Anyone know where to get a good set of hss brad points.
Find hard to find
Can only get frost sets or from places online
Looking at 2-13mm prefer or 2-10
Any recommendations??
Thanks
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Anyone know where to get a good set of hss brad points.
Find hard to find
Can only get frost sets or from places online
Looking at 2-13mm prefer or 2-10
Any recommendations??
Thanks
I bought a selection from this company. Excellent drills (IMO) and excellent service
Woodworking Bits -- Brad Point, Carbon Steel, Boring Bits | Smith & ARROW
Sutton Tools - generally available at Total Tools, I don't think Bunnings stock them.
Very good quality
Heh???? what am I missing here? a screen shot from the spec for Lappa's post
SPECIFICATIONS: Type: Brad Point Bit Length: Various Material: #45 Carbon Steel Ground: Half Ground Shank Type: Round Intended Use: All wood and timber
Main screen has an animated screen - about 6 screens it rolls through. Here’s some examples for the impatient :D
Attachment 464570 Attachment 464571 Attachment 464572
I think what Doug means is that Bunnings don't stock the Sutton brad point bits, he wasn't saying that they don't stock Sutton tools. If you weren't happy with the Frost HSS bits I'd be very surprised if you're going to be happy with the 'carbon steel' Smith and Arrow ones. Have a look around locally for some Sutton ones or order on line if not available locally. Only problem is that they only appear to be available individually (ouch!)
Only other options I can see are Carbitool - HSS Brad Point Drill Kit - Carbitool , order from overseas or grind your own. That Carbitool set looks like pretty good value actually. :wink:
I've bought a CMT set from Carbatec ten or more years ago. I must say I don't use them everyday so can't attest to their wearability but when I do use them they do what they should. Sorry, the said set only goes from 3mm to 10mm in 1mm increments:
Sets - Carbatec
Try https://dubbeldwoodtools.com/product-category/drilling/bradpoint/
FAMAG are reputed to be of similar quality to Colt. I have purchased a couple of brad points in the small sizes plus a few specific sizes in the Forstner Bits, happy so far.
Have a look at Timberbits - WoodRiver Brad Point Set Drill Bits 25 pc - Metric
They also have an imperial set.
Also available at SEQ Woodtrning Suppliers - Woodworking Supplies S/E QLD - 25pce Indexed Brad Point Drill Set
Both suppliers have a good mail order system.
Welcome to the forum.
Alan...
W.L. Fuller in the USA offer quite a variety of BP bits in sets or individually.
Not cheap but, IMO, good value. Unfortunately the current exchange rate of the A$ may not be optimal...
Cheers Yvan
The Japanese Star-M brand are worth considering.
Super Clean Cut Drill by STAR-M – Japanese Tools Australia
I just bought a metric set from Carbatec. They're okay, but they are nothing special either. If I had seen the Star-M ones before I bought the set from Carbatec, I would have bought them.
These are at least equivalent to Colt and possibly better as I have used both Fisch FSF-364740 Metric Brad Pt. Drill Bit Set: Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement
The Star M drills are like looking at a piece of jewellery but they are damned exy. If I did not have several sets of Colt bits I would buy the Fisch in a heartbeat because it is in .5mm increments and they simply work well.
Yes, in a lot of their boxed drill sets sold at Bunnings you can't get individual drills to match every drill in the set, and guess which ones you always break :rolleyes:
Luckily Total tools is only 500 metres further down the road in my case, and the staff are more knowledgeable and helpful as well.
And I get invited to their "trade nights" where they give me pizza and beer. :2tsup:
Frost 3-10mm Brad Point Drill Bit Set - 8 Piece | Total Tools
This is set i refer to. They are carbon steel
https://www.bolt.com.au/drill-set-pc-wood-p-101996.html
Another link for the frost ones
Seeing brads are used to drill wood and not steel, carbon steel is not really a disadvantage IMO. As long as they are sharp and you don’t overheat the tips (we a speaking above 300 degrees C) I cant see a problem.
I’ve had to drill some very precise holes in hardwoods and softwoods, which they did beautifully, and they are still cutting fine. One job was 48 holes with the same bit.
As always JMO.
If you have spare HSS twist drill sets then consider grinding them into brad points. Forum member elanjacobs posted how to do this using a normal bench grinder fitted with a skinny wheel from an angle grinder, right now I’m travelling home and using an Ipad so I can’t do a search and add a link to it but I will endeavour to do so tomorrow.
Not an angle grinder wheel, just a narrow (1/4") white wheel (although you could probably do it with a grinder wheel), previous thread is here Advice on sourcing decent drill bits...
I'm going to do a proper tutorial thread with more pics, I'll post the link when I have it.
As an aside, the Frost carbon steel bits are junk; we bought a set at my old work and some of them weren't even ground on centre. I don't just mean the centre point was off centre, the flutes weren't made to an even depth, so they weren't even salvageable :no:
Tutorial here: How to grind brad point bits by hand
I have some Colt Brad Point Drill Bits from a forum group buy a number of years back; first class!
PLUS I have a Metric & Imperial Made in USA sets from W.L. Fuller which are equally as good as Colt.
W.L. Fuller Inc.
Cheers, crowie