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Hey Folks,

My buddy John Crosby mentioned not too long ago about cutting down my Pimo Tobacco Hole Drill Bits...

Any tips or advice on this?

Can the end of the bit remain round, or should I grind it to have it squared like it comes from the factory?

I am currently drilling with a drill press, and while I've been getting a minimum of chatter, I'd like to improve it...

got me?

Not sure what that means bub...

Jeffrey, You asked for a picture of my ground down bit the other day... I'll try and post one today on this topic if my digital camera batteries re-charge.

I'm not sure what manufacturer this was but my paddle bit had a great item on it that really helped me get my sides even. In the middle of the bit it has a hole. After grinding down the edges of the paddle bit this was the only thing that I had to make sure that I had an even ammount of "edge" on both sides of the center of the bit. I'm not sure who makes them but I suppose any ole' bit with a hole would provide the same reference point. Just thought I'd mention that even though you were asking about PIMO bits.

Random,

Any tips on the cutting and grinding the end?

The end of the shank now is ground to have 4 edges (for the chuck to grasp and stabilize the bit) do you think I should cut it down and then grind the 4 edges the way it was originally?

Or do you think it would be fine round (like any other drill bit)?

Thank you sir!

I appreciate your honesty! I generally don't trust anything either (myself included).



I suppose I will try the bit I use the least first (1 inch) and test it out...

Thank's again!

I shorten all my reshaped spade bits after I get them the shape I need. The shank on bits are all only about 2" long, and my chuck will eat up as much of that as I need. I leave the shank round and just tighten up the chuck. You won't have a problem.

Thanks very much Kurt!

I shall grab the hack saw tonight...

Well, I could use my Dremel...


For some reason, I had to re-register, so that's why it took me so long to reply...

Thanks!

gosh I forgot all about posting a pic of the bit for ya. I will get right on it.

I don't think I am off topic here, but if I am, please forgive me.

A tip on how to tell if both sides are even after grinding your shape was taught to me by Paul Tatum. While drilling into the wood (you can do this into a 2X4 before drilling into briar) turn off the drill press while drilling, without raising the chuck. If the amount of wood in front of the bit on both cutting edges is about the same, you are ok. If one side has more shavings than the other, then you need to grind a little more metal, probably just a little.

Thanks for sharing Paul's tip with us. It sounds like a good one. I'll try it out next time I grind a new bit.

When I drilled my most recent pipe, I got a little bit of tear out on the inside of the bowl. What was I doing wrong? Too fast? Not sharp enough?

Possibly a combination of both - but most likely the bit wasn't as well honed as it needs to be. At what RPM are you drilling? I mostly drill/bore at 500 RPM - anything faster and the bit and briar *really* heat up. If you can smell toasty briar, you might need to slow down your bit.

Thanks Kurt. By honed, you mean sharp right? As to the speed, I have no clue, but I could definatly smell a bit of toasty wood. I'll check that out.

Yes, It's like sharpening a knife, then not honing it with a very fine grit stone. I have a set of Lansky diamond sharpeners that I use on my tobacco chamber bits from time to time, just to keep them extremely sharp.

I use a little bit of 600 grit sandpaper on them before each cut