While reinstalling some oak moldings on a restoration job, I experienced an annoying problem. The drill bit I was using repeatedly clogged with a mixture of oak shavings and the old finish that coated the moldings. Its flutes were so tightly packed with the hardened mixture that it was impossible to clean the bit by hand.
My solution was to dunk the bit in a cup of water. Upon contact with the water, the stuff clogging the bit soon expanded and popped free as the water simultaneously cooled the bit. To eliminate electrical hazard, I filled the cup with just enough water to cover the bit flutes.
Paul L. Crovella, Amherst, NY
