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craigtxtx(at)yahoo.com
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:37 pm Post subject: Drill bits

I just ran through about a half dozen drill bits drilling the cotter pin holes in one wheel axle of my RV8A.  That is some tough steel!  Does anyone have a suggestion on what kind of drill bits to use here?  There has got to be something tougher than the "titanium" bits I got at Lowes.

   

  Thanks,

   

  Craig Gallenbach

  RV8A ...... trying to get it on the gear

 [quote][b]

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rocketbob(at)gmail.com
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 4:29 pm Post subject: Drill bits

Craig, you're going thru bits because you are work hardening the steel.  Turn the bit slow and put pressure on the drill.  Under no circumstance do you want the drill to spin without a spiral chip coming out of the hole.  Using an air drill is a no-no to drill through any kind of steel unless you have a teasing trigger and good torque at low speed.  Also use some cutting oil like TapMagic, or a light aerosol oil like 3in1 if you don't have access to good cutting oil.  You should be able to drill hundreds of holes in steel with one drill bit. 



For drilling the cotter pin holes in the axles I recommend you use a long drill bit and a cordless drill.



FWIW the drill bits you can get at the home improvement places are generally inferior to HSS drill bits you can pick up at your local machine shop supply house.  Almost always the USA-made bits are superior in quality. 



Regards,

Bob Japundza

RV-6 flying F1 under const.



On 10/8/06, Craig <craigtxtx(at)yahoo.com (craigtxtx(at)yahoo.com)> wrote: [quote]I just ran through about a half dozen drill bits drilling the cotter pin holes in one wheel axle of my RV8A.  That is some tough steel!  Does anyone have a suggestion on what kind of drill bits to use here?  There has got to be something tougher than the "titanium" bits I got at Lowes. 

   

  Thanks,

   

  Craig Gallenbach

  RV8A ...... trying to get it on the gear

 [quote][b]  http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List http://forums.matronics.com http://wiki.matronics.com [b]

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chaztuna(at)adelphia.net
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:14 pm Post subject: Drill bits

Craig,

  Buy Cobalt drill bits. Make sure they are Made In America. You can find these at machinist supply stores like MSC or McMaster-Carr. Your local Snap On, Mac and Matco Tool salesman also stocks them. These bits will drill through a grade 8 bolt. 

 Charlie Kuss



 

 [quote]I just ran through about a half dozen drill bits drilling the cotter pin holes in one wheel axle of my RV8A.  That is some tough steel!  Does anyone have a suggestion on what kind of drill bits to use here?  There has got to be something tougher than the "titanium" bits I got at Lowes.

  

 Thanks,

  

 Craig Gallenbach

 RV8A ...... trying to get it on the gear



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dburton(at)nwlink.com
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject: Drill bits

I just ran through about a half dozen drill bits drilling the cotter pin holes in one wheel axle of my RV8A.  That is some tough steel!  Does anyone have a suggestion on what kind of drill bits to use here?  There has got to be something tougher than the "titanium" bits I got at Lowes.

  

 Thanks,

  

 Craig Gallenbach

 RV8A ...... trying to get it on the gear  

   

Well, Lowes is not the place to buy drill bits…    

High speed steel from a source like the ones Charley suggested will be OK.  Avery or Cleveland also sells good drill bits  

I’d also suggest learning how to sharpen a drill bit.  It only takes a few seconds.  I’m working out of the same drill bit set I purchased in the late 60s.  I admit that I purchase bags of #30 etc because they are cheap and I want them sharp and true.  The smaller the drill bit the more fussy they can be to sharpen.    

It’s important to use the correct cutting fluid to drill aluminum or steel.  Obviously we don’t use cutting fluid when drilling skins.  Thicker parts require cutting fluid to keep from damaging your bit.  The pressure and temperature the cutting edge of your bit experiences is great.  Cutting fluid and not just any oil you have handy will make a huge difference.  

