Good drill bits for steel?

T

thor5624

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Nov 23, 2019
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What is a good drill bit for drilling into steel before heat treating? Thanks in advance.
 
thor5624 said:
What is a good drill bit for drilling into steel before heat treating? Thanks in advance.
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Get the ones labeled "cobalt"
Avoid the "black oxide" "Titanium Nitride" marketed ones.


"Solid Carbide" bits work on Hardened steel but are expensive and can snap easy
Masonry bits just have a solid carbide spade tip welded to the tip.
 
DeadboxHero said:
Get the ones labeled "cobalt"
Avoid the "black oxide" "Titanium Nitride" marketed ones.


"Solid Carbide" bits work on Hardened steel but are expensive and can snap easy
Masonry bits just have a solid carbide spade tip welded to the tip.
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Thank you for the answer. Guess I'm off to home depot or lowes.
 
Know your sizes before you go.

1/4" pin will not pass through a quarter inch hole

Get a dial caliper, get a drill decimal size chart, get a drill a few thousandths of an inch larger than the pin.

for example try a Letter F =.257

search this topic here, we've had good discussions on this before
 
5% cobalt is pretty much standard and readily available.
I have drilled plenty of holes in AEB-L ,14C28N, RWL 34 with normal HSS bits as well though. Works fine but don't last as long and you have to watch speed, feed and lube a little more.
 
I asked a similar question recently and ended up going with MAC tools cobalt bits. They are a little pricey, but I ordered mine individually so I only had to buy what I wanted.
 
These have come highly recommended on other threads. I've ordered 3 different sizes and they have seemed good at drilling AEB-L. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FX6VMEO/?

As Count says, look at size pins you wish to use, then order a drill bit a couple or 3 thou larger.
 
I bought these ones as they were about $50 cheaper than the Norseman. So far so good. I’ll report back if they are problematic.
 
Just some vids and after-pics demoing you don't necessarily need cobalt bits to drill (3.5 mm thick) AEB-L. These are standard low-medium priced bits Hss 6.4 mm (1/4") at 445 rpm (appr 30 SFM) and Hss TiN 10.2 mm (0.4") at 350 rpm (appr 37 SFM) respectively. There are a few drops of cutting oil on the steel. Go for cobalt if you can though, they'll last longer of course.
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I use the drill bits from drill hog USA, the ones that are made with their “pig steel.”

lifetime warranty. You break one, they replace it. I’ve done it, it works, and it’s seamless. They also eat through steel.
 
Learning how to sharpen bits by hand will save you time and money. I drill tough materials on a daily basis at work. 304 stainless,tool steels, titanium, etc. Sometimes hundreds of holes using a drill press and cutting oil because parts are too big for a milling machine where coolant is available.
With that said, I hate cobalt drills and avoid them unless that's we have atm. I've never seen a cobalt drill that isn't split point ground because of a thick web. Split point drills are much more difficult to sharpen correctly by hand.
I prefer good old hss for drilling anything that doesn't require carbide.
 
Outdoor Gear Dad said:
I use the drill bits from drill hog USA, the ones that are made with their “pig steel.”

lifetime warranty. You break one, they replace it. I’ve done it, it works, and it’s seamless. They also eat through steel.
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I just recently bought their 115 piece hi-moly set from their eBay store. They have a "make offer" option, so you can save a few bucks off the listed price. I've read that these bits might be made in the same factory as Norseman bits, but I'm not sure what (if anything) that's based on. I have my doubts that they're made in the US at all, since they're not marked as such (other than the company name having "USA" in it, which doesn't mean anything). I will say that they're all ground very sharp and evenly, and I haven't had any trouble making holes with any of them yet.

I read about a few guys having trouble with getting bits warrantied, but my guess is that they didn't register their bits, or maybe they sent them to the wrong address. The directions are pretty clear on the web page. I've even heard of guys just taking pictures of the broken bits and getting them warrantied, but who knows. I'm not really worried about it, as even without lifetime replacement, the bits are cheaper than most, and still of reasonably high quality as far as I've experienced.
 
Drew Riley said:
I just recently bought their 115 piece hi-moly set from their eBay store. They have a "make offer" option, so you can save a few bucks off the listed price. I've read that these bits might be made in the same factory as Norseman bits, but I'm not sure what (if anything) that's based on. I have my doubts that they're made in the US at all, since they're not marked as such (other than the company name having "USA" in it, which doesn't mean anything). I will say that they're all ground very sharp and evenly, and I haven't had any trouble making holes with any of them yet.

I read about a few guys having trouble with getting bits warrantied, but my guess is that they didn't register their bits, or maybe they sent them to the wrong address. The directions are pretty clear on the web page. I've even heard of guys just taking pictures of the broken bits and getting them warrantied, but who knows. I'm not really worried about it, as even without lifetime replacement, the bits are cheaper than most, and still of reasonably high quality as far as I've experienced.
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You know what I did? I just contacted them through ebay, and they literally just sent me a new bit. I have done this twice now. Never officially opened up a claim.
 
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