Drill bit advise needed

[SDShakes]

I'm picking up a new drill press soon and along with that I want to get a new set of bits. I'm not a professional but I don't want them to snap or shatter if they get abused slightly. The toughest thing I think I would be drilling is cast iron or stainless steel car parts. I have given myself a max budget of $120 for bits (including tax and shipping).

After some research on here I am leaning towards getting the Norseman Black & Gold

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00627C8ZU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

From the norseman catalog:

"Type 190-AG
Magnum Super Premium - 135° Split Point
• Manufactured to NAS 907B specification
from Premium Hi-Molybdenum Steel.
• Magnum will substantially outperform cobalt drills in work
hardening stainless steel and other tough drilling applications.
• Nitro-Carburized."

This one seems the but with the addition of flat sided shank:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007A5V8RC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you have any other suggestions in my price range that would fit my work load and have a long lifespan, then I would love to hear it.

 

[Cope]

Looks like a decent set of bits. What ever you buy, discipline yourself to designate them for drill press only.

 

[Jawn]

Looks like a decent set of bits. What ever you buy, discipline yourself to designate them for drill press only.

I agree on Norseman. I have a slightly different set (bright HSS, 118 degree jobber length). They work great in all materials I've tried.

Why designate them for drill press only?

 

[twertsy]

Only slightly above your budget but I love this index and these bits!

EDIT: Actually, I just did a search and found them for $98! Perfect

 

[Kracin]

Looks like a decent set of bits. What ever you buy, discipline yourself to designate them for drill press only.

i don't get it, whats wrong with chucking a bit in a hand drill?

 

[twertsy]

Certainly no expert, but I don't get that either Kracin.........

 

[SDShakes]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll probably pick those up in the next couple of days.

Twertsy: Those are the same as the second link that I posted, I believe. Do you think the flat sided shank is worth the extra money or doesn't really matter?

 

[uart]

i don't get it, whats wrong with chucking a bit in a hand drill?

Certainly no expert, but I don't get that either Kracin.........

I guess he's referring to the fact that using a drill press is much easier on your drill bits than with a hand drill. As long as you're in the right ballpark for speed and feed, and you use a bit of lube, drills bits break and dull about a tenth the rate that they do in hand drill usage.

 

[Kracin]

I guess he's referring to the fact that using a drill press is much easier on your drill bits than with a hand drill. As long as you're in the right ballpark for speed and feed, and you use a bit of lube, drills bits break and dull about a tenth the rate that they do in hand drill usage.

how is that any bit true? that completely depends on who is using them and what they are drilling. i've seen people instantly ruin drill bits on a press, trying to run a 3/4" bit at 2000 rpm with a couple drops of lube. and i've seen people never have to sharpen a bit ever using hand drills, drilling multiple holes every day for a year.

completely depends on the person, the material, and the bit.




even if someone tends to dull bits quicker using them by hand, it isn't difficult to sharpen them again. there is a ton of material to resharpen on drill bits, unless you snap them off or ruin the temper, they should last near a lifetime if you don't do production drilling in your garage.

 

[twertsy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll probably pick those up in the next couple of days.

Twertsy: Those are the same as the second link that I posted, I believe. Do you think the flat sided shank is worth the extra money or doesn't really matter?

If your going to use them in a hand drill, I like them better. The Jobber index is a bit cheaper and the bits are a little bit longer I believe. I think the only real variable in your decision is the hand drill. If they're press only, either one but probably preferable to get the jobber. If multi-tool use, I'd get the mech, which is why I got it. The mechs are perfect for my mag drill as well but don't know if that's a variable for you.

 

[dr_clyde]

I like norsemans for general purpose drilling in stainless. I use union butterfield drill and tap fluid and they seem to last with proper care and use.

I do like the mechanics length for use on a hand drill. Machine tools have their own jobbber index for each machine.

 

[uart]

how is that any bit true?

It's just my personal experience. You've got so much more control over the bit with a DP. My bits definitely last a lot longer and break less often when I use them in my DP compared with a hand drill.

With a hand drill I'm usually drilling stuff that you can't get to the DP, so it's often at an awkward angle. There's often limited ability to control what's behind it when you break through, which makes it harder to avoid breakage. It's usually harder to get the force totally axial. You can never get correct feed and speed with a hand drill so you're usually spinning it fast with relatively low pressure (and if you do apply enough pressure for correct feed then you'll usually break through so hard that the bit breaks). I just find a DP so much easier on bits than a hand drill.

Ok I'm not great the worlds greatest operator when it comes to hand drill, I'll admit that.

 

[Jdsmith]

There is no advantage to split point bits for use in a drill press. When the split point corners break off the bits then require as much or more force as a traditional drill bit. If you're concerned about the bit walking as it starts to drill then use a center punch. Typically 118 deg traditional point bits are fine for drill presses, and 135 deg split point bits in mechanics length (shorter than jobber length) work well for portable drill motors.

I have a few sets of drill bits in a portable index, mainly because it's easy to grab the index to use the bits away from the shop. For shop use I suggest a Huot drill dispenser. Collect dirty or dull bits scattered around your shop or from other folks, sharpen them, and fill the dispenser. By the time you collect the bits most people have scattered all over you'll probably have many of the sizes you need. If there are a few missing sizes you can buy packages of new drills on ebay, or the samller sizes are not unreasonably priced from McMaster and the other tooling suppliers. You end up with a handful of bits in each size for the same amount of money you would spend on one decent set in an index, you have a spare of most sizes on hand for when you break one in the middle of a project, and you learned to sharpen drill bits in the process!

