Step bits are worth ten times their weight in gold. As for the problem about judging the size of the hole - take a bit of white out and mark the bit at the correct diameter for your hole and stop when you get there. I like the step bit because the small shoulder between steps is nice for deburring the hole and gives a cleaner finish.
Another redeeming feature of those step drills is due to the straight flutes (vs the helix of a regular drill bit) they dont grab and pull the part up out of the vice when it breaks thru.
best $17 i ever spent at home depot, used it 3 times and it walked away (i lost it) still, it was worth every penny for the perfect holes i needed. my current drill index is wearing down, due to the bits i use the most needing replacement. the step bit was so much faster and easier to deal with that the extra cost (i mean, without losing it) is better than buying an entire index like mine. AND the step bit had the larger sizes not usually available in most sets.
EDIT: i didn't mean to imply that a healthy collection of bits can be replaced by one, just that the ease of not switching them a lot of times and having more options will serve you even better
Last edited by Dark Helmet; 04-11-2008 at 09:53 PM.
If you refuse to bridge the gap, You will always be on the other side.
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