Thinking of buying a nice drill bit set.

finsruskw

finsruskw

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Working this weekend making some 2.5" bushings on the lathe for the wheels on my big 60 Haban heavy duty deck and realized I have no decent 1/2 and smaller drill buts that are not BENT.
Easy to discover using the lathe!

So got to thinking about a full set including letter and number bits like the screw machine set I got a deal on at an auction several years back.

Is Latrobe a good brand name and are they made anywhere besides you know where.
Not wanting to go the cheap route and will keep these bits for lathe and mill use only.
Suggestions appreciated.
Thanks Guys!
 
Do your homework or call them and ask them..http://vikingdrill.com/viking-Contact.php
 
I just wish I would put them back into the organiser after I used them instead of leaving them where I was using them.
AND its about time manufacturers put the size on the shank where the chuck doesnt obliterate it.
I have one British set in imperial sizes that came from some catalogue in the late 60's that has a recess where the size is placed, still going strong to this day.
Also how do you measure a drill bit correctly? none of my drill bits read what they are supposed to be. I know they do drill a tiny bit larger than stated so it this why they always measure undersize?
 
savarin said:
I just wish I would put them back into the organiser after I used them instead of leaving them where I was using them.
AND its about time manufacturers put the size on the shank where the chuck doesnt obliterate it.
I have one British set in imperial sizes that came from some catalogue in the late 60's that has a recess where the size is placed, still going strong to this day.
Also how do you measure a drill bit correctly? none of my drill bits read what they are supposed to be. I know they do drill a tiny bit larger than stated so it this why they always measure undersize?
Click to expand...

Not sure if it’s the right way but I just measure them above the flutes with my calipers.
 
Latrobe is a well known US made brand. I think it is actually "Chicago Latrobe", but not sure. They go way back with good tools. I personally prefer "Precision Twist Drill", PTD, but that's just preference. Some of the "newer" names given are good drills, some maybe not so good. I really don't know either way.

Even good drills will bend, it all depends on how badly they are abused. I keep several sets, some around the machines, some for utility work where I don't care if they are true. And a few new spares for the smaller(number) sizes.

One must remember that twist drills, two fluted drills, are only nominally accurate. They cut a triangular hole that for smaller sizes can't be easily seen. If a hole must be truely round, it should be reamed from a slightly undersized hole.

.
 
I absolutely love my Chicago Latrobe drills. I've never regretted the $300 I spent on a full set (fractional, number, and letter).
 
I very much like Drill Hog brand. I have ruined a few through the years, but it was always my fault. Someone in the forum once said they didn't think there was proper evidence they were truly made domestically. But the ads usually say Made in USA, and wherever they're from, they are literally the best drills I've ever had. So the only thing I care about is that I can get them when I want them. Being a fairly new company, I confess to buying extras on occasion, just to in some very small way, keep the company going. Probably silly...but there are very few things in life that have exceeded my performance expectations. Drill Hog is on that very, very short list. I am a customer and fanboy for life at this point.

Off topic: I have a friend and political nemesis who is a professional machinist. He has quite possibly the crappiest number/letter drill sets I have ever had the misfortune of using. But he's been using them for years, and he has literally never complained once about them. He does excellent work. So it's possible that we might over state the value of good drills. He literally couldn't care less about his drills, and they work just fine for him. Actually I can probably go out on a limb here and say he wouldn't agree with my opinion of his drills either. Ha! Evidently there's at least some truth to that old saying about Craftsmen and tools. But I will carry on with Drill Hog for as long as I can buy them. They certainly allow an amateur like myself a greater degree of confidence.
 
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