|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 621
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 621 |
Here's one for the shop and construction fields.
I work in a commercial glass shop. We drill aluminum almost daily. And into steel linals quite often.
What brand is the best? Sharpest the longest. I really don't need sets. I have specific sizes that I use the most.
I don't mind spending the money for quality. I like good quality tools but need to step it up on my drill bits.
Thanks in advance,
R.D.
For HIS service,
R.D.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 7,988 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 7,988 Likes: 3 |
Most decent drill sets will work fine in aluminum but they work much better with a good lubricant to combat "chip weld" on the cutting edges. Machinists have told me the best lube to use on your drill bits when drilling aluminum is WD40. Steel works best with a good sulphur based lube like Tap Magic or Rapid Tap . I accidentally ended up with some Rapid Tap that is in a wax based form. I found it works great for large holes and hole saws in metal. Stays on the cutter longer and lubes as well as the liquid based stuff.
If you're looking for high quality drill bits the best place you will find them in quantities is McMaster Carr for a respectable price and incredible service. Grainger is way over priced for their stuff and usually the service their sucks- at least in my experience over the years.
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,014 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,014 Likes: 1 |
Norseman. Made in USA.
You can get individual sizes.
Dave
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,216 Likes: 2
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,216 Likes: 2 |
Norseman. Made in USA.
You can get individual sizes. I second this ^^ kwg
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 17,314 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 17,314 Likes: 1 |
I've been buying Norseman Viking indexes the last few years. Seem to be better than average.
I'd also tell you I have had great luck with using Irving Unibits. Don't know how they work as good as they do as long as they do.
Screw you! I'm voting for Trump again!
Ecc 10:2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but that of a fool to the 24HCF.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 10,888 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 10,888 Likes: 3 |
I had to drill out a screw that held the shifter in on my 2003 GMC truck steering column, regular drills did not touch it, so went and bought some cobalt bits from home hardware, they cut through easily.
"The 375HH is the greatest level of power you can get for the investment in recoil." (JJHack) 79s and losttrail, biggest waste of air.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 9,127 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 9,127 Likes: 2 |
You're making a living with your tools, don't fool around get Norseman Cobalt....anything you drill into, they will take it and stay sharp. They peel a Cat gr 8 bolt like it was cheese.
Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 11,049
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 11,049 |
There has been some evidence and online discussion that this may not be true. Letters to the company to confirm have gone unanswered. Look at the actual drill bits to see if they actually say "USA". US marketing company, but...?
"There's more to optics than meets the eye."--anon
"...most of us would be better off losing half a pound around the waist than half a pound on our rifle."--dhg
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,014 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,014 Likes: 1 |
There has been some evidence and online discussion that this may not be true. Letters to the company to confirm have gone unanswered. Look at the actual drill bits to see if they actually say "USA". US marketing company, but...? Sure you aren’t talking about DrillHog brand?
Dave
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,808
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,808 |
In the over 50 years I have been involved in the machine trades (got my journeyman tool and die maker papers 45 years ago) Cleveland has always been my go-to brand for drills. Today though, there are many good brands made in USA and most of them make good drills. I would hesitate to say that there is one best brand. That industry is highly evolved. High speed, high production CNC machining has driven that evolution. For what I assume your uses are you’d probably be well served by any of the good brands of ordinary, high-speed steel drills. What’s important is how they’re ground and how they’re run. If you want to optimize your drilling practices, you’ll want to study drill-point geometry a bit and have separate drills for steel and aluminum. If you don’t care to, the all-around drill point of 118 degrees will work fine. (I’m guessing that any steel you’re drilling is just low carbon, structural type of steel.)
What kills drills is excessive heat at the cutting edges (like any other machining tool.) If you have a situation where you can keep the drill points flooded with a coolant mix they will last much longer. It also helps to feed them as fast as possible given the material and speed you can run them, as long as you can keep them cool. Oils help, but a water-based coolant will do more good.
In aluminum, problems (so-called “chip weld”) are caused by inadequate cutting speed and feeds, just like turning aluminum on a lathe or milling it.
Mathew 22: 37-39
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335 |
I mostly use Norseman but I really like these too. Not the best for every job but where they can be used I’ve been impressed. Not sure who makes them I know most tool trucks carry them now with their name on the box (Matco,cornwell, snap on etc)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,467
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,467 |
Those are legit. I got the steel bits in the red case before they upgraded. I don't know if Astro or KnKut is the OEM on those. If you Google, Hyper Step Drill Bits, everyone is selling them now.
I'm here to increase my social credit score and rub elbows with some of the highest rollers on the internet.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 12,038 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 12,038 Likes: 2 |
I run aluminum pretty fast and I like 137* split point drill bits. WD40 is a good coolant if you don't use water soluble oil for coolant.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 60,496 Likes: 20
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 60,496 Likes: 20 |
I've been buying Norseman Viking indexes the last few years. Seem to be better than average.
I'd also tell you I have had great luck with using Irving Unibits. Don't know how they work as good as they do as long as they do. Boy...they are sure brittle though. Drill bits are a consumable. Don't overspend.
I am MAGA.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,335 |
Those are legit. I got the steel bits in the red case before they upgraded. I don't know if Astro or KnKut is the OEM on those. If you Google, Hyper Step Drill Bits, everyone is selling them now. They’re pretty dang good. I had my doubts but my Matco dealer let us demo some for a week and I was sold.and they wanted over $400 for them. At the time Matco was under contract to sell them exclusively, i think it was for a year. I’m sure you can get them cheaper now, and for what the OP described he would use them for I think they’re perfect. They’re lifetime warranty but not anything under 1/4” . But the small ones aren’t that expensive to replace
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 11,049
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 11,049 |
There has been some evidence and online discussion that this may not be true. Letters to the company to confirm have gone unanswered. Look at the actual drill bits to see if they actually say "USA". US marketing company, but...? Sure you aren’t talking about DrillHog brand? Now I am not so sure. Are they marked "USA"?
"There's more to optics than meets the eye."--anon
"...most of us would be better off losing half a pound around the waist than half a pound on our rifle."--dhg
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,855 Likes: 5
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 4,855 Likes: 5 |
“Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.” ― G. Orwell
"Why can't men kill big game with the same cartridges women and kids use?" _Eileen Clarke
"Unjust authority confers no obligation of obedience." - Alexander Hamilton
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,562 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,562 Likes: 1 |
If you're mainly popping holes in aluminum, there's no need to go to anything super pricey. Just some descent HSS drills that are not titanium nitride coated so that you can regrind them and keep going. Cold welding is usually caused by too light of pressure on the drill with too high of drill or material rpm. Believe it or not, but isopropyl alcohol works great on titanium as a cutting fluid.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,579
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,579 |
There is no retreat but in submission and slavery!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,014 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 19,014 Likes: 1 |
There has been some evidence and online discussion that this may not be true. Letters to the company to confirm have gone unanswered. Look at the actual drill bits to see if they actually say "USA". US marketing company, but...? Sure you aren’t talking about DrillHog brand? Now I am not so sure. Are they marked "USA"? The 3 pc set of DrillHog unibit / step drills i have aren’t marked USA. They’ve worked well for what I’ve used them for ( sheet metal and plastic) for the price.
Dave
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz
|
|
|
|
93 members (7mm_Loco, 444Matt, 338reddog, 79S, 2ndwind, 257_X_50, 13 invisible),
1,603
guests, and
853
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,368
Posts18,488,295
Members73,970
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|