photo: bolt on drill press
Technique4 min read
Drilling grade 8 without cooking your bit
Slow it down, keep pressure constant, and use fluid. Here is the RPM range we run for each size.
The shop notebook.
Speeds, feeds, and how not to cook a bit. Written for people with metal chips in their boots.
photo: stainless chips
Materials5 min read
Why stainless punishes cheap drill bits
Work hardening explained without the metallurgy lecture — and how cobalt content changes the outcome.
macro: bit tip
Setup3 min read
Split point vs. standard: what changes at the tip
What 135° actually does when the bit touches a curved or hardened surface.
photo: shop wall chart
Shop notes3 min read
Speeds and feeds cheat sheet for the 29-piece index
Print this and tape it inside the drill press cabinet. Every size, every common material.
photo: worn bit closeup
Maintenance4 min read
When to resharpen and when to warranty it
A dull bit and a failed bit look different. Here is how to tell them apart in ten seconds.
photo: field repair
Field6 min read
Drilling out a broken bolt in the field
No drill press, bad angle, no coolant. The order of operations that saves the part.