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Astro Special Sauce 2pc Step Drill Set - 9442

Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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We've come out with step drills tailored for the type who may use them for anything and everything that "sounds like a step drill might work so let's give it a try"
Basically heavy-duty tasks and abuse.

Video:

It's well known, or maybe it's not, that modern "titanium" coated drill bits and step drills have rode the coat tails of real TiN coated bits of the past by putting a decorative gold electroplating on and calling it "titanium" without any real benefit.
The reality is if you're paying $5 for a step drill or $20 for a 29pc drill bit set, the only thing titanium about them is the name. It costs us more than those amounts to even PVD the coating on at the factory.

That said, is a coating like traditional TiN or TiALN (in the case of 9442) necessary? Not always, and sometimes no. But it does help with heat at the cutting edge, avoiding chip welding, and can stay useful longer (more cuts and just not stopping during long cuts) which can be nice on a tool that you can't sharpen. Also, it allows us to design the cutting edges more aggressively to cut quicker without worrying they will be compromised.

Lastly, at their core these are M2 High Speed Steel. Most step drills today are made out of 4241 or 4341 (M1), because if you put titanium in the name people wont ask what the step drill is actually made from. These alloys will hog out thin material eventually with enough pressure, but cut cleanly for not many uses.


Introducing the 9442



  • Two professional duty step-drills in popular sizes, up to ½” by 32ths and up to ¾” by 16ths

  • Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiALN) for extreme heat and wear prevention


  • Unique formulation continually replaces itself with a clear oxide wear preventative coating as it wears away from use

  • Double fluted design for perfectly round holes with sharp cutting angles to quickly drill through everything from sheet metal to ½” thick plate
 

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CobraRed

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Looks like $23-27 from Toolrage and Stockwiseauto from what i found, less than I was expecting
 

M6erfan

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Wherever you normally buy Astro Tools will have it eventually inventory allowing. Some places before others among those who purchased from us first, but normally you see new items from the usual players within 3-5 weeks.

Thanks again. I asked because the "buy online" link on the Astro website is broken. I'll be picking up a set.
 

dagofast

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The QC in AZ
Looks like initial penetration is a bit slow but boy does it haul *** afterwards! I'd probably continue to drill a pilot hole.

What sizes are each bit?
 
OP
A

Astro_Pneumatic_Tools

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Looks like initial penetration is a bit slow but boy does it haul *** afterwards! I'd probably continue to drill a pilot hole.

What sizes are each bit?

up to ½” by 32ths and up to ¾” by 16ths

For the most part all step drills are going to start the hole slowly. We designed these with a 135° split point to prevent bit walk on curved surfaces, but only so much you can do design wise to start the actual hole faster.
 

sberry

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There is nothing wrong with that deal. I have some HF and beat them so bad but now cant tell the difference between them and Greenlee or Lenox I have. Maybe someday they don't work, I don't know but they been doing it for 10 years.
 

Benito

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Can these be used on stainless? I've had problems with stainless
 
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Farmall450

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There is nothing wrong with that deal. I have some HF and beat them so bad but now cant tell the difference between them and Greenlee or Lenox I have. Maybe someday they don't work, I don't know but they been doing it for 10 years.

I've been amazed by whatever HF ones I got 5-6 years ago. I have a full set of Irwin too, but prefer to just harp on the HF. Way better than the blue point set in the shop. I imagine these are far more on the Irwin side than the HF :thumbup:
 

danielbuck

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There is nothing wrong with that deal. I have some HF and beat them so bad but now cant tell the difference between them and Greenlee or Lenox I have. Maybe someday they don't work, I don't know but they been doing it for 10 years.

you've never dulled one? really? dang, I have a small bin full of dull step drills over the years. Probably because I've used them on 1/4" plate sometimes, they probably aren't designed for that.

I've started trying to sharpening them. The newer style "spiral" ones I don't think I can sharpen, but straight cut ones seem to be fairly easy to sharpen on a flat stone.

I do generally start with a pilot hole.
 

lugnut71

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I look forward to trying a set, i got turned onto uni bits 20 years ago, and they were awesome. Drilled holes in frame rails etc for years with the original set. Guys would see me use them and were totally impressed. That being said i have been thru dozens of irwin sets, they just dont last like the old original unibit ones.
 

SeisMec

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I suspect you'd sell more step bits if you designed them such that the final step was a longer length to make a uniform diameter holes through thicker material.

Examples:
  1. Maximum 3/4" diameter step bit where the final cut could make a uniform 3/4" diameter hole up to 7/8" deep.
  2. Maximum 1/2" diameter step bit where the final cut could make a uniform 1/2" diameter hole in up to 3/4" deep.

Pulled the depth numbers out of my ****.

And the maximum diameter numbers are an over simplification. Instead of 0.75± 0.001 inches for a 3/4" bolt - probably more like 0.757 ± 0.001 inches for a 3/4" bolt. Again sizes and tolerances are straight from my ****.

Edit:
The bits in the set you showed are maximum 1/2" and maximum 3/4". 9/16" and 5/8" are less common bolt sizes, but not rare. I'd think that 3/8" maximum would also be a good addition. No doubt a variety of metric sizes would be good also.
 
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Formerjeeper

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Chris, FYI in your banner graphic at the bottom of your posts, I noticed your website has a typo in it (missing the "R")

Hope it's helpful!
 

sberry

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I want the one bit last step to be for a 1/2 emt connector. A nifty trick with a larger step bit is to enlarge flat washers from inch to 1 1/8 for 3 pt. Inch washers are common and the bigger ones cost more and are rare.
 
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