Drill Bits

[nelmo]

Ok, more shopping needed....

 

My 20 year old Halford specials are unlikely to do the job but man, are there a lot of choices.

 

Any recommendations for what material to get (cobalt, titanium coated etc)? Any brand better than another?

 

I'd rather not spend a fortune (how much is the best?) but i don't want cheap stuff either.

[fry61]

Cobalt drills are my preference for s/steel --- they are more easily broken but cut great. Find a way of marking them though as they are easily "lost" in amongst others.

[Guest mower man]

As above cobalt is the only choice esp for stainless and use a little used engine oil for lube [tip from a very clever metalurgist ] save time and temper mick

[nelmo]

Ok, thanks all...

[Guest Ian Maycock]

Sharpen what you already have.

[Guest Boost]

Sharpen what you already have.

 

I mentioned this to some of the young lads at work and they looked at me and didn't have a clue what I was talking about!

[Guest Ian Maycock]

 

 

I mentioned this to some of the young lads at work and they looked at me and didn't have a clue what I was talking about!

 

I feel a video tutorial coming on!

[tractor]

whilst fitting the zetec I have had to drill lots of new holes and due to tight spaces I used battery drill got the top off rattle can put some oil in it regularly stop and dip drill bit in oil and keep angle grinder close for a quick re sharpen of the bit

[nelmo]

Sharpen what you already have.

 

Don't think my wood and masonry bits will be any good even if i sharpen them Never had to drill metal before...

[tractor]

a vergin best of luck on your first time

[tractor]

before you use the drill bit look at the end to see the profile so if you have to sharpen it you now the shape

[tractor]

cos a cheap drill bit will do the job if looked after

[brumster]

Beware ebay drill bits, there are some god awful ones on there that arrive completely blunt and need re-profiling/sharpening. I would honestly steer clear of cheap eBay bits.

I would also recommend mountain bike chain oil; it comes in convenient sized dispensers!

I buy all mine from here :-

http://www.ukdrills.com/index.php

Cobalt all the way.

Drill slow and with pressure, and they'll last forever. Be careful with aluminium though, when new they bite real good!!

For any HSS, what old ones I have, I re-sharpen - there are plenty of YouTube videos showing you how to do this. It's an art, but with practise you can get them re-useable.

[Guest Ian Maycock]

 

 

Don't think my wood and masonry bits will be any good even if i sharpen them Never had to drill metal before...

 

Ok that makes sense. If you are looking for good quality HSS drills Dormer is the make to go for. No need for any special coatings or materials just slow the speed down a little when drilling Stainless

[agent_zed]

yep as above slow speed on stainless with little oil or you will work harden the stainless and be even more of a pig to drill.

 

Don't buy the 10 drill bit sets etc go and buy a few key ones you need. Screwfix do packs of 5 (of the same size) erbauers which i think aren't too bad at £5 or a pack of 2 dewalts http://www.screwfix....drill-bit/59901 @ £2.60 for example. They will last longer and work better than the horrid black cheap drill bits which are very brittle normally.

 

As always wear safety goggles as you can't buy new eyes. And clamp your work to avoid hand injury... I was drilling holes in a stainless bowl and the drill broke and the drill slipped and i put a still spinning broken drill bit into my finger. Thankfully wasn't too bad but easily don't if rushing.

Edited June 14, 2015 by agent_zed