You have to get the spade bit at a right angle to the shell in order
to cut the little disks out without hanging up as the bit breaks
through the material. A spade bit cuts a circle with the sides of
the bit so if only one side of the circle cuts through due to being
off angle the bit hangs up on the other side). You can see when this
is going to happen if you go slowly. Spade bits are a pain to use in
a hand drill no matter what. The shape of the coconut makes drilling
them pretty safe compared to most things. they just spinn around when
the bit binds.


Sitting on a bench with the coconut held by your ankles and with your
arms wedged between your knees/thighs is the easiest and most
controlled way I could find to do it. The worst thing that occurs is
that the drill may get wrenched out of your hand when the shell is
penetrated off angle. Your ankles can get a jolt at the same time. (I
skinned an ankle when the nut started to spin one time so I quit doing
it one handed and barefoot while holding a beer.

I try to just cut most of the way through the shell, stop the drill,
and then tap the partially cut disk with a hammer to break it out.

It is pretty safe even with the jolts. You are not going to drill
into yourself or have chips fly up and poke your eye out like you
would with a hammer and chisel. I have drilled about a dozen nuts so
far. A wet-saturated shell is much softer and easier to drill. I feel
safer drilling a coconut than I do a clay pot that's for sure.






"wendy7" wrote in message news:za9Mc.30660$9I.29698@okepread02...
Hi there TZ, many thanks for the tips & just want to mention that you sound
like a very methodical person, a trait needed for orchid growing (I think)?

Just one thing, isn't it dangerous to hold the coconut with your ankles
& drill?
--
Cheers Wendy(Another accident prone gardener)!!

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