What have I let myself in for...

[Bob Cleek]

The original bits were pretty good quality. Havig choices is good. Jobber bits from industrial suppliers such as McMaster Carr are as good or better and with more choices. Wire gage sizes are run from about $1.7 to $5 depending on the size drill and available in black oxide high speed, stainless, and uncoated highspeed steel.
Allan

McMaster Carr is a good source for sure. I forgot to mention that while I have little experience with them, I've heard nothing but complaints about using the 1/8" shank, plastic collared small bits that have become very common and are used, I think, for CNC applications on circuit boards.

 

[Roger Pellett]

I bought a set of Gyros Bits from Amazon. At least they came with the nice dome drill bit stand.

Much to my surprise, I have found that small wire sized drill bits work quite well drilling hard brass in my full sized drill press. I Chuck them in a pin vise and run the drill press at a low speed. I thought that they would break by buckling but they seem to cut fast enough that such is not the case. I use them “dry” without cutting oil.

Re; Small carbide plastic collared drill bits. They are so fragile to be useless. I believe that the problem is that they will not withstand ANY side force. If not centered exactly in a center punched hole, the vee shaped sidewall of the center punch mark will place a side force on the bit, breaking it. The automated setup for which these drills are intended for would not use center punched holes. For us, good HSS drill bits are better.
Roger

 

[AllanKP69]

I've heard nothing but complaints about using the 1/8" shank, plastic collared small bits

I totally agree with you and Roger's post. In my experience they snap if you look at them too hard.

 

[Bob Cleek]

The original bits were pretty good quality. Havig choices is good. Jobber bits from industrial suppliers such as McMaster Carr are as good or better and with more choices. Wire gage sizes are run from about $1.7 to $5 depending on the size drill and available in black oxide high speed, stainless, and uncoated highspeed steel.
Allan

I forgot to mention, while I have no first-hand experience with them, all I've ever heard is that the fairly commonly seen short1/8" shank bits with the plastic collars aren't any good for use in a twist drill or even in a drill press with any runout because they are very fragile and break very easily with the slightest sideways pressure on them. They're often sold at what appear to be bargain prices compared to the standard jobber bits in wire gauge sizes.

 

[Philski]

I bought a set of Gyros Bits from Amazon. At least they came with the nice dome drill bit stand.

Much to my surprise, I have found that small wire sized drill bits work quite well drilling hard brass in my full sized drill press. I Chuck them in a pin vise and run the drill press at a low speed. I thought that they would break by buckling but they seem to cut fast enough that such is not the case. I use them “dry” without cutting oil.

Re; Small carbide plastic collared drill bits. They are so fragile to be useless. I believe that the problem is that they will not withstand ANY side force. If not centered exactly in a center punched hole, the vee shaped sidewall of the center punch mark will place a side force on the bit, breaking it. The automated setup for which these drills are intended for would not use center punched holes. For us, good HSS drill bits are better.
Roger

Carbide drill bits are notorious for not being able to take any side loading. They drill perpendicularly just gine. Its worse the smaller the diameter.