If You Need Spot Drills, Carbide Tools Are Your Best Choice

If you are working on a milling project that requires some deep drilling, you know how difficult it can be to keep long twist drill bits on track. Because these bits are so long, they naturally oscillate as they spin. This can lead to your drill bits “walking” off their mark and ruining your workpiece, especially when drilling harder materials and working at high speeds. Spot drilling creates a dimple that helps guide your drill bit. If you want a rigid Spot Drill, Carbide is going to be your best option.

When choosing a spot drill, the most important factor is rigidity. The whole idea behind these tools is that they accurately mark the location of your drill holes. The spot drill itself is not designed to drill any deeper than the point of the bit. These drills are short and pointed so they can quickly mark all of your hole locations. Once you have finished spotting, you should be able to drill with confidence without having to worry about your drill bit missing its mark.

If you want the highest quality spot drills, carbide tools are incredibly strong and rigid. This is because carbide is a very dense and rigid tool stock, offering more stability than metal tool options like high-speed steel. While most see carbide and believe it is fully metallic, carbide stock is actually created by cementing powdered carbide, a ceramic, together using a metal binder. This creates a material that is more dense and rigid than steel, making it ideal for machining purposes.

If you’re looking to buy new spot drills, you can find solid carbide tools at Online Carbide. This American manufacturer specializes in making solid carbide end mills and drill bits using the same quality carbide stock and powerful CNC grinders as other leaders in the industry. Unlike other end mill and drill bit manufacturers, Online Carbide helps their customers save with their direct from manufacturer prices.

Online Carbide offers two spot drill designs. The differentiating factor between these two drills is the angle of their points. You can buy your new Online Carbide spot drills with a 90-degree or 120-degree tip. Ideally, the tip angle of your spot drill should be larger than the tip angle of your twist bit. This ensures that the tip of the bit is the first surface that contacts the workpiece. If the bit contacts the sides first, it could potentially damage your workpiece.

Once you have chosen the appropriate tip angle, you need to consider coating options. Online Carbide offers spot drills with a bright finish and spot drills with a TiAlN coating. The bright finish is just a polished carbide. These tools are sturdy and will perform well, but they will suffer some heat fatigue over time. TiAlN, or titanium aluminum nitride, is a common tool coating for tools that need to stand up to the high heat caused by fast working speeds. When heated, TiAlN creates a coating of aluminum oxide that deflects heat away from the cutting surface. This helps keep your tools cooler and lengthens their working lifespan.

So if your shop needs some new spot drills, carbide drills from Online Carbide are a perfect choice. You can find solid carbide spot drills, twist drill bits, end mills, and more on their website. If you have any questions about spot drills or any of their other products, feel free to reach out to a member of the Online Carbide team by phone at 630-238-1424 or email at [email protected].

For more information about Chamfer Mills and Stub Drills