I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.

From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black oxide
bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for wood,
plastic and soft metal.

I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do need
to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should I have
two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there one type
of bit that is good for both?

Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill with
the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but thought
I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the same
problem?

"Charlie S." wrote in message
newsdbIf.4184$0s.1090@trndny04...
I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.

From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black
oxide
bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for wood,
plastic and soft metal.

I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do
need
to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should I
have
two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there one
type
of bit that is good for both?

Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill
with
the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but
thought
I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the same
problem?



Just my opinion. Others may disagree. I use a drill 5-6 days a week in my
installation business.

It sounds like you are buying a cheaper grade of bits (black oxide). For
general duty up to 1/4" a quality all purpose bit (twist type) will do the
job. Dull bits bind and break. Cheap bits bind and break. The "brad point"
style twist bit is about the fastest drilling. The "brad point" sets sold
by B&D and Dewalt are both decent quality bits at an affordable price.

For holes in wood larger than 1/4" the spade type bit is the cheaper choice.
It will work but will dull somewhat quickly. The best choice is the auger
style bit with a screw tip. With a corded drill and reasonable care it will
drill a lot of holes before it wears out or needs sharpening. It does put a
load on a cordless motor and battery.

If you need nothing large than 1/2" buy one of the kits above.

IMO, keyless chucks are garbage. I used a B&D model 7144 corded drill with
a standard chuck in a keyless fashion for 12 years on a daily basis. Each
drill lasted 2-3 years before it died. It never loosened. Whether I was
driving screws or drilling. No matter how many forward or reverses. I have
been using a keyless chuck for the last 7 years or so and I wish MS. Makita
had it stuck where the sun don't shine. I use the contractor model (about
$109). I have sometimes borrowed other "keyless" chuck models while on a
job. They all seem to have the same problem.

Colbyt

"Charlie S." wrote in message

From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black
oxide bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for
wood, plastic and soft metal.

What material is braking them? I can't remembe the last time I broke a bit.
Perhaps yo are buying a cheap brand made of junk material. Try a better
brand from an industrial supply house. NOT WalMart of Home Depot.


I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do
need to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should
I have two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood?

Most good twist drill can do both. For some applications I use brad point
bits for wood as they leave a flat bottomed hole.



Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip.

So then it is really not serve its purpose if the drill bit does not turn.
The operative word is cheap. Buy a better brand with a good chuck and the
problem will go away. I've had cheap drills boht with keyed and hand
chucks. They slipped. My Panasonic never slips and works with one hand.
It was $180 or so though.



Do better cordless drills have the same problem?

Can happen, but is rare.

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 02:26:43 GMT, "Charlie S."
wrote:

I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.

From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black oxide
bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for wood,
plastic and soft metal.

I"m just a homeowner with a few projects -- I don't use the drill that
often.

I have high-speed steel bits for metals, and because I'm lazy, I end
up using them for everything. On bits that are big enough, they have
HSS on the shank.

I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do need
to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should I have
two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there one type

I think a lot of people would say yes.

of bit that is good for both?

Anything that is good for metal will drill wood, but there are wood
bits that can do a better job if a better job is needed. Either they
go faster or they leave a nicer hole or something else, but for most
of my uses, none of that matters.

If you don't lose your tools, it's worth buying a few more tools such
as drill bits up front, I don't lose my tools. I still have some
from my Handy Andy tool set that I got when I was 8.

In fact I still have the carpenter's pencil and it's never been used.
how do you sharpen that thing, with a knife? Somewhere I was given
the impression that one shouldn't sharpen a pencil with a knife. And
it's hard to get a good point. Sandpaper?

Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill with
the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but thought
I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the same
problem?

Don't know. I got a couple B&D keyless chucks for free, and I put
them on drills I already had, and I like them. These are full-size
chucks and may be better than the one you have. I like them becasue I
don't have to keep looking for the key, even though it was taped to
the cord, and because the chucks I had didn't go down to the smallest
bit in the box (1/64th?) but the keyless chuck does.

