Drill Bit Speed and Drilling speed

I would guess that either your feed rate is too slow or the bit speed is too fast, either one will allow heat to build up.

-- Bondo Gaposis

Burning occurs when chips are ground to powder. Powder burns easier and faster then chips (think starting a fire with kindling vs trying to light a log). As bondogaposis said, if you feed to slow the bit grinds up the chips instead of making new ones, or if the bit is too fast it grinds up the old chips.

Thanks….. but how do I determine the proper rates without burning my bits? is there a general rule of thumb…? I feel like a doofus for asking but what is the best practice?

-- Hope for the best but plan for the worst.

Speed Chart from wood magazine.

-- ~Just A Guy With A Hammer~

I slow down the bits and let the tool do the work. If it cuts fast then you push fast, if there is resistance then you slow down. The speed chart is a good starting place but that is only bit speed, not feed speed and you can have very fast bits if you feed it quickly (I don’t recommend trying to do anything with a power tool quickly) which is why I slow down the bit and feed it as slow or as fast as the bit will make a hole.

I find most hand drills or presses too fast for all but the smallest bits which is why I use variable speed tools whenever possible.