.Drill Bits for a beginer

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Tjstampa

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I am looking for a good drill bit set for a beginner. I am making knives from steel bought from Alpha Kinfe Supply. 5160 at the moment. I am looking for a good bit set for annealed steel. I am drilling before heat treating. I currently have a small bosh set but wondering if those are good enough for higher volume work. Also anywhere I can buy just one size for when I need replacements. I am a beginner and this is a hobby.
 
I have just bought mine through amazon. HSS drill bits seem to be hard enough for me. They will cut through 5160 at least…
 
I would stick with your Bosch set, then buy the sizes I really used all the time in cobalt and (preferably) stub or screw machine length. Another option that caught on with me was to buy cheap stub HSS drill bits by the dozen in small sizes from Harbor Freight and toss them after 1-3 holes.
If you put this number, B00FX9PWXI, in the search engine at Amazon it will show you stubby cobalt bits by the dozen for not too bad a price. Cobalt lasts longer than HSS.
 
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I should have been clearer. The set I listed is a great set for a shop where you need precise holes.

If you are just drilling rivet holes in tangs and handles, but short HSS bits in 10-packs online. Buy a pack of 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16. Those will last years. Make a piece of wood into a rack for these five bits sizes and keep one of each in it. Put the rest of the 10-packs in a zip-lock bag and store it near the drill press. When a bit gets damaged or worn, throw it away and take another out of the stored packs.

If you need occasional other sizes, get a set like the 21-piece set I listed.
 
It's generally more economical to buy just the sizes you need. I only use 4 different sizes. I get US made Cobalt bits from Suncoast tools. You need to order a dozen of a size at a time though. Individual bits will also give you more flexibility. I use #11, #30 and stub length #29 bits the most.
 
Second vote for Drill Hog USA Cobalt....inexpensive and good quality for sub-carbide level drills.
 
i told my former boss about drill hog bits and the "Lifetime warranty"
he bought some for the 6 trucks he had doing service work ... when the became dull he sent them in for "Warranty"
they replaced some but sent a unpleasant letter with them saying something like we will only replace them 1 time..
so much for lifetime warranty..... i was not impressed with them at all
 
I don’t worry too much about the lifetime warranty. The drill bits are decent for the price and if I wear one out I’ll just chuck it in the trash and grab another one.
Jeff
 
Crag the Brewer said:
I would Only buy the bits you need, size wise.
Me personally, I only use a few sizes.
Click to expand...
I simplified my knife life many years ago. I buy only #30s and Fs. Thats it for knife making. I have a drill bit set for around the house and ranch of course but for knife making, just the two. I too prefer the shorter ones in the #30. I buy from an industrial supply house on line. I get the hss ones too.
 
Check out Mari Tool. Their black oxide HSS bits are great for tangs and dirt cheap. If you plan on working with g10, or carbon fiber I would suggest carbide for those materials.
 
UPDATE I ordered the drill hog set on an amazon special. It was on ly 149. and the wife is putting it under the tree. I am making a forge and it is calling for a lot of different gage bits. I could buy one a lot cheaper but my son and daughter are helping me with it. Late teens and early 20s wanting to play with fire :) 🔥
 
Even with the drill hog set, get a dozen stub length of each common size tang drills. Usually 1/8, 3/16, 1/4. Use them for the constant drilling of tang holes and such. Toss them when they get dull. Keep the good drill hog bits with the set and sharp.
 
I have a Plano box with 6 compartments. Whenever I had a little extra dough I'd get on eBay and buy from Drill Hog. I don't care about the "warranty" they offer. I don't know how to sharpen drill bits either. But over time I filled that box with what I use most; 1/8", 5/32", 3/16", 1/4", and a few 3/8". I would like to learn how to sharpen but I figure they're not terribly expensive and have enough to last a long time. I use cutting oil with them all the time.
 
A Drill Doctor drill bit sharpener is a nice thing to have. Sometimes these $100-150 sharpeners are sold used for almost nothing ... like $5 ... and all that is wrong is it needs a new sharpening wheel, or nothing is wrong at all. The replacement diamond wheels are $20. I have bought several unused and in the box for $15 just because the person never bothered to learn how to use it.

An hour of practice with a box of old bits and you are a pro. Toss dull or broken bits in a "DULL" can/box and when it is rainy or too cold to make knives, sharpen bits for an afternoon. You can put an old bath towel on the kitchen table and do it inside, as it isn't messy. Once you get it down, you can sharpen 50 bits and hour easily.



Of course, if money isn't a factor, you can get one of these for $7000-$8000
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I have the drill doctor 750X I got on eBay for about $100 and it’s great! Honestly, I haven’t used it as much as I should have, but I like having it and would recommend it.
 
I would never spend money on equipment for drill sharpening, BUT that’s because I was fortunate to have a machinist teach me how to hand sharpen drills on a bench grinder years ago. It’s really simple, if you pay attention to the geometry (you need cutting edge and relief). My bench grinder has been put away for years now because I have no space for it but I was able to adapt the technique for my belt grinder. I’m sure you can find a video online that explains it if you look. I’m still using drills I bought fifteen years ago that I’ve sharpened several times.
 
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