Nov 29, 2005 — A corner radius end mill has a small radius on each corner, the radius is typically .020", .030", .045", etc.

“High Speed Steel (HSS) drills stay sharp up to 10 times longer than carbon steel models; carbide outlasts HSS by another 10:1. These are the drills of choice for production work where you need a bit that can take continuous use.”

Hello Mark, this is my first comment on your awsome website. If you’re really doing a lot of end grain drilling on hardwood I would recommand you these bits (http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wo.....&ap=1) made by Colt,a german compagny. Lee valley doesn’t have all the diameters that are available but I do own three of these and they are excellent. Colt does also make forstner bits that are amazing. Have a nice day. Joel

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The drill bits gets too warm because you when run your drill at too many rpm. Even if wood is softer than metal then the friction will warm the drill bit, slow down the machine and the drills will last for a very long time.. To further reduce heat build its important to clear chips often, as wood is soft and tends to pack around the drill where as long threaded metal chips will coil out. Or depending on the way the drill has been cut, it will chip the metal.

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I program CNC machinery in a production environment. Specifically the Homag BMB 923 fully automated machining center. If there is anything I know it’s dowelling bits. We have tried many different bits from various manufacturers. We tried carbide tipped bits with the expectation that they would last longer and be more accurate. They do indeed last longer however they are not accurate enough for our requirements. The brad point itself tends to be shorter and the cutting spurs tend to be more blunt. This results in poor tracking when the bit initially makes contact with the wood surface. It is most evident when drilling end grain. I don’t know why manufacturers can’t replicate the design of the leading HSS bits in carbide. Maybe since carbide is more brittle? We strictly use Napoleon HSS bits and although they don’t last as long as their carbide relatives they are the best on the market for precision, and that trumps longevity!! I was online searching for the latest greatest bits out there but it seems like there have been no improvements lately. Reason being we still have tracking issues with these Napoleon bits when drilling end grain on Accoya material. Accoya is a treated pine material and the winter grain is extremely hard and the bits tend to deflect into the summer grain. If there is anyone having success drilling into Accoya end grain (or another species with defined hard winter growth rings) with precision (+/-0.005″ or 0.1mm) I would love to hear what you are using. Thanks!!

Of course, most of us aren’t doing production work. But if a bit can survive for a reasonable amount of time in a production environment, imagine how long it will last in a one-person wood shop! The bits aren’t cheap, ranging from $15-$25 each, but if you think about how much you’ve spend on crappy bit sets over the years, you can see how you are likely to save money in the long run.

I know this is years late, like over a decade, but what do I have to lose. So apparently these bits are no longer produced. Was there an issue with them? Just not enough of a market for high quality brad points? It seems nobody makes carbide tipped brad points now as I’ve searched the internet high and low many times only to come up empty. I’m curious now that these are no longer available what brad points are you using and recommend?

Enter the carbide-tipped brad point bit! I recently purchased this particular set from Lee Valley and I couldn’t be happier with the results! I think I’m in love! In regards to their durability, here’s an excerpt from Lee Valley’s sales page that explains the value of carbide-tipped bits and their relationship to High Speed Steel:

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Eventually I got to the point that I was ready to buy a really good set of bits that wouldn’t need to be replaced any time soon. After buying several sets of bits, I already spent quite a bit more than I would have if I purchased the higher quality bits to begin with. Grrr! This this leads me to the reason for posting this video in the first place. Like me, many of you are ready to final plunk down the cash to get a set of bits that will last a good long time and stand up to years of abuse.

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A while back I bought a 28 bit set from LeeValley http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wo.....,180,42240 They perform very nicely. Haven’t used any specific size enough to rate their life expectancy. I love having the small increments. It is amazing how often I reach for a x/64th size to make a hole “just a tad smaller/larger” than a nominal size.

So if you’re one of the folks who emailed me asking for my recommendation on brad point bits, here it is. If you have recommendations for another manufacturer of good quality carbide-tipped brad point bits, please feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Sandvik has a very elaborate site for the industries that they service, not hobbyists like most of Marks followers. I found the site about as foreign to me as Intel’s is to most of my clients (I do Computer Consulting). They may have great products, but don’t market or sell them to people of our level. Bob

One correction. As stated in the video I have no monetary motivation here. This was solely to promote a set of bits I think represent a good investment. Lee Valley doesn’t even have an affiliate program, sadly.

Recently, Tools For Working Wood began carrying American-made bits that look like similar design and packaging. Possible they are the same manufacturer.

Twist Drill BitI quickly ran out and purchased the first set of brad point bits I could find and for a short while, I was in woodworker’s nirvana: clean, crisp holes with no tearout! But unfortunately, even brad point bits will eventually dull and overheat. It didn’t help that I was being excessively frugal by purchasing the cheapest sets I could find. Further exacerbating the issue was my frequent use of dense exotic hardwoods.

HI Mark and folks, Got an off topic question…hopefully you can answer. We had to take down a Grand Oak in the back yard recently to keep it from breaching the house’s foundation. Now I need to drill holes in the remaining stump to apply some glyphosphate to kill the stump and roots. Would it be best for me to buy a couple cheaper bits to drill the holes, or would either an HSS or carbide tipped bit last long enough for many holes needed?

