The MachinistPost Blog

Reaming only works if the drilled hole is close to right. Here is what the drill needs to deliver first.

The actual decision framework for peck drilling — when to peck, how deep, and when single-pass is better.

Runout above 0.002 TIR quietly destroys drill life and hole quality. Here is how to find it and fix it.

Chips are data. Color, shape, length, and where they land all reveal what is happening at the cutting edge.

Two shops with identical HSS drills in the same material can get 3x different tool life. Here is the actual cause.

Why the first few holes after resharpening are the most vulnerable — and how to protect the fresh edge.

A guide to the most common drilling workholding solutions and when each one is the right choice.

How to choose and set up the right workholding for drilling operations to prevent movement and injury.

A decision framework for determining whether a worn drill should be resharpened or retired.

How to know when a drill bit has reached the end of its serviceable life and should be retired.

The signs that a drill needs more than a basic sharpen and what full reconditioning can restore.

The situations where flood coolant actually hurts drilling performance rather than helping it.

A plain-language explanation of what HSS drill resharpening involves and what it restores in a worn tool.

A complete explanation of drill web thinning, why it is done, and how it changes cutting performance.

When thread milling beats tapping and the setup requirements each process demands.

How to select the correct tap drill size for any thread to hit the right percentage of thread engagement.

How drill geometry and condition affect the surface finish inside a drilled hole.

How to identify counterfeit or misrepresented drill bits before they destroy your production schedule.

What the split point does to drill performance, when to use it, and what to look for after regrinding.

Recommended cutting speeds and feed rates for HSS drill bits in steel, aluminum, stainless, and more.

A practical reference guide to drilling speeds and feeds across common materials and drill diameters.

A clear explanation of the difference between drill sharpening and full reconditioning.

How to interpret SFM-based speed and feed charts and convert them to practical spindle RPM settings.

The difference between basic resharpening and full reconditioning and how to choose the right service.