Drill Bits won't drill

[shiftsuper175607]

It seems that every drill bit I try won't drill anything harder than soft butter.

Are they all of poor quality?

They may say titanium, but they are soft IMO

 

[ILENGINE]

I tend to use Cobalt bits, and may run them through the drill doctor 10 times while doing a job of drilling 4 holes in what should be mild steel.

 

[motoman]

While this is a lawn mower forum IMO diyer's deserve tips. Unfortunately sharpening drill bits is a bit of art unless you use a little fixture or something like Drill Doctor which most say is very good for the smaller drills. You haven't given a lot of info. H-Frt sells a lot of cheap drills suitable for soft stuff like wood, but those drills are not good for steel and generally dull quickly. H Frt also sells some decent drills but you got to search. I have found Drill Master brand there to be better quality. Look on you tube. Someone said there is a decent demo on hand grinding. Many run too much drill motor speed. On steel turn the bits slowly (variable speed drill) and use (at least) engine oil. Stop and do not over heat (brown to purple color) If you search you will find good drills are quite expensive. I think there are some decent sets at ACE type stores and even (drumroll) Walmart.

 

[SeniorCitizen]

It seems that every drill bit I try won't drill anything harder than soft butter.

Are they all of poor quality?

They may say titanium, but they are soft IMO

Are the bits new or have they been ground / sharpened ? What material are you attempting to drill ?

Choose The Best Drill Point Geometry : Modern Machine Shop

 

[bertsmobile1]

If it is made in the USA, UK ,EU or even OZ, has a brand name stamped, etched or engraved into the shank then it will generally be a good quality drill made from high quality tool steel and supplied sharp ready to use.

If it came in a box with a name you never heard of and the individual drills have no branding then it is a mass marketed piece of Chineese landfill oft supplied blunt.

The good ones will cost you $ 10 each the bad ones are $ 10.00 for a set

Spraying cobalt nitride on a dull bit will not make it sharp it just wastes cobalt.

 

[shiftsuper175607]

Are the bits new or have they been ground / sharpened ? What material are you attempting to drill ?



What am I drilling?
I have had trouble with drilling out a broken bolt on a lawn mower, bolting it to the deck

I built a 24x24 shop and I have drilled holes in the frame to put 2/4 for peg board The self tapping screws for the metal seem to drill it just about as good as a drill bit.

yesterday I had a linkage for the shifting on a Craftsman rider. The swivel ball broke off in the link and I drilled it out...it took 20 minutes with a drill press and 4 to 5 bits and sharpening them too.

I have dewalt bits, Ryobi bits, Harbor freight bits...I try them all

Using a cordless drill is not high speed, nor the drill press. the get dull and hot very quickly...seems they don't even bite into the metal at times.

 

[SeniorCitizen]

Are the bits new or have they been ground / sharpened ? What material are you attempting to drill ?



What am I drilling?
I have had trouble with drilling out a broken bolt on a lawn mower, bolting it to the deck

I built a 24x24 shop and I have drilled holes in the frame to put 2/4 for peg board The self tapping screws for the metal seem to drill it just about as good as a drill bit.

yesterday I had a linkage for the shifting on a Craftsman rider. The swivel ball broke off in the link and I drilled it out...it took 20 minutes with a drill press and 4 to 5 bits and sharpening them too.

I have dewalt bits, Ryobi bits, Harbor freight bits...I try them all

Using a cordless drill is not high speed, nor the drill press. the get dull and hot very quickly...seems they don't even bite into the metal at times.

First off, the bolts that hold an engine on a mower can be a real pain in the arse. Those can be made with some very strange material and the manufacturer believes he is doing us a favor. If so, why did the need drilling out. Harder isn't always better.

If your bits are good quality HSS (high speed steel) and are sharpened at the correct angle my suggestion is to get some cutting oil specifically for drilling steel (not lube oil ) cutting oil, even that stinken Ridgid thread cutting oil works. I prefer my old aerosol can of foaming spray. Just a few drops does wonders for drilling.

 

[reynoldston]

I use HSS drill bits. Standard drill bits you can buy in any hardware store. I really don't understand why you would be having problems unless you are using dull bits or trying to drill harden steel. There is a art in sharping drill bits. It sounds to me like you aren't doing something right because you shouldn't be having the problems you describe. I start by center punching what ever I am drilling first, then I take a small drill bit 1/8 or smaller and drill a pilot hole, then finish with whatever hole size I want. Using sharp drill bits and drilling at the proper drill bit speed, it dose help if you have some cutting oil or any oil but not necessary. I know the drill bit is sharp when I have long strings of steel coming out of the hole I am drilling not small chips.

 

[Mad Mackie]

It seems that every drill bit I try won't drill anything harder than soft butter.

Are they all of poor quality?

They may say titanium, but they are soft IMO

Titanium is a coating that is on the outside of the drill bit. My observations of titanium coated bits are that the coating makes junk bits look "nice" which makes them more saleable. Their object is just to sell the bits with little regard to their drilling ability. Never have seen quality HSS drill bits that were titanium coated. I use HSS, cobalt and carbide bits, and on my 2nd Drill Doctor, very decent machine.
Cutting fluid is a good thing to have nearby.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

 

[reynoldston]

Titanium is a coating that is on the outside of the drill bit. My observations of titanium coated bits are that the coating makes junk bits look "nice" which makes them more saleable. Their object is just to sell the bits with little regard to their drilling ability. Never have seen quality HSS drill bits that were titanium coated. I use HSS, cobalt and carbide bits, and on my 2nd Drill Doctor, very decent machine.
Cutting fluid is a good thing to have nearby.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

I agree with you on the titanium bits. I have never seen where they are any better. I do find the cobalt bits are a better bit for drilling steel that is a harder type steel. I also find they will chip or break faster then HSS but they do have a use. Now carbide drill bits are very expensive and I have found impossible to sharped. Used for drilling out a broken drill bit or tap. Now when I am saying expensive 50+ dollars per bit.