Mike Cox’s cone drills in MEW 285 – source?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

I read Mike Cox's excellent gear cutting method article in MEW 285. Enjoyed it! Smarter than the old style button method. Only thing I was wondering about is where to source the cone drills he used. Locally I can find stepped style cone drills but none without steps, as was shown in the article. Were they from BangedUp, Bay of E, or ?

Edited By Jeff Dayman on 26/10/2019 02:05:54

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Would these do?

Thor

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Jeff,

Sorry, forgot these from Chronos.

Thor

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Jeff Dayman on 26/10/2019 02:04:50:

[…]

Were they from BangedUp, Bay of E, or ?

.

To quote from one of your recent posts:

“ it's getting ridiculous again, isn't it? ”

Why can’t you just refer to Banggood and eBay by name ?

MichaelG.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Might also help if you said you wanted them local to Ontario.

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

As well as Thor's suggestions cone drills are readily available from ScrewFix in the UK, see:

**LINK**

There are other suppliers on ebay which should be accesible globally

Mike

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Thanks very much Mike, I'll look into those. Thanks also to Thor for the suggestions.

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

I bought a set from Lidl's and find it useful for light cleaning up of drilled holes apart from it's main function.

Frank

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Thanks Frank. Wish we had Lidl's here, but sadly we don't. Between them and Aldi I've seen a lot of good deals on tools in their UK stores posted by members here from time to time.

FYI There used to be several department stores in Ontario like Sears and Zellers, Kmart, Eatons etc. where you could get decent tools but no more. All have been pushed out by US based chains except Hudsons Bay Co who sell very few if any tools. Grocery stores sell no tools except kitchen wares and BBQ tools. In the big box US based stores like Home Depot you can get some metalwork tools but range is limited, it's more building tools there. Drills for example – only have fractional drills. Ask for a #57 , or an E, or a 6 mm drill and you get strange looks like you just spoke Martian. If you work the brown stuff they have everything for that. Princess Auto store is a Canadian oddity catering to DIY metalwork and car / truck / motorcycle / ATV repairers and farmers / hunters. All imported medium / low quality stuff there. Some stuff I've bought there has lasted well but a lot of it is tat. Metal stock hardware and welding supplies very expensive there.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

For completeness, Jeff there's also KBC (another US heavy but with outlets in Canada and a Canadian catalogue and website) …. unfortunately they don't list cone drills – just all manner of step drills.

Their KBC-brand (i.e. imported from China) I've found to be pretty decent generally. They're favourite with me because they are 10-minute's drive away

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Lee Valley was always a ‘mandatory’ visit when in Ottawa. I would not be surprised if they stocked them.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Thanks Bandersnatch, I use KBC regularly, good tools good prices, but as you say cone drills are not there.

NDIY, thanks, know Lee Valley well, we have one of their stores nearby, but they also do not carry cone drills.

I emailed Screwfix and unfortunately they do not deliver to Canada.

I can get a too-large one as part of a 4 pc set of other drill types from China but can't yet find the 3 pc set Mike showed from other firms there, or individual ones.

I think I'll just make my own, it will probably take less time than searching searching searching on the web. I'm familiar with the design of these tools – did many for machining heating valve bodies on multi spindle machines 30 odd years ago at work. Wish I had the old Japax wire EDM I used to use for doing them in brazed carbide to a mild steel turned shank. The shank provided a nice datum with sturdy rigid support and the EDM made perfect relieved profiles very accurately. Carbide stood up well to sand cast bronze and forged brass. Just some tool nostalgia….

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Will they deliver these to Canada, Jeff?

I bought a set six months ago (gone up £2 since then!) and they've been fine for what I do.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 27/10/2019 12:02:37

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Thanks Bill, I checked, they will not deliver to Canada. See pic. Shame, as that's a great price.

I think it's a global conspiracy to make sure Canadians can not have the fun of drilling holes too big to fit mating parts, then make elaborate and expensive repairs!

(we've foiled the conspirators though – you can buy the stepped style cone drills at any hardware store)

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

What about this set?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I may be doing something wrong … but:

I just looked at this listing, and selected postage to Canada

**LINK**

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3pcs-HSS-Taper-Drill-Bit-Umbrella-Hole-Bit-Chamfer-Cutter-Drill-Cone-Cutter-gib/183876662918

All appears fine

MichaelG.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Hi Bill, Thanks for that link! I just ordered a set at your Ebay US $ link. The shipping is free to Canada from China, but the set will be a while, estimated arrival Jan-Feb 2020. I'm not in a rush so that is fine, and the price was right.

I did scour Ebay a bit for these cone bit sets and never came across the site at your link. Ebay search is funny, it often seems to direct you to certain geographical areas, mostly Europe and UK sites for me. Probably an AI bot looking at my purchase patterns. Anyway job done and thanks again.

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

on ebay you can specify price-range and geographical areas to search on left-hand side of page.
DaveD

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Jeff Dayman on 27/10/2019 16:13:49:

I did scour Ebay a bit for these cone bit sets and never came across the site at your link. Ebay search is funny, it often seems to direct you to certain geographical areas, mostly Europe and UK sites for me.

It's all in the ebay site-link that's used (UK/US/AUS etc). I usually just copy the auction number and plug it into the Canadian eBay Site

Then it deals with me in Canadian.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Just got the cone drill set I ordered in October. They were probably OK when they left the factory. However since they were improperly packed in just two thin poly bags one inside the other, and have been jostling around against other things / ships / docks / trucks etc. the cutting edges are completely ruined – tiny dents and burrs all along them.

I should throw them in the garbage but I may beg a favour of a friend with a surface grinder and clean them up.

Frustrating when all they needed was a card envelope or hard plastic sleeve and some bubble wrap around each.

Same thing happened earlier last year with some gear cutters from Banggood. Goods not bad at all and at a great price, but spoiled by horrible packaging not fit for purpose.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Bit off-topic, but do Canadian Tyre still exist?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Yes Canadian Tire do still exist, in fact they have hundreds of stores all over Canada. Not top quality stuff usually, but prices are reasonable.

If you can not find what you want there, just leave – asking for help from store staff is a recipe for wasted time and disappointment.

Oh, and their tires are abysmal, in my experience/opinion. Their skill at evading warranty claims on them is master level though, again in my experience/opinion.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Thanks Jeff, used to have family in Canada, but many years ago, and it's about thirty years since I was last there.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Jeff Dayman on 07/01/2020 23:04:18:

Yes Canadian Tire do still exist, in fact they have hundreds of stores all over Canada. Not top quality stuff usually, but prices are reasonable.

 

The trick is never to buy any (tools) at the "regular" price. They will always come on sale eventually at a (often considerably) lower price. In deference to Canajun Tire though, they do let you keep an list of items you are interested in, to be informed when they are coming up on sale.

Incidentally, Jeff, I ordered those same cone drills at the same time as you did but mine arrived at least a month ago – probably Nov or very early Dec. Like you, packing was poor although I didn't see any damage on mine. (I should recheck though).

Edited By Bandersnatch on 08/01/2020 14:51:09

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