Hi Guys, first off way to go! Everyone in this thread has done a great job of communicating and sharing these bits. Big thank you to Kenneth and SpearJunkie too for adding their bits into the mix.
Please note that when shipping these between users they need to be packaged fairly well... maybe a small flat rate USPS box or a large mailer envelope with a lot of padding. Here is the reason:
Carbide is VERY HARD, but also VERY BRITTLE. It is not a coating or metal treatment, it is a type of material. It might help to think of other materials like glass, ceramic, or porcelain; obviously not quite the same, but the principle of "hard but brittle" still applies. The bits that we use and are recommending have a carbide tip on them, the shank is steel. So, if they are dropped or hammered on, the tip could crack/break just like a ceramic coffee cup. The reason for the steel shank is that it is not brittle, and allows for mis-alignment and does provide the flex needed when using a hand drill. Again, imagine trying to drill a hole with a glass drill bit... if not held perfectly straight the bit would shatter. So, these bits are combining the properties of steel and carbide to give us a tool that works very well for this application.
We are still on our first bit here, it has removed easily 30+ welded screws/collars. My suspicion is that getting banged around in the mail might have caused the bit that Vee12 used to micro-fracture and ultimately break? Not sure? We are getting more details from Vee12 now. Just figured it would be worth mentioning more info on the carbide/steel combo to be safe.