My big bits from 3/8 to 1/2, cut down to work in 1/4 inch drills (even
though my drills were 3/8", they don't afaik make 1/2 drills cut down
to 3/8") had flutes on the shaft so they wouldn't spin. But because
I didn't tighen the keyed chuck tight enough, I ground off most of the
fluting. (Once it started to spin, it didn't take long to grind it
off.) I don't know if I would have done better with the keyless
chuck, but I think so.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

Charlie S. wrote:
I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.

I have 24V B&D firestorm hammerdrill.


From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black oxide
bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for wood,
plastic and soft metal.


This is because yoru bit is dull and you have not noticed and are
forcing it. YOu can get bits sharpened, but I have never done that.
probably should. general bits work on wood and metal.



I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do need
to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should I have
two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there one type
of bit that is good for both?


There is high speed steel and carbon steel. you probably want the
carbon tipped steel bits. standard bits work well for both wood and metal.

Bradpoint bits are for wood. They have a sharp small drill point that
will contact the wood before the rest of the bit. Thus it keeps the bit
from sliding while its making its initial hole which can sometimes
happen when it first starts to turn.

Forstner bits are also for wood. They also are "slide proof" but their
main feature is they create flat bottom holes for things like pegs.

I think you want to focus on bit material/quality more than type. And
dont press too hard.

If your going into cement or ceramic, those are different bits as well..
YOu can use a hammer drill on cement which is MUCH faster.

Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill with
the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but thought
I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the same
problem?




--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16

keyless chucks on cheaper drills don't work all that well.
holding the chuck ring and letting the torque of the drill do the clamping
is often not enough.
you may need to grab the separate parts of the chuck with both hands and
give it a little more
of a twist to clamp better on the bits.

"Charlie S." wrote in message
newsdbIf.4184$0s.1090@trndny04...
I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.

From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black
oxide bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for
wood, plastic and soft metal.

I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do
need to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should
I have two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there
one type of bit that is good for both?

Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill
with the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but
thought I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the
same problem?

Breaking a bit is usually caused by bending - you've got to be
absolutely sure that you're pushing the drill perpendicularly to what
you're drilling. It's easy to let yourself start to bend the bit and in
the small sizes that will surely snap the bit. As far as I know, HSS
and carbon steel are equally snappable.

Charlie S. wrote:
I have an electric corded drill and a 12-V cordless Black and Decker -
Firestorm. I use both drills for occasional household repairs. I mostly
use the cordless.

From time to time I break bits because the materials I am going through
might be too difficult to get through. I generally replace with Black oxide
bits. The 1/8" drill bit package I have indicates it's good for wood,
plastic and soft metal.

I'd like to know what types of bits I should be buying. Sometimes I do need
to go through a piece of metal. Most times I work with wood. Should I have
two sets of bits... one for metal the other for wood? Or, is there one type
of bit that is good for both?

Another question. This one about my cordless drill. It's a cheap model,
but serves my purposes. I find that even though I hand tighten the bit
receptor, occasionally the bit stops spinning as the receptor losses its
grip. It most often happens when I am going through denser materials. Is
this a drill flaw? I don't remember it happening to my electric drill with
the key tightening system. I doubt I can do anything about it, but thought
I pose the question anyway. Do better cordless drills have the same
problem?

In article ,
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:


Most good twist drill can do both. For some applications I use brad point
bits for wood as they leave a flat bottomed hole.

What's a "twist drill" (bit)? How do I recognize one?

Ditto for "brad point bit".

Thanks!

David

"David Combs" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:


Most good twist drill can do both. For some applications I use brad point
bits for wood as they leave a flat bottomed hole.

What's a "twist drill" (bit)? How do I recognize one?

Ditto for "brad point bit".


The twist drill bit is the normal bit that you find with a twisted spiral on
the sides. The point is usually cut at 118 degrees and cuts most materials
well.

Brad points are actually a modified twist drill They work very well for
wood making a clean hole because of the way the tip is cut.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...at=1,180,42240

I use High Speed Steel bits for everything except masonry. Then I use
a carbide tipped masonry bit on a hammer drill.

When drilling through metals the heat and pressures create a built up
edge (from the material drilled) on the cutting surface of the bit.
This increases the heat and pressure etc until the bit binds or
breaks.

A lubricant will keep the temperatures down and greatly improve your
time between failures when drilling metal.