Australian Cutting Tools for Accurate Drilling, Cutting & Workshop Work

For more than a century, P&N has been part of Australian drilling, cutting & workshop work. From preparing a hole in steel to cutting threads, shaping material or finishing a fabrication job, the brand covers many of the operations tradespeople perform between measuring the work & completing the finished component.

Founded as Patience & Nicholson in 1921, P&N has Australian origins stretching back more than 100 years. The business began in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs before expanding its operations to Maryborough in central Victoria. Today, P&N operates as a division of Sutton Tools Pty Ltd.

P&N's range centres on professional cutting tools & supporting workshop equipment, with solutions for drilling, hole making, countersinking, threading, shaping, material removal, finishing, measuring & repair work.

Industrial Shed supplies P&N tools for Australian tradespeople, workshops, fabricators, maintenance teams & businesses that depend on accurate cutting work.

Start with the major P&N ranges:

► P&N | Drill Bits – drilling solutions across workshop, trade & material-specific applications
► P&N | Step Drills – progressive hole-making solutions for suitable sheet & fabrication work
► P&N | Tap & Dies – tools for creating & working with threads
► P&N | Carbide Burrs – powered material removal, shaping & deburring
► P&N | Holesaws – larger-diameter hole cutting for compatible materials
► P&N | Abrasives – grinding, preparation & finishing tools
► P&N | Measuring Tools – workshop measurement for accurate preparation & checking

Who Is P&N?

P&N is an Australian tool name with roots going back to 1921.

Originally established as Patience & Nicholson, the business began in the suburbs south-east of Melbourne. Only six years after its foundation, growth led the company to move operations to Maryborough in central Victoria.

Across the decades, P&N became closely associated with cutting tools used in Australian workshops, manufacturing, maintenance, construction & trade work.

Today, P&N is a division of Sutton Tools Pty Ltd & offers an extensive range covering professional cutting tools as well as workshop equipment for serious tool users.

That history gives the brand a particularly strong connection with the practical operations that happen every day in Australian sheds & workshops: measure, mark, drill, cut, thread, shape, repair & finish.

What Is P&N Known For?

Cutting tools remain at the heart of the P&N range.

The brand provides tools for operations including:

► Drilling
► Countersinking
► Hole cutting
► Thread cutting
► Thread repai
► Deburring
► Material removal
► Filing
► Shaping
► Abrasive finishing
► Chiselling
► Fastener extraction
► Measuring & marking
► Tool holding & adaptation

This makes P&N relevant across a wide variety of workshop tasks rather than one isolated category.

A fabricator may use the brand when preparing holes in metal. A maintenance technician may need to remove a damaged fastener before repairing a thread. A tradesperson may need to drill, countersink & finish a component before installation.

The operation changes, but the requirement remains similar: use a cutting tool suited to the material & the work being performed.

Find the Right P&N Range for the Job

Already know what operation needs to be performed? That is the quickest way into the P&N range.

More specialised P&N collections include Jobber Bits, Punches, Wrenches & Holders, Extension & Adaptors, Screw Extractors, Files, Hinge Cutters, Drill Bit Sets, Diamond Bits, Drill Stop Collars, Chisels, Spade Bits, Chuck Keys & Blades.

The individual collections provide the more detailed information needed to choose between tool types, sizes, cutting materials & applications.

Drilling Is a Major Part of the P&N Story

There is a considerable difference between making an ordinary hole & making the right hole efficiently in the material being worked.

Drilling remains one of P&N's major areas of expertise, with the broader manufacturer range covering general-purpose drilling alongside specialised solutions for different materials & hole-making tasks.

Industrial Shed divides this area into focused P&N pathways including:

► P&N | Drill Bits
► P&N | Jobber Bits
► P&N | Step Drills
► P&N | Drill Bits Sets
► P&N | Diamond Bits
► P&N | Spade Bits
► P&N | Drill Stop Collars

This structure allows buyers to begin with the drilling task rather than searching through one oversized group of accessories.

When the job also requires the driving equipment itself, explore Industrial Shed's Power Tools.

Built Around Real Workshop Operations

A finished fabrication job rarely involves a single cutting operation.

Consider a component that needs to be drilled, countersunk & threaded before assembly. Another repair may begin with extracting a damaged fastener before cleaning the opening & restoring the thread. Sheet work might require marking, drilling, enlarging & deburring before installation.

P&N's breadth supports these connected workshop operations through categories such as:

► Drills
► Step drills
► Countersinks
► Carbide burrs
► Taps & dies
► Screw extractors
► Files
► Punches
► Abrasives
► Wrenches & holders

This makes the brand relevant to fabrication, engineering, mechanical maintenance, automotive workshops, construction & general industrial work.

For businesses maintaining professional work areas, Workshop Equipment provides a complementary Industrial Shed range.

Drilling, Countersinking & Hole Preparation

A hole may need considerably more preparation than simply reaching the required diameter.

