Small drill bits

[dnhb]

I find I need some better quality 'mm' sized drill bits & fine (jewelers) saw blades for working with metals, particularly spring steel. I'd be grateful for any recommendations as to tried & tested brands.

[mikepilk]

As most people do, I've tried the 'cheaper' drills - and found them pretty useless. Now I buy 'Dormer' brand from Cousins.  They are a well respected brand. They cost a bit more, but compared to the three cheap ones you break drilling a hole, they work out cheaper.

For saw blades, I bought Cousins own brand. I don't have anything to compare them with, as they are the first I've bought, but I've had no problem cutting brass and steel. 

BTW I assume you will be annealing the spring steel ?

[nickelsilver]

If you are talking about "blue" steel, i.e. hardened and tempered to spring temper, the choice is slim.You are stuck with carbide for drilling, and some sort of diamond coated blade for sawing. One of the tests to see if students have correctly heat treated steel is that it should be able to be filed, but a jeweler's saw blade won't cut it.

 

I get all my drills from Schurch-Asco, I like the Yamamoto drills in high speed steel. They also carry jeweler's saw blades but those are available from any jewelery/horological supplier. Depending on where you are you might find an easier source for drills, but I doubt they will be better (they are excellent the Yamamoto). 

[SwissSeiko]

if you have a watchmakers lathe, it isn't terrible hard to make a diamond point drill bit. Twist drills are not really possible to make, but if its a limited use bit, just spend the 10 or so minuets it takes to make one.

[AndyGSi]

As mikepilk I get the Dormer from Cousins or if I'm drilling Stainless then the Super Q again from Cousins.

[Neverenoughwatches]

3 hours ago, dnhb said:

I find I need some better quality 'mm' sized drill bits & fine (jewelers) saw blades for working with metals, particularly spring steel. I'd be grateful for any recommendations as to tried & tested brands.

Ok so the cheap carbide drill do work just not when used in a hand vice. You will need carbide for drilling spring steel. But they will drill more than spring steel, just read this i posted a few weeks ago.

There's a first time for everything,  broken pivot on a barrel arbor, granted it looks quite small and feeble, in a plate jewel as well  EB 8021N . Been running like that for a while looking at the wear on the plate. Typical all cleaned and ready for assembly, new balance staff fitted trued and poise checked.  Check all the watch parts people before you start cleaning and find the irreparable repair first . Looks like me and the lathe will be getting reacquainted tonight

 

 

 

  https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/29807-broken-barrel-arbor/?do=findComment&comment=252636

Now i wouldn't want to risk an important part as these drills are very brittle and if broken inside the part you aren't going to retrieve it. But for drilling off the screw holes for handmade setting levers and such things then i think they are ideal. Anything with a blind hole will be risky, just bere that in mind.