What to Buy? DRILL BITS Sharpner?

[jb889]

I have never had decent drill bits and want to set myself up with a good set. There are so many different choices I don't know where to start. I would like to also know what you guys do to maintain the bits. Do bits with a coating lose the coating when sharpened? I have never sharpened bits either. All I seem to drill into is mild steel but I seem to go always dull bits after a half dozen or so uses. Thanks for any input!

 

[scott_vt]

I have never had decent drill bits and want to set myself up with a good set. There are so many different choices I don't know where to start. I would like to also know what you guys do to maintain the bits. Do bits with a coating lose the coating when sharpened? I have never sharpened bits either. All I seem to drill into is mild steel but I seem to go always dull bits after a half dozen or so uses. Thanks for any input!

Good Evenin jb,
Get your self a good set like Cleveland or Enco. Coated bits are OK but the coating will wear off fairly quickly, I kind of prefer just buying a good set and sharpen by hand on the larger drills and you can get a sharpener for the smaller stuff.
Enco - Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Machinery, Tools and Shop Supplies
Try this site ! You want to get some cutting oil for drilling steel, that will give you alot of tool longevity as opposed to not using anything !

You might consider one of the drill indexes that has number, fractional, and letter series all in one, that way you pretty much have it all with the exception of your larger drills over 1/2 ".

Hope this helps !

 

[yankeerider]

One of the best tool purchases I ever made was to get a Drill Doctor. It allows me to have a fresh bit whenever I want, and makes the choice of drill material less important. It's invaluable late on Sunday night when your last bit just doesn't want to cut anymore.

 

[bobodu]

For the small bits,I buy the "grab bag " at Harbor Freight. They are industrial re-sharps. I bought a HF set of Silver and Deming large bits and they have been very good. Keep the speed down,oil often and use plenty of pressure. I have never been impressed with bit sharpeners of any brand. With a little knowledge of how a bit should look and work,I can do a much better and faster job with a wheel and a cup of water.

 

[RedMahindra]

I agree with yankeerider. The Drill Doctor was a worth while purchase for me too. It does a really good job sharpening your drill bits.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I bought the Titanium drill bit set and the Drill-Doctor from northern tool.

I also use cutting oil for drill bits.

 

[DieselPower]

One thing I have learned over the years with drill bits is YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! If their cheap their cheap for a reason. If you want a set of drill bits that will last for a decade or more get a good set of cobalt bits. I usually opt for the split point type, they drill easier when not drilling a piolet hole first. There are numerous makers of high quality bits out there. Their not hard to identify, their expensive. Check with your local Fastenal store Home | Fastenal. They will be able to hook you up with some really good bits.

As for drill bit sharpeners, Drill Doctor is a good one. I got one of their homeowner types and it worked rather well. I eventually upgraded to their industrial type (very expensive) but in my case it was worth the extra money.

 

[actionaj]

I have a drill doctor too, well worth the money. Sharpens all the way up to 3/4" bits. The bits looks like brand new ones when your done, far better than I can do by hand and easier.

 

[Scooby074]

Drill Dr for sharpening smaller bits, Grinder for larger ones. Cleveland,Clarkson-Osborn, Dormer or Triumph for bits. My absolute favorite bit are Guhring, but they are mostly metric, very costly (other than Ebay) and pretty much imposable to find in stores . Ive drilled hardened bolts with Guhring bits that the others wouldnt make a dent in, they're that good.

 

[jb889]

For the small bits,I buy the "grab bag " at Harbor Freight. They are industrial re-sharps. I bought a HF set of Silver and Deming large bits and they have been very good. Keep the speed down,oil often and use plenty of pressure. I have never been impressed with bit sharpeners of any brand. With a little knowledge of how a bit should look and work,I can do a much better and faster job with a wheel and a cup of water.

Okay,
Not that I will try, (maybe I will) but describe what you do with the wheel and a cup of water. I have a table top grinder, or am I way off? Just curious as I would have tried what I think you are saying in a pinch. Can you do it freehand with the bit in visegrips?

And, to all the others who have replied - THANKS, I will check out the Drill Dr. and the Fastenal near me. I also don't trust the you get what you pay for necessarily. I have seen it disproved on both ends with various things. I trust your guys opinions more than an advertisement. Thanks for the other leads too.