They must be good, they’ve been on back order for at least a month that I know of. They are supposed to be back in stock July 15, 2013.

I like the review and the information Marc presented. In my case I may buy 3-4 bits of the sizes I rely heavily on. I can get by with the cheaper/lower grade for less used sizes. I haven’t done anything with exotic woods but maple is pushing the limits of my tools.

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I wish I had the answers for you but I have no idea why they stopped making these. And to the point of the original video, they are STILL my main bits in the shop. These days, most folks seem to recommend Fisch: https://amzn.to/3BE1QC7

Come on guys… If you have watched any of Mark’s videos, you know he has a passion to help the woodworking hobbyist like myself. He is not out to sell you some crap so he can make a ton of money. I truly believe he wants to share his knowledge to the community so we all can become better woodworkers. Even if he is selling bits, buy the bits, help a great teacher and shut your mouth!

Does anyone have any thoughts on the larger brad-point sizes? I see that Lee Valley sells HSS brad bits up to 1″, but do people use other types like forstner or whatnot for larger than 1/2″?

Ah, great timing. I was just thinking about looking for a new brad-point set. I currently just have a few old Craftsman brad-point bits (and one 13mm bit i used for drilling holes for my router-bit storage).

Pilot hole 3/32 diameter, then a counterbore in desired hole size; the pilot keeps the counterbore straight and true and accurate. Takes awhile time-wise but within a few thousandths accuracy. Try it.

If I am not mistaken, the Lee Valley TCT bits look remarkably like those made by Colt Tools in Germany, from their 1075 series.

I usually don’t have a problem with dulling my bits, since I made it clear that they are only used for wood. The smaller sizes seem to bend or get out of round before they are dulled. I wonder if the carbide tips have a harder shaft?

Might look into the carbide tipped bits if I find need for specific size in high volume use. Even if the economics do not merit the extra cost, there is value to me in having a tool that remains sharp, rather than replacing often (usually well after I should). Thanks for the quick review.

I put these bits to the test on the recent Dogon Platform Bed project. I had to drill numerous holes into Bubinga end grain for the bed rail hardware. The bits performed flawlessly and showed no evidence of overheating. In fact, once I wiped the dust off I couldn’t even tell they had been used. So I am hoping this bit set will be with me for a good long time.

The depth at which a metal alloy can be hardened, also called hardenability is an aspect often weighed during the part design process. Don't confuse ...

If you’re like me, you probably learned about drill bits the hard way. I started out using a basic set of standard twist bits. As I learned more about the craft and communicated with other woodworkers, I became aware of the superior brad point bit with it’s sharp center point and sweet cutting spurs.

I for one normally don’t use a lot of exotic hardwoods, but the economics of the carbide-tipped bits can be a game changer. Compare the average live of both types of bits and the cost of each and do some simple math. It may be worth buying 3 or 4 less expensive bits of the sizes frequently used vs. buying the carbide-tipped bit–provided you don’t run across any “crooked” bits. They’ll rip you off every time.

I am not a woodworker (wish I was!) I am a crafter / hobby artist with more projects than time! We had some beautiful hardwood pieces left over from a new floor installation, and they are the perfect size to use for making geometrical ‘shadow box’ style wall shelves that I’d like to assemble for displaying my kaleidoscope collection. I have a great dremel set-up that I use to polish rough gemstones, and various other craft projects. Assembling these shelves should be fairly easy, as I am planning to use “L” brackets. I want to know I’d there is a rotary bit strong enough to make pilot holes in wood that averages 2800 on Janka scale. As a side note, I have hundreds of (tiny) dental drill bits which I frequently use – every shape & style! I would need to drill 2-3 holes in the same area to make a suitable pilot hole for the screws I’ll be using. I have great speed control with my dremel since I have a foot pedal control. Please pardo my ignorance…I don’t want to ruin Any of this beautiful wood, so I’m hoping someone will be so kind as to advise me. Am I crazy to think I could do this with a dremel? I won’t be cutting any lengths…I saw how many blades our contractor went through just installing our floor…and he had pro equipment and experienced men….not a 40-something woman with a ‘toy’ drill and big dreams. Any and all suggestions are very welcome!

Hi Marc, do you also have any experience with carbide tipped forstner bits? Have you already tried to sharpen one of your carbide tipped drill bits?

2021622 — There certainly is math available to calculate the chamfers if that's absolutely necessary. I personally avoid that when I can. As to speed/feed ...

Did some shopping around myself after watching this video. A set like this wasn’t as easy to find as I thought. Thanks Mark. I’ve been using the crap bits Dewalt puts out with Home Repot and Lowes.

Beware……. Aviod the “Rockler 25 Piece HSS Brad Point Bit Set” Item No. 68895 Four of the first five bits tried were crooked. Went back and read the reviews on this set and guess what………I was not the first purchaser of crooked brad point bits. Emailed Rockler Customer Serevice about their quality three weeks ago and still no response. Read the reviews before you spend your money!