Good luck,  

Dave  

   [quote]  [b]

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craigtxtx(at)yahoo.com
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:41 am Post subject: Drill bits

Listers,

   

  Thanks for the feedback on drilling hardened steel.  Lessons learned:

   

    Use cobalt bits.  (actually, I started with them but I thought another type might work better and resorted to the Lowes "titanium" bits ..... bad choice)  
Drill slowly.  I was using an air drill and going much too fast.  
Lubricate.  I was using some of my air tool oil, but this was not very good at such high drill speeds.  Thanks for your help.

   

  Craig

 [quote][b]

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Oldsfolks(at)aol.com
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:28 am Post subject: Drill Bits

Craig;

 At your NAPA store get "Rapid Tap" cutting fluid. It comes in a small can  like  3 in 1 oil.   Get one can for steel and another for  aluminum.

 The Cobalt drill, low speed and Rapid Tap should get the job done.

 For drilling and tapping inside aluminum tube you need the Rapid Tap  for aluminum.

  

 Bob Olds

 two time builder  RV-4

 Charleston,Arkansas

  [quote][b]

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chaztuna(at)adelphia.net
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:34 am Post subject: Drill bits

---- David Burton <dburton(at)nwlink.com> wrote: 

 	  Quote: 	
		    

 

 I just ran through about a half dozen drill bits drilling the cotter pin

 holes in one wheel axle of my RV8A.  That is some tough steel!  Does anyone

 have a suggestion on what kind of drill bits to use here?  There has got to

 be something tougher than the "titanium" bits I got at Lowes.

  

 Thanks,

  

 Craig Gallenbach

 RV8A ...... trying to get it on the gear

 

  

 

 Well, Lowes is not the place to buy drill bits.  

 

 High speed steel from a source like the ones Charley suggested will be OK.

 Avery or Cleveland also sells good drill bits

 

 I'd also suggest learning how to sharpen a drill bit.  It only takes a few

 seconds.  I'm working out of the same drill bit set I purchased in the late

 60s.  I admit that I purchase bags of #30 etc because they are cheap and I

 want them sharp and true.  The smaller the drill bit the more fussy they can

 be to sharpen.  

 

 It's important to use the correct cutting fluid to drill aluminum or steel.

 Obviously we don't use cutting fluid when drilling skins.  Thicker parts

 require cutting fluid to keep from damaging your bit.  The pressure and

 temperature the cutting edge of your bit experiences is great.  Cutting

 fluid and not just any oil you have handy will make a huge difference.

 

 Good luck,

 

 Dave


	


Craig,

 Both Bob J and Dave offer good advice. I also sharpen bits above 3/16" diameter. Small bits are hard to sharpen (hey, I'm over 50, my eyes aren't the greatest anymore) small bits. Small #30 and #40 Cobolt bits cost twice what quality HHS (high speed steel) bits do. However, I find that they last 5 times longer when drilling 2024-T3 aluminum. Be cheap, buy quality!

Charlie Kuss

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Bruce(at)glasair.org
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:49 am Post subject: Drill bits

The best investment I made was high quality drill bits and a Drill Doctor to

sharpen them.



Bruce

www.glasair.org

 



--

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chaztuna(at)adelphia.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:12 am Post subject: Drill bits

---- Craig <craigtxtx(at)yahoo.com> wrote: 

 	  Quote: 	
		   Listers,

    

   Thanks for the feedback on drilling hardened steel.  Lessons learned:

    

     

    Use cobalt bits.  (actually, I started with them but I thought another type might work better and resorted to the Lowes "titanium" bits ..... bad choice)  

    Drill slowly.  I was using an air drill and going much too fast.  

    Lubricate.  I was using some of my air tool oil, but this was not very good at such high drill speeds.

   Thanks for your help.

    

   Craig


	


Craig,

 TIN (titanium) drill bits are only coated with Titanium, so they are not that great. The purpose of cutting oil is to cool the drill bit, not the lubricate. Cutting oils generally have a high sulfur content. Air drills are a no no for drilling steel. 

Charlie Kuss

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