 

[framer]

I buy American made champion cobalt or silver deming if 1/2 or larger to
3/4 larger mag drill annular bits with cutting fluid works good.Framer

 

[Egon]

Why not start with some inexpensive drill bits and a good sharpener or learn the freehand method. When you feel competent then start replacing the most used bits with ones of very good quality. That way you don't end up ruining good bits practicing on them.

 

[JoelD]

Why not start with some inexpensive drill bits and a good sharpener or learn the freehand method. When you feel competent then start replacing the most used bits with ones of very good quality. That way you don't end up ruining good bits practicing on them.

This is good advice I've seen before on this topic. I have and can not live without my drill doctor, goes up to 3/4 inch bits.

I buy my drill bits at Sears, I like the Craftsman. Not super expensive but tough and cut good and hold a good edge.

As stated previously, find which sizes you use the most and then buy those sizes in top quality, why purchase a big dollar large set if you don't have to?

Again, I like my craftman, they've held up well for me.

Joel

 

[Rudevette]

As long as you know what a sharp bit should look like (there are 2 angles to grind to and a point in the center to look at) you can grind your own to sharpen them and use water to keep cooling the tips as you sharpen. I like to use my belt sander and a cup of water, but that's just because I use my belt sander for everything and never use my grinder. I personally don't like the drill doctor. I guess I just didn't play with it enough to get a feel for how to use it. It's just quicker for me to do it by hand on the belt sander.

The three things I say to remember are:

1. Buy good drill bits, you get what you pay for
2. Use a cutting and drilling oil when you drill
3. Get a chart of the correct speed RPM to run your drill bits for each size and material. Nothing will kill a good drill bit faster than incorrect RPM's.


-Justin

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I am a Drill Doctor fan. I have the 750 now and it works better than the smaller one I have. I have tried freehand without much success. The bit will look good but only cut with one flute. One thing to do to make your bits last longer is DON'T drill through rust. Grind the rust away before you drill.
Bill

 

[Baby Grand]

I get High Speed Steel (HSS) bits. They have HSS stamped on the shank. If it doesn't say HSS on the shank, then I won't buy it.

 

[DieselPower]

You should try some good cobalt bits sometime. They are a step up from HSS and great for hardened steel and exotic metals like stainless steel.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

Okay,
Can you do it freehand with the bit in visegrips?

For small bits I would recommend keeping a small chuck on hand
and just mount them in the chuck to sharpen them by hand.

I can sharpen by hand bits down to about 1/4 inch.
Smaller than that and my brother usually breaks them before they are dull.

Pooh Bear

 

[ArTrvlr]

One more vote for Drill Doctor. I have sharpened bits by hand for years. It's a good feeling to sharpen one, then use it and see those long spirals coming out of the hole. But it takes a while to learn how to do well and the Drill Doctor will do it well on smaller bits than can be sharpened by hand. Like Pooh_Bear said, below 1/4" is difficult by hand. Get the DD that goes up to 3/4", it only costs a little more, worth it IMHO.

As far as quality bits, I saw these bits Bad Dog Tools - Drill Bits demonstrated at a trade show one time. They were drilling glass, tile, files, stainless, concrete, etc. I wanted some, but didn't have the money at the time. They are kinda pricey but seem like they would be worth it. Maybe I should order a set... (trying to talk myself into it) Maybe I will catch them at another show, I think they sell a little cheaper (show special!!) at the trade shows.

And use a cutting oil, designed for drilling or tapping threads. I don't have a clue what the difference is between that and motor oil, but it seems to me it works better for drilling than motor oil. I had some onetime that was almost like a gel and didn't run off like thinner oil. Don't remember the brand and haven't found any since. But I did notice while on the Bad Dog site they have "Dog Drool", which sounds like the same (or similar) stuff.
jp

 

[tatra805]

I dont know the Drill Doctor or any other bit sharpening device.

Suppose they are doing what they say, nevertheless i would recommend something else.

If you have to invest in tooling why not buy something more universal that allows you to sharpen bits also??

I have this 3" belt grinder and that thing rocks for sharpening bits but also for many many other things.

That way a dedicated sharpening device all of a sudden becomes an expensive gadget.

Besides, i dont believe in "universal" solutions and i still like to know the tecnique behind an aparatus. Makes troubleshooting more easy.


On drill bits it really is ''you get what you pay for'' but I would add "it is worth paying for it'' I can count the hours lost with cheapo drills.