Depending on the finished job, P&N tools can support:

► Initial marking
► Pilot drilling
► General drilling
► Progressive hole enlargement
► Larger-diameter hole cutting
► Countersinking
► Deburring
► Depth control
► Hole finishing

The correct method depends on the material, thickness, required diameter, depth & finish.

Industrial Shed provides dedicated P&N collections for Drill Bits, Step Drills, Holesaws, Countersink Bits, Hinge Cutters, Diamond Bits, Spade Bits & supporting drilling accessories.

For additional equipment around drilling setups, Drill Accessories provides another useful Industrial Shed pathway.

Threading & Repair Work

A damaged fastener can turn an otherwise straightforward repair into a much more involved workshop job.

P&N covers several stages of thread-related work through:

► P&N | Tap & Dies
► P&N | Wrenches & Holders
► P&N | Screw Extractors
► P&N | Drill Bits

These tools support different operations. Screw extractors address suitable damaged-fastener removal work, while taps, dies & holders support thread creation or appropriate repair tasks.

Before cutting a thread, confirm the required diameter, pitch, thread form, material & hole preparation.

Nominal diameter alone is not enough to identify every threading requirement.

Carbide Burrs, Files & Abrasives

Once material has been drilled or cut, the job may still need shaping, cleaning or finishing.

P&N extends beyond hole-making into tools for controlled material removal.

P&N | Carbide Burrs provides a pathway for suitable powered shaping & deburring work.

P&N | Files supports controlled hand finishing.

P&N | Abrasives covers suitable grinding & surface-preparation requirements.

These tools can be useful for:

► Deburring drilled openings
► Cleaning cut edges
► Shaping components
► Removing unwanted material
► Refining openings
► Preparing surfaces
► Finishing fabrication work

Choose the removal method around the material & required finish rather than simply using the most aggressive tool available.

Measuring & Marking Before the Cut

Accuracy is easier to preserve before material is removed than after it.

P&N's workshop range extends into measuring & marking equipment that supports preparation before drilling or cutting begins.

P&N | Measuring Tools & P&N | Punches can support tasks where position, dimensions or a reliable starting point need to be established before the cutting operation.

Depending on the work, tradespeople may need to confirm:

► Hole position
► Diameter
► Depth
► Material thickness
► Spacing
► Existing component dimensions
► Fastener dimensions
► Thread requirements
► Cutting limits

For wider layout requirements, Industrial Shed's Measuring & Leveling Tools provides another relevant range.

Measure accurately, mark deliberately & then choose the cutting tool for the material.

Extensions, Adaptors & Supporting Workshop Tools

The correct cutter still needs to work with the equipment driving or holding it.

P&N's broader range includes supporting workshop equipment for access, tool holding, adaptation & drilling control.

Industrial Shed P&N collections include:

► P&N | Extension & Adaptors
► P&N | Chuck Keys
► P&N | Drill Stop Collars
► P&N | Wrenches & Holders

These categories can support work involving restricted access, controlled drilling depth, hand threading or different tool interfaces.

Checking compatibility before starting the job can prevent a common workshop frustration: having the right cutting tool but the wrong holder, adaptor or driving arrangement.

Choose the Cutting Tool Around the Material

Steel, aluminium, timber, masonry & abrasive building materials do not behave the same way under a cutting edge.

P&N's broad range addresses work across numerous materials, but suitability depends on the individual tool.

Before choosing, identify:

► Material being worked
► Required operation
► Hole or cut dimensions
► Material thickness
► Required finish
► Cutting depth
► Driving tool
► Shank or holder compatibility
► Appropriate operating method

A cutting tool intended for one material should not automatically be assumed suitable for another simply because the diameter matches.

The product information for the individual P&N tool should always be checked against the material & application.

P&N for Australian Trade, Workshop & Maintenance Work

More than 100 years after Patience & Nicholson was established, P&N continues to serve the kinds of practical cutting operations that keep workshops productive.

The range is relevant to:

► Fabricators
► Mechanical workshops
► Maintenance technicians
► Construction trades
► Engineering businesses
► Manufacturing facilities
► Automotive workshops
► Installers
► Serious workshop users

For these buyers, P&N provides more than one type of cutting accessory. Its range can support the workflow from measuring & preparing the job through to drilling, cutting, threading, shaping & finishing.

That makes P&N particularly useful where a workshop needs access to several related cutting-tool categories under one established Australian name.

Before Choosing a P&N Tool

Start with five practical questions.

► What material is being worked?
► What operation needs to be performed?
► What dimensions are required?
► What tool will drive or hold the cutter?
► What finish does the completed work require?

Those answers can quickly separate a drill bit from a step drill, a holesaw from a specialist cutter or a carbide burr from a hand file.

If replacing an existing tool, also record its dimensions, shank or holder arrangement & intended material.

If the previous cutter wore unusually quickly, consider the working conditions before assuming another identical replacement will solve the problem.

Correct selection is about the complete cutting task, not simply matching the nearest-looking tool in the drawer.