MTFCA Forum

Using a commonly available titanium bit I am able to make very little progress drilling the pictured hole for the front fender hanger. Is there a better way?

Start with a small drill bit and then a few in-between sizes up to your final size.

Dewalt or Milwaukee high speed steel bit. Few bucks more but I was able to get through 16 3/8 diameter 1/4” thick holes through steel before killing drill bit. The titanium bits are hit and mis. Also Irwin bits suck hard too.

David Mazza wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 12, 2020 3:26 pm

Dewalt or Milwaukee high speed steel bit. Few bucks more but I was able to get through 16 3/8 diameter 1/4” thick holes through steel before killing drill bit. The titanium bits are hit and mis. Also Irwin bits suck hard too.

David hit on it. Too much Chinese junk in the drill market these days. To my thinking, the "titanium" drills have a "gee whiz" coating to distract from the fact that most are junk. Mind you, a well made drill, with real titanium nitride coating, is a fine tool. But, those don't come cheap!

As Kerry says, start with a small size bit. Set the drill at very low revs and ideally use tungsten carbide bits.

Some cutting oil wouldn't hurt either.

Go slow. The larger the bit, the slower the speed. I have watched lots of guys run a 1/2 inch bit at full drill motor speed and cuss and swear as the bit smoked and turned blue as it overheated and dulled. Slower speed, cutting oil, and some pressure against it will cut many holes.

I'll third the start small vote. Use your 3/8" drill to make a centre, then come at the hole in two or three steps. There's much less load required, and each drill is making a smaller cut.

Allan from down under.

Check the end of the bit and make sure it is sharpened correctly. I have seen several of those bits that were sharpened "backwards", the angle was ground the wrong direction. Those don't work too well. Dave

Use a plasma cutter !

Home Depot had 'Milwaukee Cobalt Red Helix Drill Bit Set for Drill Drivers'. It went through the frame like butter. Quite a difference. $13 for the single 3/8 inch $35 for the set. I purchased the set and hid it from my teenagers. Every project is a chance to buy a new tool. Now to figure out the bolt sizes for the front hangers.

Good drill bits are priceless.

Quite often the performance of a drill has more to do with the point geometry. Titanium coated drills usually have better geometry. I found that steam oxide coated drills work about as well as titanium drills with properly ground drills. Thinning the web really makes a big difference.
Art Mirtes

Dull bit. Get a “Drill Doctor” and sharpen your dull bits. Will give new life to old bits. Harden the sharpened bits by heating and quenching in oil. Jim Patrick

like Jeff Hood said " GO SLOW" and push HARD. If you drill steel fast it will just burn your bit up.

I've experienced the same thing with different parts on my T. Some things were hard as tempered steel when logic says they shouldn't be. I've ended up using a tiny dremal type grinder more than once to resize or make a new hole.

If you have one, and if it will fit, try a drill press. It will push much harder and is slower so it probably won't melt the tip as fast.

If a drill bit is allowed to turn in the work and not cut, it will harden the work, this is usually because the bit was not sharp in the first place and this will compound the effort and procedure.

Glad you were successful, I second the Milwaukee drill recommendation. I've had excellent service from their 'conventional' twist drills, which are easily hand sharpened on a fine grinding wheel without any jigs or fixtures. A sharp drill and reasonable speed and feed will produce good results.

And don't try to 'heat treat' your twist drills. HSS is inherently hard and at the same time tough, just keep them sharp. And if you have plain carbon steel drills, get a new set of HSS and' if you cannot part with the carbon steel drills, use them on wood and plastic.

Absolutely the best drill bits I have ever owned or seen.
Norseman, made in Minnesota.
I have a dozen other sets and these will out drill them two to one. Hard steel, brass, whatever. Stay sharp.

There is a tool company that comes to the Great Falls swap meet every year, they sell good tools. Also a little Chinese stuff but not much. She talked me in to buying a set of these. Worth every dime.

http://www.norsemandrill.com/

These:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Norseman-29pc- ... SwImRYIgYd

$130 on ebay, might be cheaper someplace else.

