Official Luthiers Forum!

I am looking to buy a quality, "true" drill bit set. Most that are advertised are not straight and true and therefore make it difficult to drill anything dead on. I assume the machinist guys use good quality drills ( but made for metal work). What do you guys recommend? I have been using Dewalt's for several years but find even they have some "bad" bits.

THANKS for your input/advice.

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

bit of a quandary, since i don't think there is a one size fits all solution.

i think that if you are just thinking of acoustic building applications then a quality set of brad points is essential. for repair work, especially if you get heavily into electric instruments with their extensive metalwork , a set of fractional, letter and number drills is an obviouss choice.

i also use forstner bits a lot, particularly for jig building and general woodworking.

the woodworking houses sell complete sets of good quality bradpoints, lee valley in particular. similarly with the forstners. if you use a lot of mdf you wish to consider the carbide tipped versions though the costs are rather prohibitive.

good quality fractional/letter/number sets are available from the industrial supply houses like grainger, macmaster-carr, msc, etc.

but the chances of getting bits which are not straight still seem to be too high regardless of what you pay. quality just doesn't seem to be as common as it once was.

and until you use a test indicator to check the runout on your drill press quill and chuck and know that they are within acceptable tolerances, spending more on bits may not result in any benefits anyway.

Dave, I'd suggest Lee Valley, as Michael mentioned above. Their HHS brad point bits really are superior. They were the tester's choice in a rigorous showdown in Fine Woodworking magazine a couple of years ago. I don't think you'll get a cleaner, straighter hole with anything else. They also have HSS twist bits that seem to be of the same quality. I've got some of those, but haven't used them yet. I'd be surprised, though, if they weren't as good.

I can't really help you, we have a company in OZ called P&N that makes taps and drills, all their stuff is first rate.

I bought some cheap chinese drills years ago, I had the 3/16" in the hand drill, must have been pressing too hard 'cause the bit bent up like a piece of spagetti. They were made out of non hardened mild steel! You do get what you pay for!

Yes Paul, I'm with you on that, P&N is good stuff but Starret is generally really good gear too and that brand should be available (at a horrid price) to Dave in the USA. But as you say, you do get what you pay for. (Unless of course you are a shop lifter or happen to be a member of parliament in which case you always get what someone else has paid for)

Cheers

Kim

ah, patience and nicholson .... they did make good quality tooling. good to hear they still do!

Yes Michael,

P&N are still going well, but like so many companies these days, I believe that they now need to repackage Asian imports to compete in the home handyman market. So it now depends on how much you paid and in which colour packaging your P&N product came in that determines the quality of the tool within.

Cheers

Kim

You know just on that packaging thing. I don't know if it is the same in the USA, but here in AU, as a general rule, if you by a tool in a little cardboard box or tin it is normally pro quality. If you by one in a handy plastic storage wallet, it is land fill.

Cheers

Kim

There is runout on any twist drill, HSS included. The way to get a good hole location is to center drill-    

     

-or center punch the exact location first and the bit will follow.

    HSS is superior as well as titanium coated for longevity of use but there is little that can be done when the chisel edge of the drill bit hits the material.

      The chisel edge is the sharp surface of the bit that first touches the work and it works by literally pushing the work material to the cutting lips of the bit. This by very nature causes the bit to wonder from intended point even with perfect drill bit runout.

     Most times, by my experience, the problem usually lies in the drill chuck rather than the bit.

    Buy good quality bits - and center punch or center drill. If your careful you should be able to get locations of +/- .002in(.05mm). (If your good )

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I agree with Michael and Billy!

They are right on, with their explanations!

Robert

_________________
Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

   The center bit is most important to use as a started. Being trained as a toolmaker you don't use drills straight up on drilling but use the center bit to locate the hole and then drill them for size.
   Get a good set of letter number and fractional if you want but I use brad points on wood. They are pretty good for that. Metal work used a different grind.
john hall
blues creek guitars