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IN THE LOUPE - Your Source for Machining Solutions

HOLEMAKING

IN THE LOUPE - Your Source for Machining Solutions

HOLEMAKING

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HOLEMAKING

IN THE LOUPE- Your Source for Machining Solutions

Drill Substrate Guide: HSS vs Cobalt vs Carbide

February 5, 2026/0 Comments/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Getting Started, Holemaking, Large Featured, Machining 101, Tool Selection/by Isabella Luciano

Drilling applications require careful consideration of material, production volume, and machine setup to ensure optimal hole quality, tool life, and cost. Harvey Performance Company offers drills in three primary substrates: carbide, cobalt, and high-speed steel (HSS). This guide breaks down the differences between the drilling substrate options and helps you choose the right tool for […]

Valor Drills Excel in Stainless Steel and Titanium

August 13, 2025/1 Comment/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Holemaking, Large Featured, Steels, Trending Now/by Harvey Performance Company

At Valor Holemaking, we know that drilling stainless steel and titanium isn’t just difficult, it’s one of the most demanding challenges manufacturers face. These materials are unforgiving, known for their toughness, low thermal conductivity, and tendency to work harden, which often result in significantly reduced tool life. Before releasing Valor Holemaking’s High Performance Drills for […]

The Benefits of Combined Drill & Countersinks

April 4, 2025/0 Comments/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Getting Started, Holemaking, Large Featured, Machining 101, Material Specific, Tool Geometry, Tool Information Guides, Tool Selection/by Tom Delaney

Two of the most frequently recurring operations across a variety of applications are CNC drilling and countersinking. Since these two processes are often interdependent, managing space in the tool crib and time lost on tool changes can become cumbersome when using dedicated tools for each operation. Using combined drill and countersinks eliminates these concerns and […]

Mastering Precision: Pilot Drills in CNC Machining

December 10, 2024/4 Comments/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Getting Started, Holemaking, Large Featured, Machining 101, Machining Techniques, Material Specific, Tool Geometry, Tool Information Guides, Tool Selection/by Emily Van Volkom

When it comes to achieving precision in CNC drilling applications, the choice of tools and techniques can make a significant difference in the outcome. One essential element that often doesn’t get the spotlight it deserves is the Pilot Drill. This blog post will explore the importance of pilot drills, their applications, and best practices for […]

Mastering CNC Drilling: Geometries and Key Factors

August 9, 2024/0 Comments/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Holemaking, Large Featured, Machining 101, Material Specific, Tool Geometry, Tool Information Guides, Tool Selection/by Harvey Performance Company

Selecting the proper drill for a specific application is essential to ensuring a successful cnc drilling job. Achieving a perfectly machined hole can often be challenging. There are many machining woes that can occur when drilling into a material. These can greatly affect hole quality, and regardless of the material being machined, there is often […]

10 CNC Drill Geometries Every Machinist Must Know

December 11, 2023/2 Comments/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Holemaking, How-To's, Quick Tips/by Harvey Performance Company

A CNC drill has many different features and geometries that directly impact the tool’s performance, productivity, and tool life in the specific material it’s machining. It is important to understand the different geometries of a drill to ensure you’re not only recognizing how they affect an application, but also which geometries you should be looking […]

3 Tips for Avoiding Misaligned Holes

November 10, 2023/1 Comment/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Holemaking, How-To's, Quick Tips/by Harvey Performance Company

One of the most common issues machinists face during a drilling operation is hole misalignment. Hole alignment is an essential step in any assembly or while mating cylindrical parts. When holes are properly aligned, the mating parts fit easily in each other. When one of the pieces to the puzzle is inaccurate, however, machinists run […]

Spot Drilling: The First Step to Precision Drilling

August 25, 2022/35 Comments/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Harvey Tool, Holemaking, Machining Techniques, Milling, Titan USA, Tool Selection, Troubleshooting Tips/by Tom Pyle

