Whenever you buy drill bits from us in ProWeld we always ask, “Do you need any coolant”?
Some guys say “Yeah, I have WD40.” But for your own sake, please don’t use that!
WD40 is great and we sell a lot of it but it’s not very good for drilling holes.
Burned Oil, WD40 or any other type of oil will actually increase the heat at the point of your bit. This is always the reason that your bit will turn blue, harden and become blunt. When this happens you might as well throw it away because it can never be resharpened. You would actually be better to use water than any old oil.
The solution we provide reduces the sales of drill bits and taps, and honestly we don’t care about that. You’ve chosen to buy quality tools from us so why shouldn’t we advise you how to prolong their life.
Ideally, you should be using is a coolant oil specially formulated to lubricate & cool the bit. We provide this in aerosols, neat oil that can be diluted into an emulsion, and pastes which are useful if drilling overhead. Our 500ml bottle costs around €7.75 (ex-vat) but you will drill 500 to 600 holes through 10mm mild steel with this, and at the end of it, your drill bits will still be perfect.
Buying the best quality drill bits and taps is important, and we have tried all of the brands, so Ruko’s German drill bits are our choice, which we have supplied for over 15 years. However, using coolant will keep them in perfect condition for years to come, (providing you don’t lose them)!
The only other thing to consider when drilling or tapping, is the speed of your bit. You can download charts from the internet but as a rule of thumb, the larger the diameter of the tool the slower the speed.
So, buy good quality – use coolant – choose the correct speed.
View our cutting oil / coolant