I never understood why stubbies are not the most common type sold by manufacturers or hardware stores, because average people rarely need to drill deep holes to begin with, especially in metal.
Yes, please do speak to us about "stubby reamers". I've been machining since the mid 70's and have grown to love stubby drills. Thank you for your pearls of wisdom and dissecting and the physical makeup of a drill bit. Take care.
As a 30 year B&S guy, I am no stranger to screw machine length drills, stubbies. We just called them drills. The chisel edge on a new drill is about 10% of the diameter of the drill. We had to sharpen drills nearly every day, so we all had to learn not only off hand sharpening, but also web thinning by hand. I learned by comparing the look of brand new drills to resharpened, eventually figured what had changed, then figured how to grind them to a thinner web. I'll clue you to my 1 "trick" I use as a machinist. To get an extremely precise grind of the two edges, I would get them very close to identical, then on my last few touches to the wheel I shut off the grinder and did it as the wheel slowed. This made it posssible to get that last few thousandths of an inch without over grinding. In screw machine work, that precision meant the drill lasted longer, maintained print specifications, and I did not have to work as hard. All the other trics I waas shown made me old before my time!
My father recently passed away and I found a bunch of "stubby" bits, (amongst other things) and I'm very happy to have them. They are great for the smaller size holes !
I was an electrician and worked construction for 39 years. Occasionally, I'd find a "stubby" bit in a gang box, the tool trailer, etc. and would treat it like gold. To me, they were valuable because I could drill in a confined space with it. The few I have are the typical 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch sizes. Oh, to own a whole set! Excellent explanation, Mr. Pete. Thanks.
Another advantage to stubby drill bits is that they are less likely to "walk" when starting a drilling operation, especially with a hand drill. The shorter length makes them more rigid.
I have a few Screw Machine length drills but have rarely used them until recently. I originally purchased them for use on my Atlas MF horizontal mill which is small and has limited travel. Recently I discovered exactly what you've just taught in your video; how adjustments to the vertical mill and even the drill press table can be made less often with the use of "stubby" drills so now I plan to buy a few more to fill out my limited set.
In my home game shop, I have tried to outfit the mill with all the common stubbies AND stubby reamers for the exact reason of eliminating the raising and lowering of the table. Plus, the precision improves significantly by keeping the travel distance to a minimum. Thanks again for bringing this subject to your channel.
I've used them for many years now. Also many of the common sizes like #30, 3/16" and 1)4" are available in double ended, short profile for sheet metal drilling with a hand drill . I'd be interested in seeing stub length reamers as chucking reamers are quite long
I have a Grizzly round column mill. They are known for loosing location when moving the head. My approach is to use tools that fit without moving the head when possible. The shorty bits are great. I normally have my end mill in an ER32 collet. I can then use an appropriate size collet for my stubby bits. If even more space is necessary I can use them with an R8 collet and gain a couple more inches of space. I find the short bits to be a great asset on my mill.
One I got my drill press, a little cheapo, I realized that all my bits were way too long. I never knew what stubby bits were called. Now I know what I need. Thanks so much.
I recently made an estate purchase of a 9A lathe and two big kennedy boxes of tools and tooling. it took a couple of weeks to sort through and organize. I thought of you when I ran across several stubby bits and put them in a special place to remember. Funny that you should decide to make this presentation today.
Great tutorial, in 40 years of machine shop work i had to learn from some talented and helpful people what you are teaching here. The short drills are invaluable in many situations. I did manual machines to cnc and still miss it in retirement. Love the channel and subscribed as well.
Boy, do I love stubby bits! My main vertical mill is currently a round column mill/drill. Even with 5"+ of quill travel, I'm always running out of room and the stubbies have saved me many times!
I’m 59 years old, and I’ve been drilling holes for most of those years. But Mr Pete just taught me something I didn’t know about drill bits. Thank you Mr Pete!!!!! You are the internets shop teacher.
i use screw length whenever i have the diameter on hand. jobber and mechanics length dont get used much in my shop. Love your videos! Well spoken and informative!
I don't think I ever knew that the web got larger . makes sense . I had the privilege of seeing some screw machines in operation many years ago, they were making wheel lug nuts at the time . it was impressive thanks for the tips
I discovered the shorties when I worked in a shop where we regularly cross drilled aluminum tubing. They worked great because there's less chance of the bit wandering off the work. I always reach for the shorty when it'll do the trick. McMaster has some really great short bit options beyond the screw machine bits too. Spotting bits, sheet metal bits, etc.
I have a column mill and this holds true even more. Not near as easy to raise and lower the head and keep it in alignment as a knee mill. Thanks for this tip...I need to get some
Soy un humilde sudamericano, aficionado e entusiasta del la tornería y metalúrgica, soy admirador de este señor, que a pesar de su edad brinda sus conocimientos, que dios lo bendiga, personas así necesita el mundo, contenido útil y valioso.
