I am looking to buy a drill bit set for use in the garage. I have a lathe and a pillar drill and in the past I have had the need for drills from 3mm to 13mm. I was looking at a buying a set which would cover these sizes, but what type of material should they be made from e.g. HSS etc.

Thanks in advance

Mike

Take a look at this website:

http://www.drill-service.co.uk/

I got a cobalt set 1-13mm in .5mm steps from Machine Mart for under £30 & these have been the best drills I've owned so far. The cheap HSS ones don't seem to last two minutes. Just make sure you use the right speed & lube & they'll last even longer.

HSS drills are fine for most materials, but do struggle on stainless steel.

The main problem people have is they run drills too fast and with not enough pressure. This is usually because the hobby drill presses just dont go slow enough, take a look at the speeds for drilling below and notice how slow the steel speeds are.

Diameter Steel Aluminium

3mm 1820 rpm 2580 rpm
4mm 1350 rpm 2580 rpm
5mm 1290 rpm 2580 rpm
6mm 970 rpm 2580 rpm
7mm 830 rpm 2580 rpm
8mm 830 rpm 2580 rpm
9mm 500 rpm 1820 rpm
10mm 500 rpm 1820 rpm
11mm 500 rpm 1820 rpm
12mm 420 rpm 1820 rpm
13mm 420 rpm 1350 rpm
14mm 420 rpm 1350 rpm
15mm 320 rpm 1290 rpm
16mm 320 rpm 1290 rpm

[Edited on 29/1/10 by flak monkey]

Ok cheers for the advice, would cobalt drills be a better option. Forgot to add that I have a budget of about £60.

I bought a budget set of HSS (dont bother with anything less)
When they go blunt, I sharpen them. (learn this skill it will save you a lot of time and money)
When they break I replace them with a Quality HSS drill. This way the commonly used drills get replaced with decent ones. Its not worth it for the odd sized drills that you use once a year!

When I was putting on my stainless side panels, I trashed my 3 and 4mm drills.
So I replaced them with good HSS ones, and then bought some a 3 & 4 mm Cobalt ones, just for the stainless panels. They are extra hard (and more brittle), and I reserve them just for drilling stainless as they are expensive.

If you can drill something in a Pillar Drill, then do so, as you are less likely to break a drill than with a hand drill.

I have some titanium coated ones as well.. I'm not impressed.

Finally use the correct speed and lubricant for the size of drill and material. This is a key element to drill longevity, and quality holes. Not to mention the cash in your pocket you will save.


EDIT:
Flak Monkey beat me to it on the speeds!
Cobalt are good but expensive. I am surprise you can get Cobalt for £30.
And I just missed a M-Mart VaT free day

[Edited on 29/1/2010 by wilkingj]

i like TiN coated drills....

Get a decent set (not cheap). I have Hertel set (HHS steel) in 0.1mm steps from 1mm to 10mm, great for tapping..

If you don't need to do tapping, get a quality HSS set in 0.5mm steps. Good makes are Hertel, dormer ect, machine mart ones will be poo, get a decent branded set. Personally have not bothered with Colbolt ect wast of time, get a good HSS set.

Also always use a lubricant (parifin will do, or get one of the grease based ones) with them if you want them to last longer between sharpening.. And don't over heat them.

Dan

Parafin is the lube for Alluminium.
For Steel use oil, or a proper cutting oil if you can afford it.
Personally I just use engine oil on steel.

quote:

---

Originally posted by wilkingj
I bought a budget set of HSS (dont bother with anything less)
When they go blunt, I sharpen them. (learn this skill it will save you a lot of time and money)
When they break I replace them with a Quality HSS drill. This way the commonly used drills get replaced with decent ones. Its not worth it for the odd sized drills that you use once a year!

When I was putting on my stainless side panels, I trashed my 3 and 4mm drills.
So I replaced them with good HSS ones, and then bought some a 3 & 4 mm Cobalt ones, just for the stainless panels. They are extra hard (and more brittle), and I reserve them just for drilling stainless as they are expensive.

