Drill bits

So, i have been tasked with repkacing all the drill bits in dads index. They were dull when I went to use them, but he blames the challenge car build for dulling them. I ain't gonna argue about it.

He swears by the single bits from fastenal. Im pretty sure someone here can tell me what they actually are, and who makes them. When a whole index from 1/16 to 1/2 in 1/32 sizes needs to be replaced, the singles add up berkeleying fast.

So, best drill bits for the money, or the fastenal bits in bulk.

What do we have?

I have Fastenal service. My rep comes by once a week and restocks our bolt bin and drill indexes. Their standard jobber drill bits are ok at best. They do carry a better line that runs about 20% higher price which is a barely noticeable cost increase under 1/4" but by the time you filled your index it would be sticker shock.

Myself I am pretty good at watching my feeds and speeds and always use cutting fluid and am ok with the standard line. The other guys are far more cavalier in their usage and hate the bits.

My money is usually spent on HSS bits from the machine shop supply. I doubt they actually cost more than the Fastenal service, just not as convenient

Have a link? If im spending $200 bucks, i want to spend it on rbe best stuff i can get him.

Anything of quality better than irwin is around 150, so thats what im basing 200 on.

I've had very good results with the HF 115 bit Cobalt set...

HF 115 bit set

Most of the single bits I've bought from local hardware stores have been of no better, and often worse quality.

Edit: as noted above, the key to longevity is speeds, feeds and lubrication.

Buy the best you can afford from msc. I've been super happy with anything from Poland.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

Im not seeing Poland as a brand on their site. Or are you referencing the country of manufacture?

I like my Norseman drills - man jewelry. I've also had good luck with buying small quantities of Precision Twist Drill on amazon

Why not buy a whole new set?

It's a heck of a lot cheaper than replacing them 1 at a time.

In reply to SVreX:

Kind of my plan. And load them into his old index. Keep the bits that are dull and try to learn how to sharpen drill bits.

His index went from 1/16 to 1/2 in 1/32 increments. But, if i can get him better for similar money, or the same for cheaper, im game.

Dusterbd13 wrote: In reply to Fueled by Caffeine: Im not seeing Poland as a brand on their site. Or are you referencing the country of manufacture?

The country. They used to be the go to for cheap high quality machine tools

Buy drill doctor, sharpen bits, done?

Yeah∆. If you can't sharpen drill bits, you just have a box full of twisty steel sticks.

Streetwiseguy wrote: Yeah∆. If you can't sharpen drill bits, you just have a box full of twisty steel sticks.

This is very quotable. Well done!

Threadjack: What is the best bit sharpening setup?

I sharpen mine by hand using a bench grinder. I used to be quite good at it. Now, I'm mediocre at best. Not practiced as much these days. Once you learn, it's a skill you will always have.

How to Sharpen Drill Bits

Definately sharpen. Buy a drill doctor and you can do it yourself, or find a local tool sharpener local. They can sharpen the whole index cheaper than buying a new set.

Buy a new drill index and then sharpen the old ones to have as backups. That way you have something new to compare your sharpening skills to as you learn. I think you saw the results of a freshly sharpened bit when I put new edges on the bits we needed to use during some of the build.
As the bits get to short to store in the index or to sharpen any further then replace them. Buy a few of the most used sizes at one time and you will be in good shape. I have lots of 1/8" and #30s. Anything smaller gets replaced when dull. Anything larger gets sharpened.

I usually just go ahead and sharpen new bits, they cut much better with a custom rake. New bits work ok in a drill press but for hand drilling only a hand sharpened will do.

Once you learn to sharpen your own, you will be able to set up the point to cut beautifully in the different materials you encounter. It takes a different cut for soft than hard materials... You can make a standard 135deg point work in most stuff, but it is not the BEST for ALL jobs.

I bought a cheapy sharpener from Costco years ago. Works pretty well. Just a couple minutes of setup between bits if big difference in size.

Sharpen everything bigger than 1/4, much smaller is tricky and it's easier to just buy new. What do the Fastenal bits say on the shank? I'd guess they're jobber length, bright finish, standard point, no name USA HSS bits, at best. I buy mine (and my Dad's when I break them), the generic USA ones, at a local machine shop supply house for very reasonable prices. That's where I could look, or buy the big previously mentioned cobalt set at HF and pull out all the fractional ones for him. He'd probably be happy with that, they should be decent enough bits.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/r8oORR6jyh8

I struggled grinding the three sided tool bit when learning the lathe in high school machine shop. We had a helper who was a retired machinist born I estimate around 1915 and his were the best. He would show me and then make me do one. I suck to this day.

I was the last guy to move on from sharpening bits at tech school, but got the highest mark at test time. It is a skill best learned at the feet of a master, I think.

Or buy one of those drill doctor doodads.

Drill Doctor.