drill bits...

[marcomerola]

Ok so enough is enough, struggling to find sizes and finding blunt bits in the tool box. I have decided to spend a bit of money on a decent set of drill bits I can use over and over. My question is though do I spend a hefty amount on a cobalt set or for a little more money get a hss set and a sharpener?

 

[DanielW]

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/...ments--19-Drills--0951M19-757991.html#SID=189

 

[brightspark]

just buy a decent set of hss drills . dormer presto sherwood guhring ect .dont buy unbranded crap just because it says hss on the packet .getting a decent sharpener costs big £££ buy a bench grinder and start practicing on some old drill bits by hand

 

[DanielW]

Ooh,cheaper here with free P&P
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-H...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item51c61377a8

 

[brightspark]

while your at it get a tin of cutting compound and a drill speed chart .cutting at the wrong speeds soon sees them off . slow speed for big drills faster for small

 

[roofman]

Ive learnt a lot over the last 20 years playing with metal but imho the most rewarding and valuable has been the ability to sharpen drills with a bench grinder to within almost new tollerances...anyone who cant then its something in the shop that will pay dividends once learnt believe me..

 

[Bsmith]

Ooh,cheaper here with free P&P
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-H...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item51c61377a8

Shows its worth while looking around before buying. I went into AFL to look at a trailer ball hitch, it was £29.99, a few strides along the road I checked in a little auto shop, he had the very same thing at £19.99.

 

[marcomerola]

I have a bench grinder and if its going to last I don't mind spending the money. But you recommend a decent set of hss and learn how to sharpen them then?

 

[roofman]

I have a bench grinder and if its going to last I don't mind spending the money. But you recommend a decent set of hss and learn how to sharpen them then?

that would be my plan...as stated above try with some cheap old bits 1st and youtube has loads of pointers to get you started sharping your own

 

[Rocketman]

When I was doing engineering at college in the 80's they showed us how to sharpen drills. Wonder if they bother doing that anymore?

 

[waldershelf]

I got a set of DeWalt Extreme bits a couple of months ago, so far they seem pretty good, not managed to break or blunt one yet, not even the small sizes.

 

[Coo]

It's also mega satisfying using a freshly sharpened drill bit !
My problem is I keep forgetting shape of how they should be - need a poster beside grinder lol !

 

[lshigham]

When I was doing engineering at college in the 80's they showed us how to sharpen drills. Wonder if they bother doing that anymore?

They showed a few of us that were ahead when I did my apprenticeship a few years back but only a couple.

 

[Rig Pig]

One of the first jobs any apprentice gets is a large box of blunt drill bits and a few demonstrations. It's quite easy once you have the knack. Get a set of decent HSS bits and a bench grinder, cheap small grinders are usually not very good the 8" tend to be better and an old second hand one is better still! Use a new drill as a guide to compare with the the one you are sharpening.

 

[mechman]

Ive learnt a lot over the last 20 years playing with metal but imho the most rewarding and valuable has been the ability to sharpen drills with a bench grinder to within almost new tollerances...anyone who cant then its something in the shop that will pay dividends once learnt believe me..

I quite agree with roofman ,the amount of disgarded drill bits Ive picked up and sharpened over the years is amazing, Last count just under 200, cant remember if I ever bought one now, so get learning folks.

 

[Farside]

How to file and how to sharpen drills were the first things I was taught in the British Steel foundation course, that every school leaver who started in BS had to go on in the day. It just seemed such a natural thing to do at the time, that I didn't realise how privileged we were to have it.
One of the most effective skills learned was how to create small explosions on a benchtop, using an ashtray and acetylene.

 

[julianthegypsy]

When I was doing engineering at college in the 80's they showed us how to sharpen drills. Wonder if they bother doing that anymore?

I also learned in college in the 70's. When I went to Canada in 2000, I borrowed a 5mm drill bit from a third year apprentice at one point. It was as blunt as the end of a bus so I wandered over to the grinder, sharpened it, did the job I needed and put it back in his box. Next day, he asked me what I done to his drill, so I told him I'd sharpened it, and why? He said he couldn't believe how fast it was cutting, "it's like I put it against the steel and it disappears!" Some people are easily pleased

 

[waldershelf]

How to file and how to sharpen drills were the first things I was taught in the British Steel foundation course, that every school leaver who started in BS had to go on in the day. It just seemed such a natural thing to do at the time, that I didn't realise how privileged we were to have it.
One of the most effective skills learned was how to create small explosions on a benchtop, using an ashtray and acetylene.

I did something very similar, back in 1974 when I started at BS, 50 of us, 16 year old school leavers in green overalls. We did what was called the EMS course, electrical, mechanical and structural. Months of learning how to use a file, hacksaw and machine tools etc. Then we did wiring, soldering, cable pulling etc. Finally gas and electric welding, cutting, bending, shaping etc. 6 months later we all went our separate ways to specialise as electricians, boilersmiths, fitters etc. 4 years later we could all claim to be apprentice trained at our trade and we all had a good grounding in what other trades did.

 

[brightspark]

I did something very similar, back in 1974 when I started at BS, 50 of us, 16 year old school leavers in green overalls. We did what was called the EMS course, electrical, mechanical and structural. Months of learning how to use a file, hacksaw and machine tools etc. Then we did wiring, soldering, cable pulling etc. Finally gas and electric welding, cutting, bending, shaping etc. 6 months later we all went our separate ways to specialise as electricians, boilersmiths, fitters etc. 4 years later we could all claim to be apprentice trained at our trade and we all had a good grounding in what other trades did.

and all u get now is a month at a training course wire some sockets and lights up and a fuse board a week of theory and regs . and yes u have it a fully trained electrician ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public i wouldnt let one loose for at least a year without supervision and even then limit it depending on there ability

 

[waldershelf]

and all u get now is a month at a training course wire some sockets and lights up and a fuse board a week of theory and regs . and yes u have it a fully trained electrician ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public i wouldnt let one loose for at least a year without supervision and even then limit it depending on there ability

Oh and I did 9 years day release/night school as well.