PeterSibley
03-28-2006, 05:01 AM
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this here but it is pretty easy to make your own drill bits.
I was shown how as a young bloke by a boatbuilder of much skill who was usually broke....drill bits can get expensive and boatbuilders weren't paid much.
He took a bicycle spoke ( if a larger size was needed a motorcycle spoke ) and flattened the end cold then filed it quickly into a reasonable facimile of a "spade" bit,with the tip facets sharpened at roughly 30 degrees.The hole diameter being set by the width the cutting edges .
The things work and work well! They are slower than a twist drill but don't break and are quite flexible.You can make them up to about 9" long and they are more or less free.
My drill box contains 6.
I was shown how as a young bloke by a boatbuilder of much skill who was usually broke....drill bits can get expensive and boatbuilders weren't paid much.
He took a bicycle spoke ( if a larger size was needed a motorcycle spoke ) and flattened the end cold then filed it quickly into a reasonable facimile of a "spade" bit,with the tip facets sharpened at roughly 30 degrees.The hole diameter being set by the width the cutting edges .
The things work and work well! They are slower than a twist drill but don't break and are quite flexible.You can make them up to about 9" long and they are more or less free.
My drill box contains 6.