric Reed

JR, Eagle America's Creative Director writes:

Every good builder knows a few simple rules…

#1 – Wood is good – Vinyl is final
#2 – Think like a drip
#3 – Wine is fine – Liquor is quicker
and
#4 Be smarter than the woodworking tools

Unfortunately I had trouble with being smarter than the woodworking tools last December.

Actually, my story starts in August 2009 when I asked my wife and kids to help me install a signpost at the front of our property for our alpaca farm. In Ohio’s summer weather and in full daylight, the job was a breeze. Maybe too easy.

So, I decided to wait until December’s first snow to ask my 12-year-old son to help me hang the actual sign. I thought I heard my high-school wood shop teacher’s voice telling me this was a bad idea and that in these conditions, woodworking tools are often smarter than the woodworker, but I stubbornly proceeded anyway. My wife wanted the sign hung before the end of the year.

In my haste to drill a half-inch hole using premium drilling products through a 4 x 6 post while holding a support brace, I expertly drilled a chunk out on my left index finger. My son stared as I did the dance of pain and expressed my discomfort.

I waited two weeks, until Christmas Day to go to the hospital. It took an ER doctor, an anesthesiologist, an infectious-disease doctor, a hand surgeon, a bevy of nurses, an overnight stay and weeks of occupational therapy, but I’ve been drilling just fine since what has come to be known as the “expensive sign incident”.

Remember, woodworking tools such as table saw blades, shaper cutters, premium drilling bits and woodworking router bits are sharp and dangers if you are not careful!

In Summary:

August – Involve the family and make an enjoyable memory.
September – I’ve got plenty of time.
October – I promise the wife I would finish the sign within a week.
November – The weather hasn’t changed, I've got time.
December – I need to get this finished before the Christmas party so my neighbors don’t jab at me.
Christmas Day – My hand is swollen and finger movement is strained. I guess a trip to the emergency room is in order.
January – The stitches are out and I’m on my way to occupational therapy.
Today – Got to go, I’m late. I’ve got to get a mantel hung. Anyone see my hand plane?

Too Cool to be Safe?

Saturday, January 16, 2010 by Tim Walter

I just read a great blog post at The Professional Power Tool Guide about The Ten Most Dangerous Tools. It made me think about all of the woodworkers over the years that I have met who have injured themselves while enjoying their craft. Yes, a fair share of those happened with many precautions in place, but more often than not the people who hurt themselves wound up telling me how stupid they were!

Are you TOO COOL to be safe?

Many of the "walking wounded" have told me that they were simply "too busy" or "too cool" to be properly safe in their shops when they were making the most simple of cuts. Are you too cool to be safe?

From the article referenced above, did you know that:

Over 37,000 people per year go to emergency rooms because of power nailers
39,000 ER visits per year are the result of chain saws
10,600 patients fell victim to their circular saws
5,800 people go to the hospital due to power drill injuries
3 people per year DIE using Wood Chippers

Those numbers are staggering and they don't even include injuries from some of the most common woodworking tools such as:

My personal opinion is that if people would only slow down and take their time they would prevent the vast majority of injuries. If they simply take the time to use the large assortment of woodworking accessories that have been designed to prevent injury they would live long, scar-free lives. Use woodworking clamps to secure your work, use dust collection accessories to protect your lungs, use one of the many saw blade accessories to help you prevent kickback and keep your hands away from the blade. Safety is serious business. We at Eagle America care deeply about your safety and always encourage you to think twice and cut once.

OK, ok...I know you are sick of hearing it. I know preaching safety can be boring, and scary, so what better way to lighten this post than to laugh at injuries! Here is a long clip of THE EXACT OPPOSITE of being safe, thank you Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor. Enjoy the laugh...but remember the real message.

Valentine’s Day or Wedding Trays

Friday, January 15, 2010 by Eric Reed

Impress your loved ones by making them bowls and serving trays with your router and our latest router accessories and templates in this series. Introducing our NEW Single and Double Hearts.

Great for Valentine's Day, weddings or special occasions.

These great gifts are easy to make. Simply glue up your left over wood scraps of various wood species to create beautiful patterns and colors. Grab your woodworking tools and head to the drill press. Trace the inside of the template and use a forstner bit to clean out the bulk of the material. We recommend a 2" bit which you can find in our full line of premium drilling products.

Place the template back onto your blank and cut out the rest of the material using a router and Eagle router bits. Using a compass, trace the outside of the tray wall thickness and use your bandsaw to cut off the waste. If your bandsaw needs a tune-up, we also have a full line of band saw accessories to help you get your bandsaw in top shape.

With a little sanding, your tray is ready to be finished. We recommend using natural food

safe Wood Preserve Oil to finish your project.

