Auger Bits

[Philip1231]

I was in need of an 5/16" auger bit (drilling into cherry) and found a NOS Russell Jennings 100 Series bit for $6 online: will this bit do the trick (clean hole, not too aggressive lead screw, etc. )? I have a bunch of old/rusty bits: is there some sort of sharpening tutorial online somewhere? Thanks

[Bill_Houghton]

answer to question #1: yes, almost certainly.
answer to question #2: if you had googled "sharpening auger bits," you'd have discovered over 12 million links from which to choose (granted, the last two million or so are probably about how sharp the teeth on Andorran auger rats are; but still, you've got a lot of prospects).

[Philip1231]

Bill: I am hoping that the collective wisdom of woodnet can help me narrow the choice down from 10 million to,perhaps, the top one or two??

[Rob Young]

I was in need of an 5/16" auger bit (drilling into cherry)  and found a NOS Russell Jennings 100 Series bit for $6 online: will this bit do the trick (clean hole, not too aggressive lead screw, etc. )? I have a bunch of old/rusty bits: is there some sort of sharpening tutorial online somewhere? Thanks

Yes, the RJ pattern will be fine for cherry.  Go slow, don't punch all the way through, flip the board around after the snail pokes through and finish the hole for a clean exit side.

http://brfinewoodworking.com/sharpening-auger-bits/

Bob Rozaiski has a nice tutorial (above) with some of the better photography.

Auger bit files can be had from Lee Valley and Lie-Nielsen and others.  One will last you a long time if you take care of it.

[Philip1231]

Rob: that is the collective wisdom I was after. Excellent: thanks for the info. I am going from cordless drills and brad points to braces and augers: those guys back in the day were clever. Thanks again!

[Downwindtracker2]

Once you get an auger bit file, sharpening is pretty easy, no skill to speak of involved and only little bit of common sense. The auger bit file is the key.

[only 3 injuries]

+1 on the auger bit file.

I also use diamond paddels to refine the edge after the file. The edge seems to last longer.

[Admiral]

Auger file is essential to a good job. Always file on the inside of the flutes, and mind the safe edge on the flats.