I like the HHS or Cobalt bits for steel and the vanadium for stainless. I get all of my dill bits from McMaster Carr or MSC cheap box store bits don't last.

the best skill i have learned in is to hand sharpen bits, but if that isn't something you can do I highly recommend a Drill Doc. I have had one for years and it does a fine job sharpening and is not a all that expensive it takes all the guess work out of sharpening, it can do a better job than I can hand sharpening.

I have stopped using oil as well. I drill at the proper speed for the bit size (smaller=faster) with enough pressure to pull a chip. don't "peck" that tends to chip out the bit. to little pressure will put to much heat into the steel and work harden it. once work hardened you will need to anneal it. I have stopped doing a full anneal on most steels I general normalize and then do a sub critcal anneal by heating to around 1200 degF.

MP

Speed and feed, these are absolute key to drill bit life ,or death. Also as a note, if you do invest in a drill doctor (i did), they can do a wonderful job quickly, and I hone the angle to a good polish, but if the bit still won't cut well, try a different angle grind option that the machine adjust too, it sometimes can make a world of difference I have found, and once you find what works, make a notation somewhere for later reference.

Thank you fellas, I'll look into the drop doctor. I don't have a heat treating so I can only anneal by Mark One eyeball.

I prefer cobalt for my knife steels. Check out Drill Hog. Even if you get some steel stock that isn't annealed properly, they'll still cut through fine.

For the most part, the bits I use for knifemaking are cobalt or carbide. As I get into 1/4" and larger, it's generally HSS.

A number of years ago, my Mrs. gave me a Drill Doctor for a Christmas gift. At first I thought "This is another worthless gadget", but my mind quickly changed. In a single afternoon I literally saved $500 worth of drill bits from the trash. I'm currently on my third Drill Doctor (I've worn out two of them). It's one big drawback is that it doesn't do very well on bits smaller then 1/8"..... so anything smaller then 1/8" are "throw aways" in my shop. No matter what angle a new bit comes with, I always resharpen to 135/split point, and in many cases the bits cut better and last longer then they did with the factory point on them.

The method of drilling has a huge impact on both bit life and hole quality too. I've noticed that many of the students who come to me for classes, are of the mindset of "cramming" a drill bit through material as fast and hard as they can.....like a kid in high school woodshop class. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> I use a method, whether the material be wood or steel, that I refer to as "tap drilling". Bring the bit down gently, with light pressure, and when it cuts a bit, withdraw the bit and let the flutes clear, then repeat, repeat, repeat. You can "feel" when a bit is about to break through the other side.....that's when you really lighten up on the pressure! Trying to "cram" a bit through that finial bit of material is the reason holes get wallowed out, or out of round.

Over pressuring a drill bit through material is probably the biggest contributor to bad holes and damaged bits. Train yourself to take it easy, and drill a little at a time. Taking that extra minute of two when drilling a hole in anything will not only result in better, cleaner holes, but will also add longevity to your drill bits.

To get more life and better holes no matter what material your drills are made of, invest in a jar of Boelube. Developed by Boeing and used throughout the aviation industry I can tell you from experience it does make a difference. I prefer it over cutting fluid when drilling, less mess also.

Available from Aircraft Spruce or Brown tool supply

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/boelube4.php?clickkey=11321

Hmm looks like i need to invest in a better drillpress down the line as switching speeds with the one i have now is a pain. however am glade i found this page. as ed's advice i will help me out a lot =). i just wish he would take the time to sort out his youtube video's so they are on playlists. i would post the latter on one of his video's but i do not have my real name as my youtube handle.

Having a machining background, I've done a fair pile of drilling in my day.

For soft(ish) steel I prefer quality hss twist drills over cobalt. Cobalt tends to chip easier, and the thicker web tends to interfere with repeated sharpening, unless you're very comfortable splitting points.

Drillco nitro gold hss are my personal recommendation. Morse marxman and Norseman/viking are about equivalent. I've often gotten 250-500 holes in tool steel between sharpening. Good cutting lubricant is essential. Depending on the work I'll either use soluble oil coolant, or pipe threading oil. In general harder steel does better with pipe threading oil.

For hard steel, MA ford twister hiroc drills are expensive, but very nice to use. Just to show it can be done I've drilled a hole through files and taps with them. Rigid setup (drill press and clamped down vise at minimum) is essential or they will break. Expect to pay $20-30 for a single 1/8" drill.

For resharpening I'll generally do it freehand on a bench grinder. It takes a bit to learn, but it's well worth the time. You can split the points on a bench grinder as well. Carbide drills can also be sharpened with a green wheel.

Any more questions I'm happy to help!