 

[sberry]

We got a xet of HF so we had an index but normally I use ones from a flea vendor. There is probably one near you but one I go to every year and buy a packet of small bits, all usa and 4 for 5 dollars in small sizes and gives a little break if you buy a fistful. a 1/4 is 2.25 and they aRre about as good as any and at a buck I don't even bother sharpening them. Some 9/64 for pilots and a couple of each, 5/32 and 3/16 and a couple in a size over nominals, 13/64 and has some grab bags in queer sizes are perfect for structural work and go a long time before you need to sharpen them.

 

[bwringer]

I think the "drill press only" advice is good for a different reason: the damn things won't get lost if they stay in one place right next to the drill press.

There's nothing more aggravating than to reach for a drill bit that somehow ended up stuck to your magnetic driver during the last project and is quietly hiding in your toolbox...

 

[sberry]

They get stressed and have a service life for rugged hand drilling. After they punch 50 or 100 holes I figure I got my moneys worth out of a bit I paid a dollar for. If you pay store or retail pricing of 3 or 4 then you feel different.

 

[Kracin]

It's just my personal experience. You've got so much more control over the bit with a DP. My bits definitely last a lot longer and break less often when I use them in my DP compared with a hand drill.

With a hand drill I'm usually drilling stuff that you can't get to the DP, so it's often at an awkward angle. There's often limited ability to control what's behind it when you break through, which makes it harder to avoid breakage. It's usually harder to get the force totally axial. You can never get correct feed and speed with a hand drill so you're usually spinning it fast with relatively low pressure (and if you do apply enough pressure for correct feed then you'll usually break through so hard that the bit breaks). I just find a DP so much easier on bits than a hand drill.

Ok I'm not great the worlds greatest operator when it comes to hand drill, I'll admit that.

Like I said depends on the person lol. My drills have variable speed triggers and I dont have a problem eyeing my speed feathering the trigger for larger bits, or keeping a straight angle, get curly q-s in the hand drill just like the press

 

[Cope]

Why designate them for drill press only?

I've damaged bits when drilling by hand, and I prefer to keep a set designated for Drill Press Only. Those bits seem to last longer.

 

[Wamsutta]

I guess he's referring to the fact that using a drill press is much easier on your drill bits than with a hand drill. As long as you're in the right ballpark for speed and feed, and you use a bit of lube, drills bits break and dull about a tenth the rate that they do in hand drill usage.

That's good information. Thanks.

 

[uart]

Like I said depends on the person lol. My drills have variable speed triggers and I dont have a problem eyeing my speed feathering the trigger for larger bits, or keeping a straight angle, get curly q-s in the hand drill just like the press

Hi Kracin. I'm not saying that I break a drill bit every time I pick up a hand drill or anything. . But the problem that I do have is that if I apply enough pressure to get "curly q-s" then I tend to break bits, especially when it first breaks though the job. On the other hand if I don't apply so much pressure then I tend to get a lot of spinning and not a whole lot of cutting going on. This is drilling steel I'm talking about, I don't usually have any problems drilling softer materials with a hand drill.

That's good information. Thanks.

Well, as you can see, not everyone agrees with me. But I'm with cope on this one. I definitely prefer to keep my best bits for the DP, especially if they're cobalt (HSSco)

 

[Kracin]

Hi Kracin. I'm not saying that I break a drill bit every time I pick up a hand drill or anything. . But the problem that I do have is that if I apply enough pressure to get "curly q-s" then I tend to break bits, especially when it first breaks though the job. On the other hand if I don't apply so much pressure then I tend to get a lot of spinning and not a whole lot of cutting going on. This is drilling steel I'm talking about, I don't usually have any problems drilling softer materials with a hand drill.




Well, as you can see, not everyone agrees with me. But I'm with cope on this one. I definitely prefer to keep my best bits for the DP, especially if they're cobalt (HSSco)

but thats my point, some people don't have problems, others do. you should see the condition of the drill bits in the indexes at our drill press in the shop.... they allow some non mechanic types to operate the drill press to do some oddball work like drilling holes in feet to weld to posts. had a dolt sitting there with a 3/4 (yes 3/4, not 13/16 so a bolt will go through when anchoring, lol) bit, spinning at high rpm, and all he was doing was making little tiny shavings, he was dumping oil on it too.... it was horrible, that bit was so dull, he took almost 5 minutes to get through a 1/2" plate. yikes.


speed and feed make a big difference in drilling by hand or press, the advantage of a drill press is you can definitely get a good amount of pressure without applying oddball angles or bending a bit or something trying to get it on there hard enough. drilling by hand can be tricky but bits get ruined in all types of tools.

i do agree that in general bits will take less abuse on a drill press vs a hand drill when in the hands of newbies. but in the long run, a quick hit on a grinder will sharpen up any drill bit in a few seconds, and the difference between a bit being dull or sharp after 100 holes for a home hobbyist is nothing. it might take a long time to get to that point, so doubling up on bits to have a dedicated set is pretty silly.