Need 1/8 Drill bits that will stay arrow straight during drilling. Do I need Carbide?

[Nick Sorenson]

I have some operations that require the drill bit to stay dead straight. What 1/8" Drill bit material should I choose. It seems like machine tool houses have carbide drill bits but they are big $$$$.

Any other good solutions?

[John Coloccia]

I have some operations that require the drill bit to stay dead straight. What 1/8" Drill bit material should I choose. It seems like machine tool houses have carbide drill bits but they are big $$$$.

Any other good solutions?

Tele bridges?

[Peter Quinn]

What are you drilling, and how deep? At 1/8" thickness any drill bit material can wander if things don't go well. If this is metal you are drilling I find its best to start with a center drill that creates a sort of pilot to keep the regular drill bit centered on the hole. A punch can also give the bit or a center drill a locator to start the hole. That and steady gentle pressure, letting the bit do the work and clearing the chips as necessary are your best options. Carbide may stay sharp longer in very abrasive materials but I don't think it is particularly more rigid than HSS at 1/8" thickness. I figure any quality bit should drill the hole if its composition and geometry are suited to the material being drilled.

[Gary Herrmann]

If you're drilling in wood, try a high quality brad point bit like a Fuller.

I also wonder if you're using a hand held drill rather than a drill press from the way your statement is worded, but maybe I'm wrong. If you are using a hand drill, try using a square as a reference to keep the bit straight up and down. That shouldn't be a problem on a DP.

[Nick Sorenson]

It'll be in Ash and Alder for bass and guitar bridges. And I may try to use it on the CNC or using a template with drill bushings.

[glenn bradley]

I would think any quality brad point bit in a reliable drill press would meet this need. Fuller and Lee Valley "lipped" bits have both worked very well for me.

[Bruce Page]

How deep are you drilling?

[Forrest Bonner]

In metal, a good quality HHS should be used after a center drill prepares the surface for the drill bit flutes. In wood, a quality Brad point as suggested.

However, I recommend that whatever you use that you check the runout of your drill press first.

Forrest

[Tony Joyce]

And I may try to use it on the CNC.

If used on a CNC use a router bit and do peck drilling - Do not drill deeper than the length of the flutes on the bit. This is definitely the most accurate way!

[Thomas Canfield]

McMaster Carr has short length drill bits that have more rigidity. They have short flutes and limited drill depth but might work and can be checked as an example.

[Steve knight]

I found drilling through plane handles that I could use a 1/4" 6" long solid carbide endmill to do it and the hole was pretty accurate all the way through. but I did peck drilling since the flutes were only about 1" long. I did this in my mill/drill when I tried it with a 1/4" brand new bradpoint that was the same length it wandered like crazy.
I was drilling about 4.5" deep in oak.

[John Sanford]

Enlighten us kindly, what is "peck drilling", I've never heard the term before.

[Steve knight]

only drilling a little ways before retracting the bit then back in to clear the shavings.

[Tony Joyce]

Enlighten us kindly, what is "peck drilling", I've never heard the term before.
Think "woodpecker", just slower.

[Ronald Blue]

Any drill bit will flex in the 1/8" size even carbide. However if carbide it will snap and then you have junk if it flexes to far. It will be much less forgiving then hss bits.The center drill idea is probably the best bet but the brad point bit should work too. One thing to remember is you are working with wood and while its good to strive for accuracy you will always have some unavoidable variation in the end result.

[Chris Parks]

Small drills deflect due to a couple of issues, speed too slow and feed rate too high are the prime culprits. They flex because they are cutting slower than the feed rate, fairly simple really. using them to drill wood of course introduces another issue, the drill can be deflected due to the internal structure of the wood so you must feed very slowly and a very high speed and hope that it goes in straight. Either that or use a short drill or shorten it up in the chuck as much as possible to effectively make it stiffer.

[Larry Norton]

I have had great success with Lee Valley brad point bits. They're expensive, but worth every penny.

[george wilson]

Try drilling BY PECKING 1 hole first,at one end of the row of holes. Then,lay out the rest of the holes as accurately as possible. Then,drill the rest of both sides of the holes in from either side to meet in the middle. Even if they are a LITTLE off,you will have neat looking rows of holes you can thread strings up through. Do use the peck drilling method,and make sure you only use a NEW bit which is sharpened on DEAD CENTER.

You might want to lay out the holes before you saw the body out,when you have a square edge on the blank body to get a square onto to establish the rows of holes exactly opposite each other.

[Dan Cameron]

I've heard that bits ground with four facets are less likely to wander. Read the spiel on Tormek's drill sharpening jig.

[Howard Acheson]

Use a brad point bit.

[Randy Alkins]

Brad point seem to wander and follow grain of wood, I through drill fishing lure blanks up to 9" long on lathe. Mount wood in chuck and drill in tail end chuck. Move in about 1/2" at a time and draw back. Half through then reverse wood in chuck.

[Steve Ryan]

You prob need to start the hole with a drill bushing jig. And as has already been posted, any drill with a long point will follow the grain. Grind the bradpoint back as much ass possible, or eliminate it completly and start the hole with a stub drill first. I used some 16" long flute auger type bits once that would drill straight into the wood because they did not have any point at all, and only one flute. Tough to start where you want them too though.

[george wilson]

I do that,too,Randy,but he can't with a guitar body. What I suggested was sort of the same thing IF he lays out the holes on opposing sides accurately.

[Wes Grass]

A guy who's posted several Tele' builds on the projects forum showed a jig with a locating pin, so he can drill halfway and flip the body to get 'perfect' alignment. At least I think that's where I saw it.

Nothing but a piece of plywood or MDF with a 1/8" dowel pin, or drill shank, etc., stuck in it. Holes are drilled halfway. Jig put in place and the pin eyeballed to the drill, and away you go.

Same sort of thing is done to drill tang holes for rifle/shotgun stocks.

[Tom Cornish]

182788

Center drills like this get you started. If you need more depth, you may need to switch to another longer drill.

As also mentioned, make sure you don't have any runout in your drilling machine.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=60&PARTPG=INLMK3&PMITEM=369-1846

[Josiah Bartlett]

Tungsten Carbide is used in the printed circuit board industry. It is pretty stiff, but is mainly used for wear resistance since fiberglass is very abrasive. The best way is to chose a drill bit style that doesn't tend to follow the grain in the wood, and use the proper RPM, feed speed, and clear the chips. Then the stiffness of the shank doesn't matter so much.