Step Drills

[JaviCAP]

Hi guys,

The part od building effects I hated the most was drilling the holes  in the enclosure. Used several bits (4 mm for the driving holes, 6 mm for the small leds, 8mm for pots and big leds, 10mm for jacks and 10mm + round file for stompswitch and dc jack holes, as I had no 12mm one).

Well, drilling the driving holes, changing  the bit for  every other one and finally, the round file for the dc jack and the switch drived me mad. It took at least half an hour to get it finished.

I asked on several stores in Madrid for a stepped drill, and was asked from 60 to 90 euros, so never purchased one, was insanely expensive.

So, I did find on eBay this auction:

http://www.ebay.es/itm/140901719699?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_1548wt_1163

and for this price, I decided to give it a try.

Well, just 5 days to  come to Spain. Did install it on my drill, printed the template for the Echo Bender (11 holes).... and holy shit! No more than 2 minutes and the enclosure was perfectly .drilled!

Surely there wil be better stepped drills, more expensive and durable, but holy shit, this little bit do the job perfectly and the price can't be beaten!

So, If you want to give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it!

BR

[Madferret]

Thanks for the heads up Javi, I've been put off by the price of some of the bits too so this looks perfect for seeing if I like using a stepped bit.

[Silver Blues]

Wholly agreed... best tool ever invented for pedal enclosures. I got a 3-pack for $12, TiN coated and everything, I love them

--Silvie

[IvIark]

Yep, the step drills are one of the best things I've bought for speeding up the build process.  It's worth getting an imperial one too because you do get a better fit for some of the hardware.  5/16" is better for pots, and 3/8" for jack sockets.

[alex.s]

That's a good tip Mark. Mine goes by the mm and it ends up drilling holes that are slightly larger than each part. Not a big problem as the excess is always covered, but a tighter fit would be nice.

While having slightly larger holes makes the drilling more forgiving it also means you need to make sure everything gets screwed on in the right place or it will all look wonky..!

[GoranP]

Even though I'm firmly in the metric camp (both geographically and engineery), I think that imperial unibits are the best thing since sliced bread for pedal building. Everything fits nice and tight, unlike with the metric holes.

I got me this set, not from this exact seller but the picture is the same as is the price. I'm sure it's crappy and I never use the thickest one but about a hundred holes into it, they are still going strong even without using a lubricant/coolant while drilling.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pcs-HSS-M2-High-Speed-Titanium-Step-Drill-Bit-Set-28-Holes-Size-W-Pouch-/130872454104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e789b2bd8

[alltrax74]

Funny I bought the same for the same seller last week
And yes, it works perfectly !

[piltdownman]

I have used the same $13 set of 3 from Harbor Freight Tools for 3 years.  They work great.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-91616.html

[dexxyy]

I would rather part with my left bollock than part with my step drills. Fluted type last longer and stay sharper, I have my drill press on slow speed, no lubricant and it just drills forever.

[toddvirgil]

Yeah, Step drills are phenomenal. I got a pretty decent set of 3 at harbor freight for $8 on sale... won't ever go back.