Beginner - what drill bits to start?

[Stuart]

Kim
That’s what I use and have the drill sharpener set up to that angle ,it does the spilt point as well
Looks like I have been doing it wrong for 55 years 

[steam guy willy]

Hi re sharpening I always sharpen my drills with an offhand grinder and have done for 58 years !! and have always wondered if a machine can faithfully copy the actual movements that the hand can make ?? i think that by doing it with an experienced hand i am getting a 1000 faceted drill bit ?? I would welcome any comments about this........Thanks.........

[Bobsmodels]

Hi

I endorse the screw machine size.  I have a set of both and rarely use the jobber size.  Buy the best you can you will not regret it.  I have a microscope I use on the lathe and I have looked at some of the grinds under it.  The difference is remarkable as at the beginning I purchased the least expensive I could find.  Not only go for the best in drill bits, but also any tooling ie mill cutters, lathe tooling etc.  One real good one will give you great service.

Bob

BTW be careful as some brands have been bought out and are no longer US based, ie Precision Twist Drill (PTD), when selling these now they discount them about 50% to make you think you are getting a deal.  I have some of the ones from the new source and have had to regrind them.  Replacements will likely be Dormer from now on.

[Kim]

Kim
That’s what I use and have the drill sharpener set up to that angle ,it does the spilt point as well
Looks like I have been doing it wrong for 55 years 

Certainly not an argument I was trying to make.  Didn't intend it to be an argument at all actually. I was just wondering at the reasoning since I have heard others say differently in books, magazines, and on this forum.  And asking is the only way I know to learn.
Sounds like your experience is that 118 vs 135 doesn't make much of a difference?
Thanks,
Kim

[steam guy willy]

what is also a good buy is a drill gauge that on one side has number drill sizes and the other the decimal inches size. It is quite surprising how different the increments are from one drill and the next !!.........

[Stuart]

Kim
No worries

I do not know why . But as I said that’s what I have always used so I stick with it , you know old dogs like their comfort zone .

By the way I use a vertex sharpener the type that uses a collet to hold the bit ,expensive yes,does the job yes down to 3 mm  my choice

[Tin Falcon]

I have a couple of cheaper sets but I bought a set of these a couple years ago.

I have a total of three sets one good one two cheap ones plus hundreds of other good bits.

http://www.discount-tools.com/mic-drillset20.cfm

I always use a caliper to check size as it is ease to get the wrong bit in the wrong place in the index,

[Flyboy Jim]

Hi - I am a rank beginner, and have been very slowly building up a set of tools.  I think I'm finally at the point where I can start making things.
I don't have a set of drill bits though.  What should I start with?  I'd rather get a small set of good bits than a huge set of so-so bits.

I also will be making things on an Atlas 618, a Taig mill, and an 1/2" Atlas bench-top drill press.  Hopefully that gives you the sense of the size of models I will be building. I plan on starting with a Stuart S50 and then see where the hobby takes me from there.

For starters, I'm under the impression I should get HSS bits in screw machine length, but I'm less certain after that.  Get a "numbered" set? Fractional set? Metric?!?

Thanks!

I'm curious Matthew. Did you ever end up with a set of drill bits. Or more accurately..........your first set of drill bits. 

Jim

[matthew-s]

Wow. I just saw I never replied!  I have not. I determined I was getting a little ahead of myself, and had better get into a project and then build up tools as needed.

I happened to start my first project over the holidays. I now have a new question about threading does!!