Shopsmith Brad Point Drill Bits

Looks like you bought older bits that are made in the US, these should be quite good. I have a more modern set that has a mixture of US and Chinese bits. While I normally avoid all Chinese drill bits my Shopsmith set seems fine.

-- Troy in Melrose, Florida

Troy, thanks for your response. I’m surprised that more people have not chimed in on this because this basic set for $14 gives me 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4 bits that are sizes not found in most sets. The 3/4” will drill bench dog holes and has never been used. Even if I purchased the Lee Valley set or the highland carbide set, the Shopsmith set continues where those leave off. I just had my gallbladder out yesterday, so I haven’t used them yet, but I’m looking forward to doing so. I’ve never owned a set of brad point bits. I’ll be curious to see if these run straight and I’m guessing they will because they are stubby and very robust looking. Cheers, Seth

-- What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?

I have three sets of fostner bits. I think Rockwell just had a sale on a 6 or 8 piece set for like 20$. I also have a DeWalt set and one from HF which works real good. I did by one Freud 3/8 bit because I use a 3/8 more than the rest so I wanted a nice one and Freud is the best. Well, best for the money that is.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

Thanks Russell,

I have a set of Hickory Forstner bits. They have been good but will burn if I go too fast. I think we share viewpoints on having some bits for common use and other bits for special use. For me, the Shopsmith brad point bits are probably better for hard wood than anything I’ve owned and they cover the common large sizes. I’ll probably add the Highland Woodworking Carbide brad point bits to fill in the smaller sizes and then if I need it for a special project, I’ll get a few Lee Valley single bits. For example, I build guitars and the holes for the tuning machines should get the Lee Valley or Freud bit special treatment.

I’ll report here how I like the Shopsmith bits when I get a chance to use them. I had my gallbladder pulled yesterday, so I probably won’t be out in the shop for a few weeks. I’m not supposed to lift 20lbs.
Best,
Seth

-- What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?

A good pilot hole and raise the bit to clean it often and they last longer. It’s hard for me to use one on my DP because I have it set so fast. I hate changing speed on the older Craftsman DP’s.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

I’m not sure if we’re talking the same bits, but I have a full set of these from about 1980 (including the 1” size). To the best of my knowledge they were made by the Forest City Tool Works out of North Carolina.
They are fine performers and well designed with a scoring rim (ridge) just slightly above the cutting spur.

With this feature they cut very clean but are susceptible to burning if run too fast.

-- gene@toronto.ontario.canada : dovetail free since '53, critiques always welcome.

I was unable to find a link between Forest City Tool and Shopsmith with a quick google search, however, it could be the same bits. These are made in the USA and look like similar to the picture. I’ve been recovering from surgery so I haven’t used them yet, but I’ll report when I do.

-- What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?

I just cleaned up a set of bradpoint bits that came with one of the 3 Shopsmith’s I have acquired in the last couple of years. These were original 1950’s vintage bits in their original box but they had obviously been sitting in their box since the 50’s without ever being chucked up. They also had acquired a good amount of rust from sitting around for so many years. So I decided to try out some Evaporust on them and WOW that stuff really works like a charm. They look literally almost brand new after sitting in the Evaporust for several days. They are nice bits and are as sharp as the day they were boxed.

-- "I work so I can fish"!

Wow those are cool looking drills. Let us know how well they make holes. My Shopsmith was $450 and I brought it home in my 2000 Honda Civic sedan. I cleaned it up and it runs and looks beautiful! My shop is about 8’ x 12’ so it’s perfect.

-- What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?

Kickback; The bits you show are not brad point bits. They are really auger bits, but without the screw center. Brad point bits are similar to regular twist drills, but with a pointed spur and a cutting lip.