Boring out silver birch

[ged heeley]

Can anyone help me, need to bore out approx 100mm into a 8 inch deep piece of silver birch to drop on a tea light for our wedding table centrepieces ?

Sort of after this affect as seen below

[TheHungrySquirrel]

You can buy 100mm Forstner bits but they are expensive.

 

You may be able to drill a series of holes around the edge, knock the centre out and tidy with a gouge.

 

That's the way I make shrink pots

[Chris Sheppard]

Hard to see from the photo, but I almost think that's just the bark. Peeled off as a sheet and joined, rather than a bored out piece.

[ged heeley]

The picture does just show one made out of bark but I'm wanting to leave some of the heartwood in and also not go right through the bottom, just had a look at those forstner drill bit sets at screwfix, only £39.99 so think that may be the way forward

[TheHungrySquirrel]

A cheap Forstner will do the job but may need a lot of sharpening.

[shendy]

Do you know a wood turner that could do it on a lathe

[Mike Dempsey]

How about drawing your circle on one end and using a narrow and low tpi bandsaw blade to cut it out vertically, breaking through from the side to start it. You can reglue it once it is dry and then cut out your shapes in the side. Silver birch when wet is quite soft so it shouldnt be too difficult.

 

Mike

[richy_B]

A stump borer could work (auger torque do one). It's about 200mm diameter.

[Aicchalmers]

I've always just used the biggest drill bit I've got then knocked out the rest with a chisel and finished with a knife, a bit of faff but using what I've got and more control over wall thickness.

[roys]

If you are in SW Scotland, bring in round and I will put it in the lathe for you, metal cutting lathe but will still do the job, did something very similar to make a red squirrel feeder.