Drill Bit Size

If you really want “The Good Stuff”, order from an industrial supplier who serves the machining industry, rather than a hobby supplier that is not telling you who the drills are actually made by. MSC is a very large supplier used by most machining companies, but anyone can order from them online. You can buy quality HSS standard length (“Jobber Length”) drills down to #97.

http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Holemaking/Drilling-Drill-Bits/Metalworking-Multipurpose-Drill-Bits/Jobber-Length-Drill-Bits?navid=12106186

Also worth having a look at - when you don’t need the length of a standard “Jobber Length” drill, you can buy shorter “Screw Machine Length” drills. Screw machine drills have a 135 deg point instead of the standard 118 deg point, but they are also ground with a “Split Point” so you have an actual cutting edge right to the drill center. A standard 118 degree point drill has a dead spot in the center which doesn’t really cut, it just gets pushed through the material. A split point drill will require less pressure to cut through - a plus when drilling by hand with a pin vise. The shorter flute length also makes them less prone to breaking. Screw Machine length drills are available down to #76.

http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Holemaking/Drilling-Drill-Bits/Metalworking-Multipurpose-Drill-Bits/Screw-Machine-Length-Drill-Bits?navid=12106190

Scott

Scott:

Thank you for the link to MSC. The technology they offer is way above the usual hobby store offerings.

Dave