Tungsten Carbide Spoon BitsⅠ

Tungsten carbide spoon bits consist of a grooved shank with a point shaped somewhat like the bowl of a spoon, with the cutting edge on the end. The more common type is like a gouge bit that ends in a slight point. This is helpful for starting the hole, as it has a center that will not wander or walk. These bits are used by chair-makers for boring or reaming holes in the seats and arms of chairs. Their design is ancient, going back to Roman times. Spoon bits have even been found in Viking excavations. Modern spoon bits are made of tungsten carbide or carbon steel, carefully heat-treated and then hand ground to a fine edge.

Spoon bits are the traditional boring tools used with a brace. They should never be used with a power drill of any kind. Their key advantage over regular brace bits and power drill bits is that the angle of the hole can be adjusted. This is very important in chairmaking, because all the angles are usually eyeballed. Another advantage is that they do not have a lead screw, so they can be drilled successfully in a chair leg pretty much without having the lead screw peek out the other side.

(To be continued. This article is divided into 2 parts. Here is part 1. For part 2 please refer to http://news.chinatungsten.com/en/tungsten-information/80787-ti-10482)