One Step(bit) Beyond… replace or sharpen your bits

[Feral Feline]

Hmmm


Play this song in your head as you imagine this ol’ cat messin’ about with the drillpress…

Operation Valve Stem, almost complete…

Marked and punched:



Pilot holes drilled:




One more level on the step bit and the first hole (power-jack) is done…
slowly carefully…









So, I was lazy and didn’t use a regular bit, opting instead for the tired & worn step bit.

The enclosure bit back and bulldogged the step-bit, had a fun merry-go-round ride before letting go of the bit and flinging itself against the wall.

Luckily my hand wasn’t damaged and I had a full face-shield protecting my eyes. And so ends my cautionary tale.

Oh well…

 

[Robert]

"I mean, what could possibly go wrong?"

That's scary.

I bought my big oversized floor drill press specifically because of its slower speeds. It moves slow enough that if a bit snatches an enclosure I can usually grab it by hand so the belt slips until I hit the power switch..... I didn't know I could do this until the first time it happened.

For the enclosure ends I put my stepped bit in a standard power drill with the enclosure sitting flat on the bench. This way I can hold it down with my other hand and there isn't much chance of it getting away from me.

 

[Feral Feline]

I used to clamp things down and drill by hand.

My drill press is still new to me, and the first time I started it up my first thought was "Geeze that's fast!", as I was used to a couple of different drill-presses at two different friends' shops...

It's a 16-speed drill press. bought it used (barely); Going to hunt for the manual online and slow that @#$%^&* down (there's no manual variable speed switch to slow it down that I could see, so it's belts and pulleys adjustment time).

 

[Robert]

Yep, that's how mine is as well, pulleys and belts.

Not a huge problem though because I just set it as slow as it would go and never changed it again.

 

[TheHammer1982]

WD40 works great as a cutting fluid when drilling aluminum and will help prevent your bits (regular or step) from galling. It also helps to keep them sharper for longer and to not grab the workpiece so aggressively.

 

[Feral Feline]

I use cutting oil.

 

[cooder]

Wow... glad you didn't hurt yourself!

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

 

[ICTRock]

 

[fig]

Just be sure to clamp that 3LB projectile to the table.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I like to use non marring jaws with mine but I wish I got a bigger vise too

 

[Feral Feline]

I have, but didn't use, the clamp; and actually, I normally use cutting oil, but (yoiks) didn't this time.

 

[GizzWizzKing]

Thanks for the words of caution. I noticed at my last build that my largest bit is looking ragged. Rather than risk life and limb I think I will opt to replace it ahead of failure.

 

[Nostradoomus]

I use soapy water instead of oil but also work at a hardware store with a good discount so if I need another bit it’s no biggie.

 

[PapaBear]

Yeah, I buy the step bits two at a time when one starts acting up, I swap out for the other and add new pair to my order list

 

[giovanni]

Damn that was brutal! Is that not a titanium bit?

 

[Robert]

I'd rather lose a finger than get my hands all oily.

 

[fig]

I'd rather lose a finger than get my hands all oily.

Good News! You’ve got ~ eight months or so left on vacuum sealer oil.

 

[Robert]

Good News! You’ve got ~ eight months or so left on vacuum sealer oil.

It's a biannual change....... I have just over a month left.

On the bright side, it could explode between now and then and get me off the hook.

 

[Feral Feline]

I'd rather lose a finger than get my hands all oily.

Careful what you ... I mean, if you go blind, you can still play an instrument, but you'd not be able to trace things anymore I guess ... but still...

I recently attended a geetar-friend's b-day party, hadn't seen him in nearly a decade, and since then he lost his thumb tip from the knuckle onwards and the entirety of his index finger of his picking hand... the thumb-nub and middle finger makes for a slippery situation with a lot of dropped picks. We got him to play at his party, first time since his accident 5 or so years ago...