Recommended step drills?

[sako243]

Different variety of step drills and different maximum size so just plunge all the way through.

 

[Onoff]

I wonder if thicker material actually acts as a heatsink?

 

[Onoff]

What hole sizes are you going from / to?

 

[Pond frog]

How can you use them for as thick a material as some on here suggest. Surely you can only use them in material smaller than the depth of the step which can't be much more than 3mm on most of them

I think the steps on mine are about 4mm , I’ve drilled through 6mm it just drills 2 different diameters at the same time, I don’t think they would do much more than 6 mm

 

[Nomad]

Mine are a cheap boxed set of 3 from Aldi / Lidl, they are mainly used on light car panels (under 2mm) but have lasted well and are still going strong.
The posh wooden presentation box they come in is included for free

Best buy a couple of sets when you see them as you know they won't have any in stock when you're looking.

 

[JOEPRO]

What hole sizes are you going from / to?

It varies really only used very occasionally. The 32mm one would do most tasks.

I ordered a set of these to replace the ones that failed tonight.

https://amzn.eu/d/fdxo2pH

I can reuse the metal case I have also. And next time I'll drill much slower and using the cutting compound should be OK

These step drills come as 1, 2, 3 or 4 flutes. The 4 flute ones all start at £69 or so. This was one of the best priced 3 flute sets. An extra cutting edge should make them sharper / longer lasting in theory.

 

[roofman]

To keep mine sharp i hold the flat side against the side face of a grinding stone for about 20 seconds...makes a massive difference.

 

[Robotstar5]

Best ones I've used are G&J Hall bit spendy though.

 

[knighty]

A single good one costs ten times as much as a set of three cheap ones

And in my experience good named ones aren't that much better

Battery drill on slow speed is the best way I've found

 

[tigdlo]

I've had a G&H Hall for about 17 years, never sharpened, still cuts well, it doesn't get used too often anymore bit has lasted much longer than expected. Slow down and use lube.

 

[Farside]

Slow down and use lube.

Always sound advice.

 

[500e]

Cut a lot of holes in Cat machines with them battery drill and lube, they lasted well

 

[Burdekin]

I have a Erbauer one from Screwfix. Used it in my lathe, bench drill and handdrill and works a treat. I always use cutting compound as well..

 

[JohnH]

I find that I use odd numbered ones more than anything. ie drill 7mm and tap for 8mm.
You dont see the odd ones much especially the the ones that are deeper 10mm or so.

 

[droopsnoot]

Interesting notes on sharpening, thanks. I've got one that I use where I've managed to make the 10mm step a bit blunt, which is annoying if I want a 12mm hole as I've got to somehow get past the blunt step, which I do by holding the drill at a bit of an angle until it starts the cut. Probably horribly dangerous.

For thin steel I prefer to use a QMax hole punch - one of the pieces I make needs three ~18mm holes, and I found that if I made a pair, I'd be getting smoke out of the drill half-way through the job, which I didn't think was a good thing. I use the electric hand drill because my bench drill is already on the slowest speed and it seems that I need it to be slower. Mine are only cheap autojumble bits, though the first (unbranded) one I bought off eBay came in a box which was delightfully marked "Explosion proof electrical systems" or something like that. No idea what it originally contained.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

to be honest ive had no issue with these

Erbauer Step Drill Bit 6-36mm - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Step drill bit with spiral flute. M2 ground steel construction. Provides a high level of precision and efficiency. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Max capacity is 5mm though (technically ).

 

[6ply]

Really?

I've got a cheap set of (I think) AMPro drills off Amazon apart from eventually snapping the shank off the largest I've been impressed.

I think 3mm is the thinnest I've drilled with them, usually more like 10-20mm steel and wood also.

I've used mine a good many times in steel plate that has been thick enough to need to drill from both sides to avoid a stepped finish in the hole.

Cheap eBay and Lidl stepped drills. Quality every time.

 

[6ply]

How can you use them for as thick a material as some on here suggest. Surely you can only use them in material smaller than the depth of the step which can't be much more than 3mm on most of them

Go from one side then flip over. Result!

 

[mtt.tr]

Max capacity is 5mm though (technically ).

that would be thickness, but a funny way of putting it no less good spot

 

[Stupoty]

Lidl/stock up when they have them. Dip in cutting compound every hole.

I've got the aldi ones , the large one has mostly survived being abused in a hard worked workshop (apart from someone managed to brake the tip off it ? How ? only the lord knows.)

Stu