new to knife making. and looking for some drill bits.. question on sizes

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work765

Joined
Aug 25, 2013
Messages
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I just purchased this case http://www.amazon.com/Huot-Combination-Jobbers-Including-Increments/dp/B0002FSBKO/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1386790744&sr=1-2&keywords=huot+drill+index
and would like to buy some of the essential bits.. for making small to med sized fixed blades.. and some small friction folders.. I was wondering what size bits most people are using for the small ones.. and maybe some larger ones to make the Tang lighter. I dont need to fill up my drill bit box over night.. Im just looking for the most common sizes that you guys use. And material. and any sources for prices.

also i have no intention to drill after heat treat.

I have a small table top drill press (3 speed)..

thanks guys!
 
I wish you had asked before spending money on that case. You will find it almost useless.

I tell people to buy the most used bits in multiples from an industrial supplier. The smaller the bit, the more you buy.
1/4" - 3 bits
3/16" - 3
1/8" - 6
3//32" - 6
1/16" - 6
Then buy a set of numbered or lettered bits of good quality. These will allow you to drill the holes made by the above bits to exact size for pins/rivets and screws.

Sets of bits will already have their own case.

A board with holes drilled in it works fine for holding the five sizes of standard bits listed above.
Use a 6X6" piece of 2X6 and drill five rows of holes for the bits. Drill the holes 1" deep. Drill seven holes per row.
Place the bits in the rows by size. When a bit becomes dull, put it on the back end of the row, and take the rear new bit from that row. When you get up to the last one or two new bits in the front of the row it is time to sharpen the dull ones, or order more bits.
 
thank you sir... I have read some stuff about the cases that come with bits and how they are cheap. A buddy of mine has the one i got and it seems like a beast. So i just bought it. Hopefully I will find a way to get some use out of it...

I will buy the bits you mentioned and thanks again for taking the time to respond! :)

MSC is a good place to buy bits? I live close to Grainger too..

I've read good reviews about Cobalt by Norseman.. anyone disagree?
 
I wouldn't call that case useless.

In terms of Quality, I like Hout cases


I have a full set like that
I also have other Hout individual indexes for fractional inch, number, letter drills
there's a good chance someday I will have the metric drills too.

I like the smaller individual cases because they fit inside my toolbox drawers- but there is nothing wrong with having a full set.
At least you will know where the drills are.


I know folks with thousands of dollars of tools that get spoiled and lost and they end up buying them over and over.



Not only knife specific, but fabrication related too.
I find I don't use the even fractional sizes

If you want to build something with a 1/4" screw/bolt , you drill over size by 1/32" for clearance


For a knife - If you want a .250 1/4" pin to fit into a hole, you will drill a little larger like an "f" at .257

that's where you need the letter and number sizes to fill in those just a little higher/lower

For strictly knife work, I'd find those special cases you will need. just a little bigger or smaller for pins, pivots, stuff like that.



collect charts like this
http://www.smithbearing.com/pdf/ENG-FractionalChart.pdf


I like having a full set like that so I know whatever I need, I have it.

but it will cost you to get it filled.
There are often full boxes sold as sets cheaper than you can buy drills one at a time - probably the time spend picking the orders.


Signup for the Enco savings, they have twenty and twenty five percent e coupons with free shipping and such on a regular basis.
 
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Count... thanks bud!!.. i need to do a follow up on the grinder too.. I owe you big! thank you so much for all the help.. I was able to figure it out with my dad over on the thanksgiving break.. Hes a bit more handy than me... everything you wrote was straight forward and worked flawlessly.. KMG instructions were perfect too.. We felt pretty accomplished after hooking the whole thing up..
 
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