What are your favorite drill bits?

[skipmac]

Norseman bits, also sold under the Viking brand name.


Stays sharp longer and cuts through mild and stainless steel better than any bit I've used.

[Dave_S]

We drill many hundreds of thousands of holes and countersinks a year at work in different materials, but mostly 304 and 316 stainless. A good grind on a countersink drill bit will do a thousand 10mm countersinks in 304SS without cutting oil.

I don't put much credibility in the coated drills, they don't seem to last any longer than standard. I also don't buy the expensive drill bits, a low end industrial quality HSS bit like Sutton will last just as long. What does count is the angle of the cutting edge "rake" on the drill bit and getting a feel for how it is drilling, speed and feed or pressure.

[Minggat]

Tried to post a pic. Sorry. You'll have to Google "Step bits".


Favorite? Step bits. I had one in my toolbox for 20+ years before I tried it. AMAZING!


Of course they are not for every job. But my Dewalt set will last a long time because I use these first. And they still cut like when they were new.


The first time I used one was to clean up a hole someone had cut with a torch. The kind of hole that kept grabbing my other bits and screwing them down into the hole. The step bit made a very jagged hole round in very short order.

[Freedom45]

Cobalt for pilot in steels.
Unibit

C

[GordMay]

Cobalt drill bits are not made of pure cobalt, but rather a steel alloy with 5 to 8 percent cobalt.
The 5-percent alloy is known as M35 grade, and the premium 8-percent alloy is M42.
The cobalt increases the strength of the steel, and makes it more heat-resistant. This is an important factor in drilling hard materials, because the friction of metal against metal can produce high temperatures, that damage the material or the drill bit. Bosch, for instance, makes a cobalt drill bit that can withstand temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (593 degrees Celsius).
➥ https://www.boschtools.com/ca/en/bos...-bits-22455-c/

[vpbarkley]

Cobalt bits are tough and stay sharp. Bits ground with a split web are the way to go, particularly for hand drilling. Keep speed down when drilling metals and use a lubricant.

Dry lube sticks are good for use on boats as they don't leak or corrode in storage and don't make an oily mess.

Coated bits are not first choice for hand drilling as the coating is not hard to damage.

[guyrj33]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Norseman bits, also sold under the Viking brand name.


Stays sharp longer and cuts through mild and stainless steel better than any bit I've used.

I agree, the set I bought comes in an O ring sealed container.
similar to this.
https://www.amazon.com/Norseman-4417.../dp/B00627C8ZU

[Wallaby]

For stainless, cobalt bits with cutting oil (for stainless). Very slow speed on a drill press.

[Cruiser2B]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

My favorite bits are the sharp ones, I love them.

AMEN!!!

[malross]

When I need a good sharp drill that lasts; I re-sharpen a masonry bit using a diamond wheel.
Works good for me.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, VP.

[Oceanride007]

I do a lot of stainless steel on board (no pedastal drilll), have small bench grinder to keep my less than good quality drills in order, always use thread cutting compound. But the best trick is to get a 20 pack of good quality double ended 1/8th bits, such small bits are hard to sharpen, sometimes I can sharpen them OK but if not they wander around a little. For precision I'd go for a new bit. Use these as pilot holes for your larger bits. Have managed a hole in Anchor cheak plates 5/8 dia in my 18V AEG.

[RNWilson]

For decades The Twist or pitch of the flutes of twist drill bits seemed to always be the same no matter what the quality or the material. In the last few years I have noticed that drill bits designed for cordless drills have a steeper pitch on the twist. I have found the steeper twist does not produce anywhere near as good a quality hole in wood as the traditional design. It seems like it wants to screw itself in rather than cut a hole . The claim is that they take less power to drill a hole. Has anyone else noticed this?

[seandepagnier]

the $8 pack for 25 drill bits, or old rusty bits. Then sharpen using sharpening wheel. Prefer to make things from bronze instead of stainless.

I have drilled 1/2 inch holes 3 inches deep in stainless using a hand drill.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

the $8 pack for 25 drill bits, or old rusty bits. Then sharpen using sharpening wheel. Prefer to make things from bronze instead of stainless.

I have drilled 1/2 inch holes 3 inches deep in stainless using a hand drill.

More detail please.
Hand powered or battery powered or mains powered (hand held)?

If hand powered, I salute you!
If battery powered, excellent effort!
If mains powered hand held, good job.