Who makes a good drill bit?

[Graysonhogs]

Here and I thought the question was more of "who sells good drill bits"? I'd like to know, too, because I'm tired of buying cheap Chinese crap drill bits and screw bits from HD and Lowes.

We were merely saying that the procedure may be as much to blame as the drill itself.

[calls]

Here and I thought the question was more of "who sells good drill bits"? I'd like to know, too, because I'm tired of buying cheap Chinese crap drill bits and screw bits from HD and Lowes.

OSG, Guhring, Accupro......

[Graysonhogs]

Cleveland Severance, and Putnam make a good drill.

[Geezy Rider]

I drill holes in hard metals and soft metals for a living. For hard metals such as hardened steel and titanium I like to use carbide tipped drills in a jobber length. I prefer to start off, when drilling large holes, with a pilot hole first and then step up as needed. Keep the rpm's low, around 500 rpm. You should be able to see the flutes of the bit clearly as the bit rotates. I use plenty of pressure and lots of lubricant. Keep the bit cool. If the metal gets hot it will crystallize or temper and become even harder to drill even with a diamond tip drill. Carbide tip drills can lose their tip when coming out the backside so as the bit is about to break through ease up on the pressure.
A 7/32 hole is a .218. For that size I would start out with a .191 pilot hole. If that is still too hard then you might try a pilot hole of .128 then .191 then .218.

For softer metals such as aluminum or soft steel any carbon steel cutting bit will do. For aluminum almost any speed will do. I've used drill motors as fast as 6,000 rpm on aluminum. For softer steel I would keep the rpm's under 1,000. Using lubricant is a must for all applications if you want longevity out of your bits. Keep the bit and the metal from getting hot.

I don't know where my company gets it's bits from but it may be Grainger.

[Graysonhogs]

How on earth would u ever hit the hole with a screw once u layed ur boards in? Jw

Usually the best drill bits are the ones u but at a tool company that come one at a time and uve prolly never heard the name of them

I'd either drill up from the bottom, transfer punch, or have something that fit in the hole and had a point sticking up. Lay board on, tap, flip and drill. Sometimes and single question warrants more than a one word answer.

[Geezy Rider]

Drill press.
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That's awesome Dale.

[SAC]

Drill press.
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Certified redneck!

[Graysonhogs]

Mcmaster-Carr and
MSC are good sources too.

[Jason19]

We use strong arm for drilling our safes open/ screw products for general purpose and we also have a drill bit sharpener that cost $2000+ but worth every penny.

[Graysonhogs]

Drill press.
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I like it.

[Gummi Bear]

Running them at an appropriate speed is a huge factor. Keep an eye on the folks using them and make sure they are not smoking them. Cutting fluid can also extend the life.

I have a drill index with cheap bits from Home Depot.

When I have a lot of holes to drill, or an exotic material, I buy real drill bits from an industrial supply. I like J&L Industrial in Arlington (they appear ro be an MSC company now)

For sharpening, a good grinding shop is well worth it. For small quantities, a sharpener is awesome. I keep dull bits in a coffee can at the Farm, and when it has a few in it, I'll sit at the bench for an evening and sharpen them with my Drill Doctor. It sounds gimmicky, but works great.

[super_dave]

You are turning them too fast, or leaning too hard. Get some cutting fluid and slow down.

Exactly! It's operator related. Slow down an use fluid and for goodnes sakes don't wallow out holes!

[UncleBubba]

precision twist, osg, sgs, triumph twist, chicago latrobe, cleveland... just to name a few. Make sure they are made in USA and not import crap.

Also its all about speed and heat. wd-40 works fine for casual use for lubrication.

Dale: that is really dangerous! Unless you dont mind a broken wrist...

[expressfish]

What about bit sharpeners like the drill doctor ? Worth a crap ? I have a handful of dull bits in my chest that I hate to throw away.

[Bucksaw]

Here is the deal, we are running Dewalt variable speed 19.4v cordless drills set to the slowest speed. Everything you are telling me about drilling slowly, using oil, not pressing too hard, etc. is all information that I am well aware of. The problem is, try telling a class full of 15 year old, impatient turds to follow the instructions. You cant beat em, you cant chargeem to replace the bits, and if you punish em by taking them out of the shop I lose productivity.