Subject: Looking for drill bit to allow countersinking of pan screws in metal

From: [email-masked] (NEIL B. GANDLER)
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 06:43:00 GMT

I am looking for a drill bit that will make a hole in a
piece of 1/8 inch stock aluminium that is wider at the top
allowing a pan type of screw to be countersunk for a flush
surface. I once heard of such a bit that makes this easy to
do. But I have had no luck looking in hardware stores. Any
ideas?

                         Neil Gandler

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From: [email-masked] (James Kirkpatrick)
Date: 30 Nov 94 08:35:10 MST

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (NEIL B. GANDLER) writes:
|>
|>     I am looking for a drill bit that will make a hole in a
|>piece of 1/8 inch stock aluminium that is wider at the top
|>allowing a pan type of screw to be countersunk for a flush
|>surface. I once heard of such a bit that makes this easy to
|>do. But I have had no luck looking in hardware stores. Any
|>ideas?
|>
|>                         Neil Gandler

That's a bit close with 1/8 inch stock.  Anyway, what you are looking
for is sometimes called a spot facer, or a counterbore.  Sometimes
this operation is done in two steps; first drill a hole to clear the
screw threads, then use the counterbore (which looks like an end mill
with a pilot in the center) to make room for the screw's head.  I think
I've seen tools to do both operations at the same time as well, but I'm
at work and my catalog is home.

This is not the sort of thing ordinary hardware stores would carry.
My personal favorite mail-order house is MSC, whose main office is
in Plainview NY (may be a bit of a drive from Buffalo).  Here's the
FAQ entry:

   -  MSC Industrial Supply Co.
      151 Sunnyside Blvd
      Plainview, NY  11803
      (800) 645-7270 (AT&T), (800) 753-7900 (MCI), (800) 255-5067 FAX

      Their 93/94 catalog is 1971 pages, and their selection has been
      described as "dumbfounding".

Jim

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From: [email-masked] (Paul Jones)
Date: 1 Dec 1994 12:43:30 GMT

-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #26 (NOV)

>do. But I have had no luck looking in hardware stores. Any

Hardware stores would not likely have such things.
ENCO [(800) 873-3626] advertises
a 22-pc tapered drill set (300-0294, $19.95) that does this for
screw sizes 5-12, and also plain & bell-type combined drills
and countersinks, sizes 000-18 (various catalog #s), but these
look like standard countersinks (V-type, not pan head).

Travers Tool Co.  [(800) 221-0270] has "Self Centering combined tap
drill & Countersinks" that look like the thing you want...from 4-40 to
1/2-20.  Or even better, they have "Step Drills for Cap Screws/Taps",
starting at Catalog #01-904-006.  These are pretty expensive $11.57 -
$56.11 each. 
--

Paul Jones,  Motorola MCG                           [email-masked]
1101 E. University Ave.                             Voice: (217) 384-8529
Urbana, IL 61801, USA                               FAX:   (217) 384-8550