By the way, I disagree with the idea of drilling progressively larger holes. Drill a small marker hole for the big bit to center in, get it turning the correct speed, douse it with some Mystic Metal Mover and drill the hole. One time. One bit. The hole will be straighter, closer to size and will not dull nearly as quickly.

Your mileage may vary, all guarantees between seller and buyer, no return without receipt, dead cockfight chickens not recommended for human consumption, etc.

I agree with Stan. Holes wander off center when haggled out progressively larger.
Also agree that you need good tooling. A lot of hardware "hobbyist" bits may work in wood, but not for the machinist. I'm a little surprised no one mentioned annealing a work-hardened piece. Another thing to watch is rate of feed, and sometimes applying a coolant/lubricant can make a big difference. MHO.

If you part will not fit in a drill press, use one of these.
This will give you sufficient downward pressure to quickly drill the hole.

I'd like to get some Norseman bits. I have a small set of Summit bits made in Montana and they're great drill bits.
Les, I didn't know someone actually made those! I've done similar when using a hand drill and a 2x4.
The others stared at me if I were deranged when setting up and accidentally looking like a genius when nonchalantly pushing down on the handle and drilling the hole.
Chinese drill bits suck. Plain and simple. Under the TiN coating is pure garbanzo beans.
George Carlin mentioned the first four letters of the word garbage when talking about those beans...
I also feel dumb about never thinking of annealing a work-hardened surface.
Doc, I'm gonna ask you a silly question: Why didn't you sharpen that first bit when it wouldn't cut the mustard?

Normally I don't bring up my profession but working in Aerospace for twenty odd years, I've discovered that Cobalt drills are the best all around bits. HSS bits are junk, anything from China is junk. Solid carbide is too brittle. Carbide insert drills are fine.

Believe it or not we drill Inconel with Cobalt drill bits with great success, it's not fast but it works

Duey Because right now I don't have the means too. I am still not sure which sharpener to get or use. I now understand the difference.

Duey_C wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:55 pm

Doc, I'm gonna ask you a silly question: Why didn't you sharpen that first bit when it wouldn't cut the mustard?

Cobalt for sure. They may be from China but they are the best drill bits I have ever used. I’m talking about Harbor Freight 115 piece set. I paid $100 and that is cheap for cobalt I’m sure. I got rid of every drill bit I owned after buying these. They work great.

Nice thought about Cobalt bits.
I get ya Doc. I play the part of my father in law. He'd say Duey, I'm gonna ask you a question. OK. Tough questions always.
At home I use the bench grinder, at work I used the belt sander with a used belt.
You can do it. We all can if we look and you ain't no knucklehead.

Stepping up on my soapbox (OR...Upon this rock, I will build my church. I think of Roy, behind this gruff man was a little rock on the shelf that said that much ), the best tool for the shop, no matter how big or small, is a working bench grinder with one stone and a wire wheel.
Stumbling/tripping off that soapbox, still sounding a condescending jerk. Not meant, my friend. We're all in this together.

No worries Duey! This is a watershed moment when I stop being a drilling child and become a drilling man! Oh say can you see by the dawns early light!...

Duey_C wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:58 am

Nice thought about Cobalt bits.
I get ya Doc. I play the part of my father in law. He'd say Duey, I'm gonna ask you a question. OK. Tough questions always.
At home I use the bench grinder, at work I used the belt sander with a used belt.
You can do it. We all can if we look and you ain't no knucklehead.

Stepping up on my soapbox (OR...Upon this rock, I will build my church. I think of Roy, behind this gruff man was a little rock on the shelf that said that much ), the best tool for the shop, no matter how big or small, is a working bench grinder with one stone and a wire wheel.
Stumbling/tripping off that soapbox, still sounding a condescending jerk. Not meant, my friend. We're all in this together.