Bought a pack of long series brad points from an EBay seller last week. The picture below was the 1/8th just before it went in the bin - a special version made from bubble gum for drilling around corners...
More seriously. At the price I wasn't expecting a lot, but semi hard carbon steel and capable of drilling a few holes would have been good enough. These ones (from a US business fronting as XYZ tools - not the real name) broke all records for taking the piss. (irish/UK expression)
As well as being from mild steel or something very similar the points were clearly ground by somebody that (a) had a shake in their hands (most of tips had spurious bits missing where the grinder touched for a moment before the guy changed his mind/decided that knocking a random edge off would tidy up the look), and (b) had no idea as to what was needed if the edge was to cut. The classic bit of wire filed to a double bevel edge would probably do a lot better. A set of taper drilling countersinks was just as bad.
Hard to know whether to laugh or to cry - or even to work up the enthusiam to take it up through EBay. It seems unlikey that a replacement set would be any different. Hard to know what the mindset of the importer must be. Heaven knows too what the guy who made them was paid...
ian
dodgy duro brad point 1:8 2-3-15.jpg
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Originally Posted by Mike Henderson
That's a good suggestion Kyle. The set of 7 up to 1/2in cost around $15, so they were never likely to be top end. I thought though they might be the usual box store (just about working, but not great) quality - but that would have done for the odd job requiring the length. The website of the named importer turns out not to be working, so who knows what the story was...
