Struggling with new Fisch Jennings bit
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fasaxc.
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I bought a new Fisch Jennings 7/8″ bit but I’m having a lot of trouble trying to get it to cut in hardwoods. It didn’t cut out of the box; snail just got clogged in cherry. After sharpening it as best I can, it’ll cut cherry half the time but only with enormous force behind it and a pilot hole.
One odd thing with this bit is that the snail has been ground off on two sides by the blades. I’m not sure if that’s a mistake or if that’s just how they make them but it certainly seems sub optimal!
Does anyone else have experience of this bit that might help understand if it’s a defective copy or if I’ve done something wrong!
21 February 2022 at 2:22 pm #749601I have a couple of these bits, but they’re smaller diameter. I’d still expect it to cut straight away though.
The pitch on that snail looks pretty aggressive, like it’s actually meant for softwoods and the tip is more blunt than I’d expect from a brand new bit.
Perhaps the larger diameters are different but that snail shouldn’t be ground like that as you said. My versions are the typical geometry you’d expect, not ground at the sides.
In short, I’d send it back and exchange.
21 February 2022 at 3:00 pm #749605I’ve had an identical issue with a 9/16” Fisch Jennings bit that I purchased some time ago. The snail thread is not aggressive enough, clogs with use, and will simply not pull this bit through hard or soft woods. I’ve given up on this bit, and it sits unused in my tool box! I’d return it, if I were you.
Thanks for the responses. I’ve now found a new old stock Stanley Jennings bit on eBay. The difference is night and day. The Stanley bit has a slightly finer thread and a full snail with no flats. It pulls itself into the wood no problem at all. (Well, it requires a good bit of arm strength 😂)
What a shame. Fisch seem to be the only company making an attempt say these bits but sounds like the larger ones are just no good for hardwoods.
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