Drilling an ultra-precise hole can be tough. Material behavior, surface irregularities, and drill point geometry can all be factors leading to inaccurate holes. A Spot Drill, if used properly, will eliminate the chance of drill walking and will help to ensure a more accurate final product. Choosing a Spot Drill Ideally, the center of a […]

boring bar geometries

How Boring Bar Geometries Impact Cutting Operations

October 23, 2019/8 Comments/in CNC Machining, Holemaking, Micro 100, Tool Information Guides, Tool Selection, Turning/by Robert Keever

Boring is a turning operation that allows a machinist to make a pre-existing hole bigger through multiple iterations of internal boring. It has a number of advantages over traditional hole finishing methods: Solid carbide boring bars, such as those offered by Micro 100, have a few standard dimensions that give the tool basic functionality in […]

drill mill

Drill / End Mills: Drill Style vs. Mill Style

June 25, 2018/1 Comment/in CNC Machining, Drilling, Holemaking, Machining 101, Milling, Milling, Tool Geometry, Tool Selection/by Robert Keever

Drill / End Mills are one of the most versatile tools in a machinist’s arsenal. These tools can perform a number of different operations, freeing space on your carousel and improving cycle times by limiting the need for tool changes. These operations include: Shop Harvey Tool Dill/End Mills Today – Fully Stocked in Multiple Styles […]

miniature drill

Selecting the Right Harvey Tool Miniature Drill

April 19, 2018/0 Comments/in Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Harvey Tool, Holemaking, Tool Geometry, Tool Information Guides, Tool Selection/by Harvey Performance Company

Among Harvey Tool’s expansive holemaking solutions product offering are several different types of miniature drill options and their complements. Options range from Miniature Spotting Drills to Miniature High Performance Drills – Deep Hole – Coolant Through. But which tools are appropriate for the hole you aim to leave in your part? Which tool might your […]

pecking cycle

Choosing the Right Pecking Cycle Approach

April 19, 2018/1 Comment/in CNC Machining, Holemaking, How-To's, Machining 101/by Harvey Performance Company

Utilizing a proper pecking cycle strategy when drilling is important to both the life of your tool and its performance in your part. Recommended cycles vary depending on the drill being used, the material you’re machining, and your desired final product. Start to Boost Your Accuracy with Harvey Tool’s Drilling Guidebook. What are Pecking Cycles? […]

flat bottom tools

10 Reasons to Use Flat Bottom Tools

January 23, 2018/13 Comments/in Drilling, Drilling & Holemaking, Harvey Tool, Holemaking, Machining 101, Tool Geometry, Tool Information Guides, Tool Selection/by Harvey Performance Company

Flat bottom tools, or tools with flat bottom geometry, are useful in a variety of situations and operations that tools with typical cutting geometry are not. The standard characteristics of drills or end mills are useful for their primary functions, but make them unsuitable for certain purposes. When used correctly, the following flat bottom tools […]

Most Common Methods of Tool Entry

July 17, 2017/6 Comments/in CNC Machining, CNC Programming, Holemaking, Machining 101, Machining Techniques, Milling, Tech Tips/by Harvey Performance Company

Tool entry is pivotal to machining success, as it’s one of the most punishing operations for a cutter. Entering a part in a way that’s not ideal for the tool or operation could lead to a damaged part or exhausted shop resources. Below, we’ll explore the most common part entry methods, as well as tips […]

five cnc composte holemaking tools

Overcoming Composite Holemaking Challenges

April 21, 2017/0 Comments/in CNC Machining, Composites, Drilling & Holemaking, Holemaking, Machining Techniques, Material Specific, Milling, Tool Selection/by Harvey Performance Company

Harvey Tool’s Miniature High Performance Composite Drills are specifically designed with point geometry optimized for the unique properties of composite materials. Our Double Angle style is engineered to overcome common problems in layered composites and our Brad Point style is built to avoid the issues frequently experienced in fibrous composites.