[sdiy] Step drill recommendation

[KA4HJH]

>Can anyone recommend good quality step drills readily available (like
>buy in a store) for purchase in the USA?

The original is called "Unibit®" but the term seems to be used generically
for step drills now.

>I've seen them at Harbor Freight for $8 but such a low price scares me
>(as in, crappy and quickly wear out).  Sears Craftsman has them for $20
>to way higher but I've found Sears just sells overpriced junk.  My goal
>is to drill maybe 100 holes in an aluminum panel, hole size ranging from
>LED size to round MIDI jack (3/4 inch).  I don't drill panels often so
>using up most of the drill bits life for this panel is ok with me.  I
>just want the last hole to be as clean as the first.

For that many holes you'd be better off to invest in some quality drill
bits of the right sizes. How many of those MIDI jack holes you going to be
drilling? A step drill makes sense at that size if you're only doing a few.

You know you're feeding at the right speed when cutting aluminum when the
swarf comes off in a continuous pigtail.

-- 

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"