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Quality Drill Bits?

N941WR

N941WR

Legacy Member
As the drill bits in my set dull I would like to replace them with quality drill bits but don't know enough about the subject to make an informed purchase.

What type of bits would you recommend. (I'm not talking about #30 & #40 bits as I have enough of those to last me through three RV's.)

Type of material, brand, style, etc.

Thanks for the help.
 
Most tooling you would buy from local machine tool jobbers is good quality. High Speed Steel drills will give you good service. Cobalt drills are harder and cost a little more, and are more durable when drilling lots of holes. Titanium Nitride coated High Speed Steel are considered the best and will be the most expensive, but don't get them at your local discount stores. Go to a machine tool company for good quality tooling. In a pinch, I've purchased good cutting tools at an Auto Parts Store such as NAPA. Any tooling I ever purchased through the very low cost tool vendors wasn't worth packing home.

Bob S
 
For what it's worth, I've had good look with Bosch titanium bits. I've broken a couple, but it seems like they stay sharp forever and cut very nicely. I mostly use them for woodworking and drilling out rivets. YMMV.
 
Reference

Read the drill bit info in the McMaster-Carr catalog (McMaster.com). The work piece material, bit coating, twist, feed rate, and still more characteristics affect the choice of bit for a certain job. Overall, the uncoated high speed steel bits work good on aluminum. Some bits I've purchased from "RV" suppliers aren't proper for aluminum.

John Siebold
 
Drill bits and more

Check to see if you have a local Fastenal store. Thay have a huge selection of tools. I ordered #41 drill bits at noon and picked them up the next morning.
 
Question:

Why is no one using a Drill Doctor to re-sharpen their bits?

I had hundreds (literally) of dull/broken drill bits some years back, and received a Drill Dr. for Christmas in 2001. I sharpened all those dull & broken bits over the course of 2 days, and they perform great!

Is there something I'm missing?
OK, let me re-phrase that - WHAT am I missing?
 
Drill Doctor

I have never heard of the Drill Doctor, but after spending a few minutes on their website, I'm going to get one. Which model do you have? It seems like the DD400 would be the right one, since it handles "split-point" drill bits.

400_med.jpg



Hmmm....

Looks like the DD400 is only an "international" version... probably the best deal in the US would be the DDXP.

XP_Machine_Chuck_250.jpg
 
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I just went to their website. I didn't know that they did 135 degree and split point bits too. Very cool. Gotta pick one up.

-John
 
Got the wrong one

I have a drill Dr. and it works GREAT. Only problem is I have the one that does NOT do the 135 split points. Bummer so I don't use it for my plane. But I need to get the "deluxe" model.
 
rv8ch said:
Which model do you have?
Click to expand...

I don't recall off the top of my head - I'll have to go out in the garage tomorrow and dig it out. Haven't used it in a while.

I'm not sure if the one I have does split-points or not. If it doesn't, I may just have to eBay it and get a new one that does. Any excuse to buy new tools... :D
 
jarhead said:
I'm not sure if the one I have does split-points or not. If it doesn't, I may just have to eBay it and get a new one that does. Any excuse to buy new tools... :D
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't do split-points, or 135* angles. So I'm gonna eBay it and get a DD750X . It sharpens left-handed bits (like the ones in my screw extractor kit), masonry bits, split-points, any angle from 115-140*, you can even MAKE split-points from standard bits.

If any of you decide to get one, DON'T BUY DIRECT FROM DRILL DOCTOR! You can special-order it from Lowe's; it's about $170 if you don't need the hard-side carry case. You might even be able to get it cheaper somewhere online, but I don't know; I haven't checked - I get a good deal on Lowe's special order stuff... :D
 
Drill Doctor-try before you buy

Two of my friends got Drill Doctors as gifts and between four of us builders---not one of us could get the sucker to work up to our standards before we were ready to throw it in the trash. :mad: Are you sharpening smaller bits too? What is your secret?
 
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Smallest bit I did was 1/8", largest was 7/16" IIRC. For the first dozen or so bits, I followed the instructions step-by-step (literally - I'd read the step, do the action, maybe re-do it to ensure I had it right), and this seemed to help me. I've heard from a few customers at work that they've had problems getting satisfactory results from their Drill Doctors, so it's not just you.
 
jarhead said:
I've heard from a few customers at work that they've had problems getting satisfactory results from their Drill Doctors, so it's not just you.
Click to expand...
Here's some advice from the book, KitPlane Construction by Ronald Wanttaja... paraphrased since the book is at work...

A major cause of burrs is dull drill bits. To sharpen a bit perform the following steps:

1. Hold the bit in your right hand with the tip just showing.
2. With an underhanded motion, loft it toward the nearest trash can.
3. Go buy a new bit.

Sounds like sage advice to me...
 
