The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Good Drill Bits for Steel

Request information on good drill bit for steel -- spent more time than I care to admit drilling four holes in 1/8" steel plate using HSS 118 degree drill bits -- lots of sharpening and even more frustration.

Request suggestions and sources -- thanks

You might try a cobalt bit. You still must go slow and I've found that if you use a drop of oil as you drill it helps. Heat is what kills the bit. You might be trying to drill to fast and also might be puting to much pressure. Just a thought. Cecil.........

twe56 Depends on what size hole and the material you are drilling. Most people make the mistake of running the drill RPM too fast. As a general rule the bigger the diameter the slower the speed. Also a HSS bit will drill almost any steel if the feed and speed is correct. A slow speed with lots of pressure works best on just about any type of steel except anything that has been heat treated. You can use cobalt or carbide bits but if you run them too fast the corners will come off and the bits will be useless. I use the heavy thread cutting oil that the plumbers use as a lubricant. Try lower RPM and more pressure. Weeds

Oil is the key with low RPM. You should see a nice curl of steel generating from the hole. The Drill Doctor is also a good investment to keep bits sharp.

Thanks guys, think my main problem was not applying enough pressure. Did get a set of Cobalt bits from NAPA.