"David Drills"

[rlsbee]

Does anyone else remember, at the Hershey meet, a guy who sold drill bits called "David Drills"? Now, I'm going back a number of years when I bought a set (in the old blue field). The guy would stand there and drill all kinds of stuff with these bits. I still have a fairly complete set and I still use them. I watched this guy's demonstration for three or four years before I decided to buy a set. I can't find any info on the internet about these bits. Anyone know what happened to this company? Did another company buy them out? Are they made under another name? I have a good set of drill bits but I'd still like to buy another set of David Drill bits.

 

[Jim Bollman]

I remember him but no help on what happen to his company. Seems like I remember him more recent than when the Blue field went away.

[Joe in Canada]

He was there last year. If it was the same guy.

[Ivan Saxton]

I do not know the difference between grades of tungsten carbide, nor what grade code you use for what purpose. I had a friend who made carbide tooling and inserts. His market with the motor manufacturers, and his skilled workforce vanished when there were power restrictions here in Victoria, and Syd was unable to get a big diesel generator to continue independently. So he built his own new business as a butcher, smoking hams and making smallgoods to traditional East European methods. One day he decided that some beef would be nice, and he offered me his stock of tungsten carbide in exchange for a steer on the hoof. He chose his animal, and it went to the abbatoirs. If you had a diamond wheel to cut new tips from the material, I could give you carbide and advise you the silver brazing alloy to use; and you could re-sharpen your re-tipped drills with a diamond wheel...... What you effectively have are like masonry drills with a different grade of tungsten carbide. I have sharpened masonry drills to cut steel; but they do not last as well as those special drills. If you have a diamond sharpening wheel on a bench grinder you can recover usefulness of one of those drills if the tips are not too badly damaged.

Several decades ago there was an employee of New Zealand Airways a Christchurch who devised a method of re-profiling the cutting edges of a standard high speed steel drill by what he called zero-angle sharpening. This worked very well, and you could even drill such work-hardening material as titanium. I bought the booklet and chart from Mr Tyson, but I doubt he is still vertical. I would not scan and pass on his instructions unless I knew they were no longer otherwise available. They include instructions for making a sharpening jig, so you do not have to rely on your own manual dexterity. When Harry Johnson from Reno was doing "Restoration Tips" in HCCA Gazette. He bought the kit and found it worked well. You can drill a hole partly overlapping the edge of the metal, and you can drill a broken stud out of a hole without ruining the thread; ..... if you are good enough.

[Guest BillP]

Ivan, I think there's probably something you don't know, but it ain't worth knowing.

[Restorer32]

Many years ago an employee bought a $1 set of small drill bits at Carlisle and was proud of his "good buy" until he tried to use them and found them almost totally useless on anything harder than pine. We took a pair of Vise Grip pliers and literally tied one of the bits into a knot.

[JACK M]

Every time I go into the local Fastenal store I duel all over that VERY EXPENSIVE drill kit.

Couldn't ever justify the set, but have bought a couple of individual bits.

There is a HUGE difference it the quality of drill bits.

I know that someday I will be feeling fat enough to throw away all of my drills ands step up to one good set..

[Mark Gregory]

Just a point of interest . A friend of mine bought some used Aircraft bits from a vendor .

 

I guess they only drill so many holes at the Aircraft Plant then they junk them .

 

They drill like crazy and are very durable . He has had them for years .

[Walt G]

I think the fellow you want is Max Winter of Winters' Drill Bit City. in Winnebago, Mn. order phone number is 1-800-950-3938

He was in the Chocolate Fiend at the eastern edge in the lower section. I looked for him last year as I bought a 13 piece set  1/16" thru 1/4" x 64ths

3 years ago but he wasn't at Hershey 2015. I called him and he said he cut way down on the shows he now does. I just ordered two more of the above sets ($30 ea plus post)

and these are the best, American made and I highly recommend them to all. website :www.wintersdrillbitcity.com