"VIX" Bits

[Jon Nuckles]

I’ve only used the true Vix bit and agree that clogging and sticking slows down the work when you have a bunch of holes to drill. I wish there were an alternative for drilling centered holes for hinges, but I haven’t found it. Probably just the nature of the beast.

[Peter Kuhlman]

The smallest one I have found uses a 5/64” bit but has too large of a “nose” to fit small screw holes. This is called a VIX #3. Still looking for one that will center on smaller openings. I was mounting some brass weather instruments and really needed a smaller nosed centering bit. I have the real VIX bits as well as some Lee Valley and Rockler. In hardwoods they work fine with minimal clogging issues. Soft pine definitely is more of an issue with sticking.

[Rick Potter]

I have two sets. Vix and Snappy (from Rockler?). The real Vix have a much heavier spring in them.

I think the big difference is the drill bits themselves. The Vix have brad point bits with larger channels in the twist part and seem to self clean better than the Snappy which seem to have normal HSS bits. I do not know if the new ones are the same, mine are all at least ten years old.

They both will get clogged when used on pine and the other sappy woods, but on hardwoods, the Vix are noticeably better in my experience.

I clean mine during use by just drilling a 5/32 hole in a scrap of hardwood, and plunge the bit into that every couple holes. Sometimes running it backwards while doing this helps too. With pine, not so much. I think I will try spraying the bit as mentioned above also.