My neighbor told me to use a 3/4 inch spade bit for the new door latch and I should have listened

I was putting in a new interior door last weekend and needed to drill the hole for the latch. My neighbor Frank, who's been doing this stuff for 30 years, came over and specifically said 'You need a 3/4 inch spade bit for that, don't use a Forstner.' I only had a 1 inch Forstner bit handy and figured it was close enough. Big mistake. The Forstner bit grabbed and splintered the wood around the edge of the hole, leaving a real mess. I had to fill it with wood putty and sand it for an hour, and the finish still looks rough. Now I have to look at this janky latch hole every time I walk by. Frank just shook his head when he saw it. Has anyone else messed up a simple drill job by using the wrong bit type?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin_foster19d ago

Honestly sounds like you're being too hard on yourself. Forstner bits usually make cleaner holes than spade bits anyway, so maybe your bit was just dull or you drilled too fast. Most people won't even notice a little rough edge around a door latch.

daniel5199d ago

Tbh this happens with everything now. People skip the right tool because they think close enough is good enough, then spend hours fixing a simple job. I see it with my kids trying to use a butter knife as a screwdriver. It's not just tools either, it's like we've lost the patience to do things the proper way once. Frank knew because he learned the hard way thirty years ago, and we're out here rediscovering the same basic lessons.