High Speed Steel (HSS) is superior to carbon steel used widely some 60 or 70 years ago. Compared to carbon steel, HSS can withstand higher temperature without losing its temper or hardness. This property allows HSS to cut faster, hence the name high speed steel.

There are different grades of high speed steel, and among the better ones, is a grade called M2. The grade of HSS used to manufacture a drill bit is a big factor in its performance. Other major factors that determine how good a drill bit is are: precision, design, heat treatment, manufacturing process and machineries used.

Like other tools, new technologies and processes are developed to enhance existing products. Clearly, as good as high speed steels are, such grades of drills are suitable only for carbon steel. To drill into harder steel such as stainless, cobalt is blended into HSS, creating what is called HSS Cobalt (HSS-Co).

The blending of cobalt into HSS enhances its hardness and resistance to higher temperatures. This enables HSS-Co drill bits to cut faster and suitable for use with harder steel materials. However, by its nature, cobalt is also more brittle than HSS and as such, used improperly, it may break more easily.

If there is a need to drill stainless steel and other similar steels, if there is a need for a drill bit that can be used extensively, then HSS-Co drill bits are a good choice. The only consideration for HSS-Co drill bits are its relatively higher prices.

An HSS Titanium drill bit, by its name, is misleading. It is, in fact, HSS steel that has been coated with titanium. Titanium coating enhances HSS drill bits by hardening the surface of the drill. This results in faster cutting and longer life (3 to 5 times longer than standard HSS drill bits).

The titanium coating is not designed to make HSS drill bits drill into harder steel. In practice, a good quality titanium coated HSS drill may bore into stainless steel, but this is not the recommended drill bit type for such kinds of hard steels. In this case, the service life of titanium coated drill bits is shortened.

If there is a need for good quality HSS drill bits for extensive use on carbon and similar steel grades, titanium coated HSS drill bits is a good choice.

Now, what does cling wrap have to do with paint brushes? As the owner of the MASTERSONS brand painting tools, I do a lot of research on the technical details of paint brushes and its applications. Recently, I came across an article suggesting that in between breaks during a painting job, it is possible to use cling wrap to seal a paint brush, eliminating the need to clean the paint brush at the end of the day. This is suggested if the paint brush is to be used the next day.

Cling Wrap Prevents Paint from Drying

Curious, I set out to try to see if this is true. I picked up one of our paint brush and have it loaded it with paint. Next, the paint brush was wrapped with cling wrap. After making sure it is sealed properly, the paint brush was left in a cool place, our warehouse, actually.

After 24 hours, the cling wrap was removed. As was suggested, the paint did not dry up. It was exactly the way it was when the paint brush was dipped into the paint.

In a real painting project, how feasible this is depends on the painter using the tool. If the painter is a true professional, then perhaps using a cling wrap can save time because they do not have to spend time to clean it up at the end of each day.

In my case, the next time we have a painter doing a job in our house, I will be using the used cling wrap to seal the paint brushes the painter uses, instead of having the painter wash the paint brush. This helps save water.

What do you think? Please leave comments.

Everyone who has used a paint brush knows that simply cleaning a paint brush after using will not restore the paint brush back to its original state prior to be used. The bristles will feel stiffer. Stiffer bristles degrade the quality of surface painting finishes. The more traces of paints that remains on the bristles, the shorter the life span of the paint brush.

To bring a paint brush as close as possible to its original state, the best way is to use detergents to clean a paint brush. After washing with detergents, apply shampoo with conditioner or just conditioner and massage the bristles for a moment before rinsing and drying. Once dry, wrap the paint brush with its original packaging, or with the use of old newspaper for storage.

The idea is that a paint brush should be ready to use the next time it is needed.