A collet extension is required to make extra deep bowls but is also useful whenever your general woodworking requires extra deep cuts.

Use our large Polycarbonate Mounting plate (415-0503) to support your router over the large recessed openings.

Make one today, fill it with candy and warm someones heart tomorrow!

Woodworking And A Wedding

Thursday, December 17, 2009 by Tim Walter

Steve Province, a customer from Ohio, told us this story:

"My son recently married a wonderful woman this summer. As my son was telling me about the wedding arrangements, he asked me if I would make them something special to put envelopes and cards in at the wedding reception. I offered them a wishing well I made 26 years ago for my wedding. No, they said, it seems wishing wells, gift wrapped boxes and painted mail boxes were what everyone was using and they wanted something different.

After spending what seemed to be hours trying to come up with something different and out of the ordinary, I came across a wedding card box made from picture frames on the internet. I could make this, only with a few improvements. The hard part was getting the approval of my wife and future daughter in-laws mother. To my surprise, they loved the idea, and it was time to get started. Just one thing, I wanted to keep it a secret from the bride and groom until they walked into the reception hall.

After a trip to the local Amish lumber yard for some oak boards, and the local craft store to purchase four inexpensive picture frames (they came with the glass, photo mat, and frame back I needed- cheaper than buying them separately) I was ready to get busy.

I started out making my own picture frames, something I have never done before. The box has four vertical supports on the corners, made in two pieces. I used my router and woodworking router bits to cut a slot in the center of each piece so when I glued them together they made a hole for a threaded rod to pass through. Then I cut a dado on both sides of each one to allow the picture frames to slide into them.

I attached the threaded rods to the base, slid the vertical supports onto the threaded rods, and slid the picture frames in place. Then I drilled a counter bore using woodworking bits to fit a cap nut to hold everything together and conceal how it is opened. It can all be taken apart, and the picture frames can be used separately. Finally, I again used my router and router bits to make a groove in the bottom to attach a lazy susan so the box would spin around and the pictures on all four sides could be seen.

The box was beautiful and everybody was pleased with my design and effort. Now the real test, what would the Bride and Groom think?

At the reception, I stood at the door with my wife and the bride’s parents greeting the guests as they came in, listening to the comments and complements on my box. However, I was waiting for the Bride and Grooms comments. As they arrived at the reception they saw the card box and thought it was amazing. They were surprised and happy with what I came up with. That's how my woodworking skills became part of my son and daughter-in-laws wedding."

Well done Steve! With a some ingenuity, your router, some router bits, maybe some router jigs or router accessories and some other woodworking tools you made a memory that will last your son's lifetime!

How Woodworking Helps With Fly Tying

Thursday, December 17, 2009 by Tim Walter

George, one of our in-house Eagle woodworking gurus, recently told us this story about how he combined his love of woodworking tools and woodworking accessories with his other passion, fly fishing:

“For years I have had two passions, woodworking and fly fishing. One day, frustrated with store bought fly tying stations, I decided to put my woodworking skills to the test and create my own fly tying station. Those fly fishermen who tie their own flies can appreciate this.

The fly tying station I designed is easy to use, does not take up much space and can hold all the fly tying tools necessary for your creation. After showing it to friends in my friends in the fly fishing club, everyone liked the design and the next thing I know, I was building and selling fly tying stations to the entire club.

I made this fly tying station from walnut. It blends in well with any furniture and is great for home or away. I used some premium drilling accessories and woodworking drill bits to make the holes and some other wood cutting tools from my shop to do the rest. It’s a great feeling when my love for one hobby can help me in another!”

Well done George!

Installing Cabinet Hardware Easily

Thursday, December 17, 2009 by Eric Reed

Miki, one of our Eagle woodworking experts writes:

"My mom was refinishing her kitchen cabinets. My sister and I thought it would look great if we added knobs and drawer pulls to her cabinets so we gathered up our cabinet making tools and cabinet bits and set off to mom's house. We purchased the hardware and was ready to install them for her birthday. Mom was excited about the idea and thankfully agreed with our choice of knobs and pulls. So one weekend morning, my sister and I went out to my mom’s while she was at work and installed them.

We used the Euro Handle-It Jig to install them. This is on of the great woodworking accessories out there! It was so easy we were done in about a half hour! All we had to do is decide on a dimension for the knobs on the doors, hold the jig in place and drill using a premium drilling bit. You can flip the jig for left or right opening doors.

Then we set up to do the drawer pulls. That was just as simple. We measured the drawer length, subtracted 3” for the drawer pull length and divided by two. Set the jig, drilled the holes, and installed the pulls. If you are in the market for a well made, easy to adjust jig for installing door and drawer pulls, I suggest the Euro Handle-It. And it’s made in the USA!