How many drill bits do you have?

[The Rusty Gear]

I probably have about 5-6 of each size up to 1/2", and I can't stop the compulsion to buy those coffee cans of drill bits at garage sales! My Huot box is getting full. Are there any other drill bit freaks out there? Let's see your collection!

 

[GT89mustang]

Not nearly enough, a good set of cobalt bits is on my mental wanted list.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

I will see if i can get some pictures of my "desk" of drill bits

 

[Packard V8]

The reason I keep buying used USA drill bits at yard sale prices is the last bit I bought at Bixby Machine was $14. At yard sales, I get a handful for a dollar or two.

The result is I have five fractional drill indexes and only one is full. Because the letter and number sets get less use, they are only missing one or two. The answer is in the ten pounds of bits which have been waiting to be sharpened for several years now.

Now, if the sharpening fairy would just come some night . . . .

thnx, jack vines

 

[Islands62]

I only have like a dozen. Those things are so damn expensive!

I tossed all my old rusty hand-me-down dull bits and decided to start over.

 

[garagefanatic]

I've got alot, never counted them. My Dad was a Tool & Die Maker for 45 years, used to bring tons of drill bits home from work along with taps, end mills, etc. He still has boxs, cans, etc. full of the stuff on his bench at home, I'm pretty sure my son will never run out of drill bits in his lifetime.

 

[jkherd]

I have quite a few, would buy new ones to replace a dull bit, my youngest son gave me a drill doctor for Christmas and I spent all day sharpening all my old drill bits. Wife finally came out to the shop to ask if I was going to eat Christmas dinner.

 

[rsanter]

I have my drill bits divided into drill bits for general purpose (hand drill, drill press) and machine bits (mill & lathe)
I have 6 complete sets (2 fractional, 2 letter, 2 number) in the general purpose drawer and another 6 complete sets on the machine drawer.
and this is just for starters.
I also have 2 of the micro number drill bit sets (61 and smaller) in the machine drawer and then I have a bunch that are MT shanks for the lathe going up to about an inch.

at one time I got a ton of new bits at an auction (machine tool auction) so I still have a bunch of spares

bob

 

[xroad]

I have a big bucket full of dull unusable bits waiting for a low price new or used drill bit sharpener, or hand me downs or borrowed. I figured I can get drill bits for a really low price (not expensive high quality ones) and the price of a sharpener can buy lots and lots and lots of new bits. So, I keep buying new bits and hanging on the dull one for the day I get my hand on a sharpener.

 

[35mastr]

I have multiple indexes and a 12"x12"x6" deep tupperware container that is chock full of still new ones.

 

[arkangel06]

I have a hell of alot of drill bits

Different sizes (fractional and numbered)

for number sizes I have mostly standard lengh common sizeed bits. But i have a set of 6'' bits #'s 40, 30, 27, 20 and 10

as for fractional i have everything upto 1/2 in triplicat only one 1/2'' bit and only one 1'' bit.

If you can find loads of high quality drill bits for a reasonable price buy away! The last thing you want to do is have to run out and buy one in the middle of a job!

 

[speed bump]

I pass up a lot of Drill bits because I still haven't found a drill doctor for the price I want to pay and thus I only have about 100.

 

[-B-]

1000+ easy jobber, machine, center , metric , wire, etc....

 

[rsanter]

View media item 1157View media item 1156View media item 1155
these are most but not all

bob

 

[stevejh82]

Here are the drawers with the heaviest concentrations of drill bits, organization is at a minimum here...

 

[krusty the clown]

3 sets to 1/2 inch plus a drawer full of singles up to 1"

 

[iajonesy]

Almost no drill is unusable until there are no flutes left on it. A cheap bench grinder and some practice time and anyone can become a drill sharpenning expert. You can save hundreds of $$$$ sharpening your own drills and if you get good at it you can make a few bucks doing your buddy's too. Drill Doctors are nice, but a bench grinder can do the same job plus many others.

Mike

 

[rsanter]

Almost no drill is unusable until there are no flutes left on it. A cheap bench grinder and some practice time and anyone can become a drill sharpenning expert. You can save hundreds of $$$$ sharpening your own drills and if you get good at it you can make a few bucks doing your buddy's too. Drill Doctors are nice, but a bench grinder can do the same job plus many others.

Mike

I still resharpen all my larger ones by hand but the small ones I think its easier to just use a drill doctor. or perhaps my eyes and fingers are not as good as they used to be

bob

 

[dede2897234]

xroad and speed bump,

Once you get some cash, I would not hesitate on spending $100 for a Drill Doctor. My model 500 Drill Doctor sharpens dull bits from 3/32" to 1/2". It is very easy to use once you sharpen a few drills. I recently spent about $100 on an Irwin cobalt jobber length drill bit set. I used the drills recently cutting holes of various diameters in steel plate for a project on a vintage bench vise. When I was done with the project, it would have been a shame if I did not sharpen the 15 expensive dull cobalt drills due to not owning a sharpener. I think I have saved quite a bit in terms of money and time (not having to repurchase replacements for the dull drills) since owning a Drill Doctor.

 

[nate379]

I have a couple sets up to 1/2", one set from 9/16" up to 2" and lots of odd balls that I've bought over the years for specific projects.