Drill bits

[Kenner97]

What is a good metal drill bit? Will just be using for angle iron, flat bar and pipe (Schedule 40), going to be adding onto my awning at camp.

[MenardCountyBow]

Can’t go wrong with a cobalt type drill bit. That should work for those metals

[Jason Fry]

I'm a fan of Norseman, could get them in bulk at the local hardware store in Abilene.

Main thing for me with metal is low RPM and high pressure. Push it hard, and don't spin it too fast.

[Leon County Slayer]

Here you go: https://www.amazon.com/01010-Multi-P..._bap_m_rp_4_sc

Get whatever size you need and they drill like butter. I use cutting oil with all of my drilling so if you want that. It’s called something like magic cutting oil or similar. Hope this helps. High pressure and low rpm like Jason said on most bits. Use normal pressure with these or you’ll destroy the bit eventually

[Goldeneagle]

If you don't drill very deep, get a set of screw machine bits. They are shorter and don't flex when you put pressure on them. If you need full length, get a good set of cobalt bits.

[hpdrifter]

Main thing for me with metal is low RPM and high pressure. Push it hard, and don't spin it too fast.

Make em eat. Hi speed just burns them up. after about 5 seconds of hi speed, might as well get another one.

[Goldeneagle]

If you can find it, Tap Magic cutting fluid is the cats meow.

[TexanAggie]

i got sick of all the box store drill bits and HF bits so i got these from Amazon, i use them in a table top drill press for steel projects and love them, use a little motor oil, wd40, have used chainsaw bar oil to lubricate them and have worked awesome

well crud i cannot add links yet so here is the title

Drill America - D/A29J-CO-PC 29 Piece M42 Cobalt Drill Bit Set in Round Case (1/16" - 1/2" X 64ths), D/ACO Series

[RifleBowPistol]

Make em eat. Hi speed just burns them up. after about 5 seconds of hi speed, might as well get another one.

That would be my suggestion also. I used to have a drill that you could adjust the rpm with the trigger. It had a dial on the trigger, that limited how far you could pull the trigger. That drill worked great for drilling steel. I could adjust the trigger to a rpm that worked for the metal I was drilling and then go to town drilling holes. I have not seen a drill like that in years.

Other suggestions I would have, is stay away from TiN coated bits. If you are using a drill press and drill straight into with no side to side wobble, they do pretty good. But I have found if you lean those bits or wobble as you are drilling it takes the TiN coating off quickly. Once that TiN is worn off of the cutting edge, they don't cut metals of any type for crap.

Cobalt is pretty good for the money. They are more expensive than HSS bits, but definitely cut much faster and last longer. Carbide, will cut through steel like butter, but they are typically much more expensive, than even cobalt and they are very brittle. So they are not going choices to use with a hand drill. It is very easy to break carbide bits with a hand drill.

There are some very good HSS or high speed steel bits out there, that do cut very well. Snap-On tools are very expensive, but I have to say their drill bits are some of the best HSS drill bits. I am sure there are other companies that make similar design bits that cost a lot less. Buying drill bits from a machine tool company, you will get the best bits for the money. The big machine tool companies, that are on line, will be quite a bit cheaper. Enco used to be the big machine tool company, but I think they got bought out. I looked up Enco and MSC came up. Some company along those lines would be the place to get the best deal on some good HSS bits. I would figure out what sizes you will be using and buy quiet at around four or five of each size bit, you plan on using. For what you are doing, if you buy a set, you will burn up the sizes you are using, then have a bunch of bits that don't do you much good.

[Kenner97]

Thank you all for the information. Yes i try to go slow rpm but using a hand drill sometimes is hard to control.
And buying just the sizes i'm needing instead of a kit makes a lot of sense as well.

[AtTheWall]

Here's a pretty darn cool drill bit management system.

Not sure if anyone here has used it?

https://www.driverback.com/

[Big Lee]

I've gotten to where the 5 sizes I actually use are the only ones I buy. Slow the bit down. Lubricate. And they'll last a long time. I also sharpen them regularly. Oh... never loan them out!!!

[Goldeneagle]

Enco was to the machining world like J.C. Whitney was to the automotive world.

[cva34]

If you can find it, Tap Magic cutting fluid is the cats meow.

Works for me to....MEOW

[Graysonhogs]

If you can find it, Tap Magic cutting fluid is the cats meow.

The original was bad***.