Anyone got a good line on carbide drill bits?

Ironwolf

Ironwolf

The Knife Poet
(that should read Anyone...I'm way too tired...)
Man,I just priced out a couple bits that I need (3/16" and 1/4")
at Ackland Grainger's (here in North Vancouver,Canada)and a couple other places,and the prices have gone WAY up in the last couple years!
$79 for the 1/4" bit!
Until I get workin' some more,ain't no way I can afford them,but I need 'em!
Anyone know a place where they might be more reasonably priced?
I'm workin' with finished blades,and the next batch is S30V,and 5160,
between Rc 58-61,and I haven't got any bits that will even scratch that.
Thanks,
Wolf.
 
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Do you have a mill? if not and you are using a drill press and chuck you can still do what I'm about to tell you. If you have a drill press, be sure you have whatever you are drilling in a vise that is secured to the table. The piece cannot move.

You can take broken carbide pieces or chipped carbide endmills and resharpen them to where they will cut. If the hole is not critical - i.e. you are just trying to get a hole in there - this works great. You need to use a green grinding wheel (silicon carbide).

The problem with a drill chuck is that although they seem to spin straight, most are out of whack. The good thing about this is that when you are cutting a little out of round it creates a bigger hole than the drill/endmill itself and allows a little clearance. If you are using a mill with a R8 collet it will spin much more true. in this case you can place a piece of paper between the side of the endmill and the collet and it will make it cut out of center to create the clearance.

We do this stuff all the time, because engineering will make a change to a die after we've already made the parts. We will have to go back in and add wire starts (small holes through the entire part block that allow a wire to pass through for an EDM contour). Many times we are putting holes in 60Rc+ parts.

When the guys on the floor break carbide endmills (happens alot because they chip easily) I tell them to bring them to me. Many times, I'd rather use a broken endmill that I have resharpened to make it cut the way I want anyway.

If you have any machine shops in your area, you might try stopping by and asking if the keep up with their broken carbide. If they don't have any, you might ask that they save some when they break it and contact you. They may charge you a couple bucks for the broken pieces, because carbide is worth its weight in scrap in some cases.

Hope this helps man. On the flip side, you might try putting your holes into your pieces before you harden them..lol.

Just pickin with ya.
 
Thanks guys,and JS Machine,great tip!
I'm using on old,cheap pos drill press.
Right now,as I buy finished blades from various makers and suppliers,if I want to widen or re-drill pin-holes for mosaic pins,it's a p.i.t.a.
I use RapidTap for cooling,and Norseman Supreme and cobalt bits which are o.k. for some steels.
Tracy,I'll be picking up some bits,and belts from you as soon as I have $$ !!!
 
Hey, Irondog.
You can get some good carbide bits in the 1/4" size from KBC for abot $16.00. They are out in Annisis Island I think it is. They will want your company name perhaps.They do have a Canadian website. I have bought a lot of drill bits including carbide and if you check iout what they have against the description they give. You will make out fine. I don't recommend the spade bits for any material with much thickness. Besides the spiral type have caught up to them in as good or better quality for the same money. They have been better than almost all I've bought else where. Frank
 
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