Drill DR comment

I purchased one of these critters and was quite disappointed with it at first. The little plastic cam that you twist by hand to get the correct drill point geometry was rough and sticky when I twisted it and I couldn't get any "feel" of what was being accomplished when the bit was against the abrasive wheel.
I nearly gave up on it until I thought to use some of my BOELUBE stick on the cam and all the other plastic bearing surfaces. What a difference! The thing actually is a joy to use now and I get very good results with it.
If any one else is noticing the "stiction" when twisting the drill, try some lube on the plastic (non petroleum based of course).

-mike
 
Huh?

I fail to see the ecconomic advantage of the Drill Doctor. According to the link that Jarhead gave, the DD750X costs $198. Last catalog that I got from ATS listed #40 and #30 drill bits at $.60 a piece, maybe a few dollars for larger bits. We're talking about 200-300 drills resharpened before you break even. I hate like hell to throw anything away, but this does not make much sense to me.

Tracy.
 
thallock said:
I fail to see the ecconomic advantage of the Drill Doctor. According to the link that Jarhead gave, the DD750X costs $198. Last catalog that I got from ATS listed #40 and #30 drill bits at $.60 a piece, maybe a few dollars for larger bits. We're talking about 200-300 drills resharpened before you break even. I hate like hell to throw anything away, but this does not make much sense to me.

Tracy.
Click to expand...
It's not the ideal solution for everyone, and I wasn't trying to push it as one. But it IS a viable option for those of us who are doing more than just a single RV build-up.
 
thallock said:
I fail to see the ecconomic advantage of the Drill Doctor. According to the link that Jarhead gave, the DD750X costs $198. Last catalog that I got from ATS listed #40 and #30 drill bits at $.60 a piece, maybe a few dollars for larger bits. We're talking about 200-300 drills resharpened before you break even. I hate like hell to throw anything away, but this does not make much sense to me.

Tracy.
Click to expand...
While much of what you say is true and, if you have easy access to the local hardware store, it doesn't make pure economic sense.
There is a convenience issue that has to be factored in for those who live an hour or more from civilization. If you can sharpen a bit when needed rather than lose two hours or four days of build time, then its justification is a little easier for a few more of us.

-mike
 
Hey guys, I'm not saying you shouldn't buy one of these. I understand, perfectly well. I have a $2000 Smithy that never gets used. I have two routers. One is a cheap $50 Sears router that is mounted to the router table that has seen quite a bit of use. The other is a $200 Mikita plunge router that has never had a bit mounted in it, but man, is it a nice router--solid piece of equipment.

Let's be honest here. You don't need a $200 drill bit sharpener just to make sure that you will be able to continue working in case one of your drill bits get dull. You need it because it is the neatest piece of equipment that you can buy to do that task, and, you're probably the first guy on the block to own one (my appologies Roberta). Either that, or Joe bought one, so now you have to have one.

I mean, when was the last time that you went out in the shop to work on your airplane, and you looked at your drills and said "Darn, I can't work today, I've got a dull drill bit, here. Now, I'm going to have to get dressed and go on into town. Oh, man, I wish I had bought that stupid drill bit sharpener. That stupid Tracy. I should have never listened to that moron. Dang it!"

Cheers,
Tracy (Getting ready for the cold here in Austin this weekend. Hope my drills are sharpened, because I'm not driving downtown when it gets below 50.)
 
mlw450802 said:
I purchased one of these critters and was quite disappointed with it at first. The little plastic cam that you twist by hand to get the correct drill point geometry was rough and sticky when I twisted it and I couldn't get any "feel" of what was being accomplished when the bit was against the abrasive wheel.
I nearly gave up on it until I thought to use some of my BOELUBE stick on the cam and all the other plastic bearing surfaces. What a difference! The thing actually is a joy to use now and I get very good results with it.
If any one else is noticing the "stiction" when twisting the drill, try some lube on the plastic (non petroleum based of course).

-mike
Click to expand...

I too thought the plastic cam was rocking around too much and felt weird when we used the Drill Doctor. It made it harder to get an accurate grind on the bits. I think you have definitely found the solution. Thanks.
 
thallock said:
Let's be honest here. You don't need a $200 drill bit sharpener just to make sure that you will be able to continue working in case one of your drill bits get dull. You need it because it is the neatest piece of equipment that you can buy to do that task, and, you're probably the first guy on the block to own one (my appologies Roberta). Either that, or Joe bought one, so now you have to have one.
Click to expand...
While this may be true for those forum members that are only building one RV, there are others (like me) who are/will be working in the aviation maintenance field, and don't have an employer generous enough to supply drill bits. I've worked for 2 civilian aviation companies, and neither supplied drill bits - they saw them as a "common" tool, therefore they were my responsibility.

Once again, this isn't the solution for everyone, and I never promoted it as such. I merely asked a question...

Bottom line: It's your money - do with it whatever you want. I'm done beating this horse.
 
Drill Doctor Cheaper

...here at ACE hardware Outlet. Brand new - not a refurb.

"Drill Doctor DD750X 3/32-3/4 Drill Bit Sharpener with Carrying Case"

119.99 before a $15 rebate = $104.99 and FREE shipping

Remember "mysimon.com" and keep it wholly...
 
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