Always good, always entertaining. I have many stub bits and sets, very handy for every reason mentioned here. Good to have options in order to perform good work. I don't remember ever breaking very many bits or taps even as a teenager. One might say that proper teaching/coaching before these kids ever started drilling holes would have helped but that would mean they were actually paying attention! Some of us actually were paying attention and had been doing these things before we even had "industrial arts" / metal class.
For popriveting, the sell 1/8" double ended bits that are only about 1 1/2" long total, basically a spotting drill on each end. I discovered these about 45 years ago, helping a professional auto body man work on his own car...
The first power tool I bought for my grandson was a drill. As soon as he could change bits by himself, he commenced to breaking as many bits he could. I now only buy stubbies.
I worked for an outfit as a machinist in a welding, fabrication shop. I was responsible for keeping tooling for the shop. I had used some screw machine length drills before. I ended up buying a cabinet to keep,stocked for my use for the screw machine length drills. The jobber length everyone could use. I liked the shorter drills because I could sometimes not spot drill holes on the CNC mill due to the extra rigidity.
Thanks for the suggestion to watch the field trip video on the brown and sharp screw machine. I watched it and liked it originally and watched every minute of it again. Beautiful machine running flawlessly.
Thank you Mr.Pete, I knew stubbies existed, but didn't know why and the thickness taper of the web was also and eye opener, one more new thing learned today, Much Appreciated
I have and use stubby bits and the aircraft variant - screw shank stubby bits. I am not as familiar with stubby reamer options so that will be a useful video topic to me. Another valuable benefit of stubbies is that if you are not using a full size mill, but some kind of mill-drill or smaller bed mill then vertical travel may be much more limited than on a Bridgeport so stubbies can save lots of vertical travel hassles. Another benefit of stubbies is for hand drilling in hard access situations, like upside down underneath a dashboard, they can help with shortening the overall length of your drilling tool and getting into awkward spots.
I have some threaded reamers for my snake drill. Here in Georgia, all of us aircraft mechanics gather up surplus Lockheed tooling when it becomes available.
Good morning. Thank you Mr Pete. This was very helpful. I did not know about the web being thicker as it goes up. I only have a few random stubby bits that were in something that I picked up. I'll be seeking these handy little thing now.
Long time fan, and I just found out that a British engineer (actually a Chemical engineer, from England) is also a fan. But stubby bits are awesome. I first learned about them from an autobody guy. Back about 1970 I was trying to do some rust repair panels and kept snapping bits. A friend's dad gave me a 10 pack of #30 stubbies! WOW!! Talk about an epiphany!! Keep up the good word!!
Pete when I worked in the sheetmetal shop of a HVAC contractor we used double end drills. We had a commercial roofing division and made miles of gutter for them. We would assemble 2 10' sections and install the stay straps. It was still a lot of drilling rivet holes. AL B.
love the idea of that the stubby bits would help save time with raising and lowering the table. I've run into this quite a bit myself. Appreciate the tip.
I use Screw machine length for 90% of my drilling and parabolics or turbo flute for deeper holes. I have the 115 pc 135* cobalt set right next to the mill. 1/4" is my primary drill and I get hundreds and hundreds of holes out of one with never sharpening it. I often feed the table into the locked quill as well and the drill will take almost as much feed as you can give it that way. I've done it in every material including lots of Inconel. I also recently took over a one man, manual shop and they previously didn't use stubby drills at all. Also, I've often grabbed a "long" reamer from the drawer they threw everything in and they were bent. My next task is to put together reamer sets that are organized and ready to go - preferably stubby type
I use them quite a bit, particularly where I don't want any flex in the drill bit. They do pretty good for spotting, particularly choked up in the chuck.
The most difficult thing to teach is to get the feel of drilling and how to sense just before it breaks whether you should back it off. Great video, especially about webbs.
Thanks for the info. I have used self shortened drills 7-12mm (1/4" - 1/2") in my Tormach 440 cnc mill due to the length problem. I overcome the thick web by predrilling first with a 5-6mm jobber drill.
Nice job Lyle, at some point, a mention of the stubby aircraft drills with the 1/4-28 threaded shank may be valuable with a 90 degree attachment for close quarters work. Surplus dealers used to sell these bits by the pound.
Stubby Drill Bits are the only bits I use on my Clausing 8520 Milling Machine due to clearance/work space issues. There have been many times that a standard length drill bit would be too long. I have a complete set of Stubby Drill Bits devoted to this machine.
It is a lot of work but I have cut down many bits into "stubby" as needed on equipment repair jobs where a regular bit wont fit for the past 50 + years. I use a cut off wheel in my 4" grinder to cut the relief and thin the point.
