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Max and LinuxRandal are right about that - getting quality bits to begin with. I usually do. My suggestion has a caveat emptor on it. I have a set of the TiN bits in the States and a set here in Japan for primarily for one reason - to make pens, although I do use them in other woodworking projects.
The pens that I make come from three different companies.
One company suggests "metric" bits
One company suggests 'fractional: bits
Lately another company even suggests "lettered" bits.
Quite often it is necessary to use a bit that is .001 or .002 or even .003 in larger or smaller than suggested - even on the same pen. When using different woods for the same pen - soft, med, hard or very hard and brittle, sometimes it helps to vary the bit size. By the way, in using the HF TiN bits, the feed rate is often something like 1 inch per minute in a manner similar to drilling for metal. (Of course in metal you would go slower and in many cases use an oil bath.) In and out, in and out, in and out particularly on brittle woods. ON Snakewood it is not uncommon to go 1/2 to 3/4 inch a day, let it get to room temp expand/contract, do the same the next day or at least serveral hours later. Snakewood is VERY brittle and very sensitive to heat.
For metal, I usually use a quality bit that costs according to its quality. I have many of those, but for even my woodwork, a sharp cheap TiN HF does a good job. I do want to note that I do not buy those cheap bits that snap before they gets through a 3/4 balsa board.
THIS has been getting WAY off the subject, but why I recommend the HF TiN for general woodworking and the Drill Doctor for sharpening as a good combination. I do use the HF bits in wood other than pens. I have several brad point sets (quality) but only use them where quality of wall cuts, in addition to entrance and exit precison are a necessity. The HF TiN bit sets and the DD allow me to have some alternative bits for general use, and I get to save my "quality" bits for Quality projects.
The Price of the HF TiN bits with the Drill Doctor and along with my quality bits - allow me a great flexibility in woodworking.
The pens that I make come from three different companies.
One company suggests "metric" bits
One company suggests 'fractional: bits
Lately another company even suggests "lettered" bits.
Quite often it is necessary to use a bit that is .001 or .002 or even .003 in larger or smaller than suggested - even on the same pen. When using different woods for the same pen - soft, med, hard or very hard and brittle, sometimes it helps to vary the bit size. By the way, in using the HF TiN bits, the feed rate is often something like 1 inch per minute in a manner similar to drilling for metal. (Of course in metal you would go slower and in many cases use an oil bath.) In and out, in and out, in and out particularly on brittle woods. ON Snakewood it is not uncommon to go 1/2 to 3/4 inch a day, let it get to room temp expand/contract, do the same the next day or at least serveral hours later. Snakewood is VERY brittle and very sensitive to heat.
For metal, I usually use a quality bit that costs according to its quality. I have many of those, but for even my woodwork, a sharp cheap TiN HF does a good job. I do want to note that I do not buy those cheap bits that snap before they gets through a 3/4 balsa board.
THIS has been getting WAY off the subject, but why I recommend the HF TiN for general woodworking and the Drill Doctor for sharpening as a good combination. I do use the HF bits in wood other than pens. I have several brad point sets (quality) but only use them where quality of wall cuts, in addition to entrance and exit precison are a necessity. The HF TiN bit sets and the DD allow me to have some alternative bits for general use, and I get to save my "quality" bits for Quality projects.
The Price of the HF TiN bits with the Drill Doctor and along with my quality bits - allow me a great flexibility in woodworking.
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