When Should You Use Stub Drills?

[Geoffrey Less]

It's important to have the right tool for the job and this is especially true when accuracy matters to you. Drill bits are notoriously difficult to keep perfectly centered when being used with a milling machine. One of the best ways to produce extremely accurate results is to use stub drills whenever possible to replace a full length jobber drill.

What makes drill bits so difficult to use is the fact that they are typically long while also being thin, giving them a certain amount of flexibility. All tools have some degree of flexibility, but it is far more pronounced when it comes to drill bits. When a drill bit spins at high speeds, the tool will naturally oscillate. While it might not be obvious to the naked eye, drill bits will typically vibrate enough that the point will not make contact at a perfect 90 degree angle.

This can lead to the drill bit deflecting off the surface of a workpiece, especially if you are machining into harder materials like steel or cast iron. If accuracy is crucial with your workpiece, then it is important to make sure that you are using the correct drill bit for the job.

The effectiveness of drill bits is directly related to the length of the bit being used. Standard jobber length drill bits are the most likely to have significant oscillations that can interfere with drilling accurate holes. If you do not need to drill very deep holes, then stub length drill bits are a great alternative.

Stub drills are designed to drill small holes ro to drill extremely accurate holes in thinner materials. Their short length makes them extremely stable, even when rotating at high speeds. Their smaller size means that you can often drill accurate holes without the need to spot drill beforehand.

Another way to increase the accuracy of your holes is to use tools made from carbide. Carbide is a composite material made from both metal and ceramic. The ceramic content gives carbide tools extraordinary edge retention and rigidity. This can help significantly decrease the oscillation of your drill bits, even when they are rotating at high speeds.

Because the cutting edges on carbide tools are strengthened by the material's ceramic content, these tools are also capable of tolerating extremely high temperatures. A carbide drill bit can easily outperform tools made from high speed steel alloys, making them a great choice for shops that run their tools at high speeds and feeds.

If you are in need of some high quality stub drills for your milling machine, then you need to visit www.onlinecarbide.com. As a manufacturer of solid carbide end mills and drill bits, all of their tools are designed to produce extremely accurate results and operate at high speeds. If you have any questions about the cutting tools that they produce, feel free to send an email to [e-mail] to reach out to a member of their team.