I dont know if this is a regional thing, but in Germany, as a tool and die maker, i learnt that for anything above 6mm (about 1/4 inch) you should predrill. usually so that between one and two thirds of the drills diameter is already drilled out. In that case home made stubbies arent actually a problem, because the web is running free anyway.
Six new great videos in nine days and two of with Abom79?!! You’re spoiling us and I greatly appreciate it! I was going back through your shop tips on identifying metals when I got the stubby drill bits notification. Thanks again!
Very informative Mr. Pete. Thank you. FWIW, I have used "stubbys" on a small lathe and milling machine for a long time due to space and travel considerations.
I like full sets of matching tools. I don't like mixing drill bit lengths, material, coating or cutting tip style. I like to keep my drill indexes full of ready to use bits. It seemed to me that every machinist had a fractional/lettered/numbered jobber set through 1/2". I only have one of those kits and it is a stubby set. It is my favorite set. I station multiple fractional sets through the shop so that every machine has at least one or two sets. Depending on the machine, I have HSS and or cobalt and/or standard point and split point. These are all jobber length, because they are readily available and easy to replace. I like to keep tap/drill indexes full with tap drill, tap and clearance drill in the index. This saves me looking for the correct size tool. I keep left hand indexes and left hand and easy out sets full. I don't stock metric size indexes and I haven't invested in bits designed for aluminum. The machine shop where I worked maintenance stocked jobber length in all sizes for steel and aluminum in the tool crib and regarded anything under 1/2" as throw away. If I wanted split point for maintenance hand drill use and ease, I had to source my own. I got spoiled at work. Maintenance had to start with their own indexes, but we could replace with industrial quality bits from the tool crib with no complaints. In my retirement and living rural, restocking is inconvenient. Quality bits like I am used to aren't available at local stores in full range of sizes. Stubby bits are unheard of at my local suppliers. I keep indexes full in the wood shop with brad point, spade (several styles) and forstner bits as well as steel jobber indexes. It would be foolish to count how many sets and indexes of drills that I own, but I know that I still don't have enough! I purchased a couple of fractional sets of very high quality split point jobber length bits packed in round plastic indexes for a great price at a flea market. I was smug about my purchase until I began using them. My failing eye sight can't read the raised size lettering on the index, so I am forced to measure bit sizes and I am never certain if I return the correct bit to the correct index hole. I do better with the standard Hout indexes.
A great subject. Given that I have a Taig milling machine stubby or screw length bits are the only way to go. Been using them for years. However, your discussion opens a new world for me "stubby reemers". Can't wait for you to address this topic. I've often thought of cutting my redeems to a shorter length, but given there cost have been reluctant..Can't wait for this video. As always, Thank you.
Thanks for all the wonderful content Mr.Pete! I can attest first hand that viewers should not buy the $49 full index from Amazon😂 Nor any other tooling from Amazon that is somehow miraculously 1/16th of the normal price. I finally learned my lesson, but most of that stuff is even worse than Hazard Fraught.
Very informative mr Pete. I didn't know that the web was tapered. I have no stubby bits and I will start getting some. Won't be long until my small sizes are all stubby with the rate I am breaking them 🙂
I just bought a bunch of stubbies. Living in Europe it's tough to find tools, but I remember them from my former employer. Sometimes you could skip the pilot hole. I'm building a little steam engine with lots of M2 holes; wish they made stubbier little drills.
I started out with very small machines and jobber length drills were too long , I think my father told me about screw machine drills, and they have been my favorite ever since. Occasionally at the flea market I find them some times in packs, other times I buy them on Ebay
Good info video, In all my years in machinery maintenance work, I did not know the core area of the drill bit tapered. I have cut down bits before but usually removing from the shank end to gain access in a short application. Thanks for sharing.
Always nice to also have stubbies for more options on your round column mills where you can't adjust the height between head and work piece without losing center.
Well, that was enlightening Mr. Pete. Subscribed, looking forward to going through your videos! I wish I had a set of bits all the same length. When I drill a pilot hole then go up in size a couple of times it's annoying having to lower the table as you go up in bit size.
I have been using screw length drills for a long time. The are great for the bench top drill press. I went to work in a shop , The Foreman "Told me ,they are drills, not drill bits,bits are when you break one"
We used them in the shop I worked in mostly Nachi brand. We did metric work mainly but had a few fractional sizes. A lot less deflection and like you said they don't break as easily.
Huh, I never paid much attention to stubby bits, figuring they were more special-purpose. From the get-go, you’d probably want jobber length as your main set so you’d be able to drill occasional deeper holes, but I have a full set of jobber lengths already now. You’ve convinced me to add a set of screw machine bits to my wish-list for purchase soon! Thanks!
Great topic, I have been using them, and spotting drill for years, and I agree, I would love to have a set of stubby reamers. I do have some short threaded end reamers that work great.