If you can drill something in a Pillar Drill, then do so, as you are less likely to break a drill than with a hand drill.

I have some titanium coated ones as well.. I'm not impressed.

Finally use the correct speed and lubricant for the size of drill and material. This is a key element to drill longevity, and quality holes. Not to mention the cash in your pocket you will save.


EDIT:
Flak Monkey beat me to it on the speeds!
Cobalt are good but expensive. I am surprise you can get Cobalt for £30.
And I just missed a M-Mart VaT free day

[Edited on 29/1/2010 by wilkingj]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by wilkingj
Parafin is the lube for Alluminium.
For Steel use oil, or a proper cutting oil if you can afford it.
Personally I just use engine oil on steel.

---

i have standard good brand hss drils for normal use, then when the going get's tough i've got a set of solid carbide tipped drills, not found anything they won't cut so far

quote:

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Originally posted by BenB

quote:

---

Originally posted by wilkingj
I bought a budget set of HSS (dont bother with anything less)
When they go blunt, I sharpen them. (learn this skill it will save you a lot of time and money)
When they break I replace them with a Quality HSS drill. This way the commonly used drills get replaced with decent ones. Its not worth it for the odd sized drills that you use once a year!

When I was putting on my stainless side panels, I trashed my 3 and 4mm drills.
So I replaced them with good HSS ones, and then bought some a 3 & 4 mm Cobalt ones, just for the stainless panels. They are extra hard (and more brittle), and I reserve them just for drilling stainless as they are expensive.

If you can drill something in a Pillar Drill, then do so, as you are less likely to break a drill than with a hand drill.

I have some titanium coated ones as well.. I'm not impressed.

Finally use the correct speed and lubricant for the size of drill and material. This is a key element to drill longevity, and quality holes. Not to mention the cash in your pocket you will save.


EDIT:
Flak Monkey beat me to it on the speeds!
Cobalt are good but expensive. I am surprise you can get Cobalt for £30.
And I just missed a M-Mart VaT free day

[Edited on 29/1/2010 by wilkingj]

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I quite like the replace the ones that break option. Pragmatic and, as you say, no point have super expensive sets if you're not going to use 50% of them often enough to warrant them over normal bits....

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God I just looked at the MM website. The cobalt ones I paid £30 for before Christmas are still there but they're not £30 anymore

Linky

quote:

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Originally posted by bodger
God I just looked at the MM website. The cobalt ones I paid £30 for before Christmas are still there but they're not £30 anymore

Linky

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Try the HSS ones from www.traceytools.com. Usually next day delivery.
Regards
Hugh

Couple of points..

Cobalt drills are still HSS drills...just made from a grade of HSS with cobalt added.

For the vast majority of our hole drilling cooling is more important than lubrication...yes we need both, but soluble cutting oil works very well and is cheap.

Another vote for HSS drill set, and replace what's broken. I always keep a couple of 3-5mm drills on stock. (I'n not only building a car, but rebuilding my house as well).

I sharpen my drills on a grinder. Takes half a minute, and saves a lot.

quote:

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Originally posted by wilkingj
And I just missed a M-Mart VaT free day

[Edited on 29/1/2010 by wilkingj]

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rocol do a great cutting paste for drilling and it smells great too!!!!

forget cobolt......

solid carbide drill bits all the way

I bought two sets initially, a 1-13 and a 1-10, both Dormer, then when I suffer from PPP or a breakage, I replace with single (high quality HSS Dormer ones) and I always ensure I replace the breakages in both packs at any one time (meaning I ften have duplicates), as the cfew extra pounds it costs at the time more than pays for itself when you are doing that all important job on Sunday afternoon.

Since my initial packs, I've doubled up my drill sets to being 1-10 & 1-13 at home and the same in my travelling KC box, just to ensure that I never am without. The only differences are that I only update 1 pair at a time due to cost.

It's the same as having 4 battery drills and 3 grinders - just so I don't have to change discs all the time (and to quadruple/triple life expentancy of relatively cheaper tools)...