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Tiring a Hole: Picking the Best Drill Bit for the Job
When drilling any product, the appropriate bit is vital so that holes can get bored quickly and with ease. If you’re a newbie at DIY, this short article describes how to tackle choosing the best drill bit for the job when tiring through different materials such as metal, masonry, plastics, wood, glass, and tiles. I lay out some pointers for drilling, the correct method to utilize a hand power drill, and how drill bits can sharpen. At the end of the post, you’ll discover an 11-minute video that reveals to you how to drill.
Which Drill Bit for Steel/Other Metals?
- HSS.
- Titanium coated or cobalt steel.
- Metal hole saw.
- Unibit (action bit).
- HSS Bits.
HSS or high-speed steel bits consist of carbon steel with other aspects such as chrome and vanadium. That enables them to use at high drilling speeds. You can use HSS bits to drill iron, steel, and other metals such as copper, aluminum, and brass alloy. You can also use them to drill plastic. You may drill wood with an HSS bit if absolutely nothing else gets offered. Nevertheless, if the hole is deep or large, the bit will become excessively hot, and drilling progress will be slower.
Titanium Coated/Cobalt Steel
HSS bits having a coating of a titanium substance are more resilient and more complex than HSS bits and ideal for hard drilling materials, e.g., stainless steel. In practice, though, the titanium covering deteriorates, and if you sharpen them with a drill bit sharpener or by hand, the coating is completely lost. Titanium bits appear like HSS bits with brass or orange coloring.
Another choice for drilling tough steels or stainless steel is cobalt alloy bits. They get manufactured from solid alloy, not just coated like titanium bits, and sometimes significant HSS Co. The cobalt addition makes the drills more long-lasting, and they can hold up against higher temperatures throughout drilling without losing their edge. The downside is that they are more costly, more fragile, and therefore more likely to chip at the cutting edge. You can use cobalt steel bits for drilling “regular” mild steel or other metals.
Step Bit (Unibit)
Action bits get conically formed with multiple cutting edges of differing diameters. They appropriate for drilling thin softwoods, laminates (e.g., plywood) and particle board (chipboard), plastics, drywall (plasterboard) & sheet metal. Step bits are perfect for electrical work when varying-sized holes have to cut in junction boxes, panels, etc. The advantage of this kind of bit is the benefit of drilling a variety of hole sizes without changing bits. Likewise, because the bit generally concerns a point, a pilot hole isn’t required, as is typically the case if a big hole needs to get drilled.
Drill, Driving Bits Set by Craftsman.
This 100 piece drilling & driving set by Craftsman consists of all the needed drill bits for dull holes in wood, masonry, metal, and plastic. Perfect for general purpose DIY work around the home, hobbies, and crafts. It also has an extensive set of motorist bits and nut motorists for use with a cordless drill.
Which Drill Bit for Wood?
- Spade or flat wood bit.
- Lip and spur (Brad Point) bit.
- Hole saw.
- Masonry bit.
- Step bit.
- HSS bit if nothing else available.
- Spade or Flat Wood Bit.
These are suitable for quick drilling through wood and are frequently available in sizes from 1/4 inch (6 mm) to about 1/2 inches (36 mm). The downside of spade bits is that they can produce a splintering effect as the bit emerges from the wood if you use too much pressure.
Lip and Spur (Brad Point) Bits
These are another option for drilling lumber and available in sizes from 1/8 inches (3 mm) to 5/8 inches (16 mm). You can also use them to prepare soft plastic and are less likely to occur melting of the hole edges because of friction, which can happen when drilling with an HSS bit.
Hole Saws
Drilling huge holes greater than 1 1/2 inches with a standard bit is impractical as you would require a drill with a considerable quantity of power and torque to conquer friction to drill through wood. Instead, drilling large holes can be achieved with a spot saw. That has small teeth like a handsaw, and the “blade” is in the form of a cylinder. Some hole saws are only for drilling wood or plastic, while other versions have come from HSS steel and suitable for drilling steel, iron, and other metals in addition to wood.
Which Drill Bit for Plastic?
You can utilize the same bits when it comes to wood. Drill gradually. If you drill fast, friction may rapidly cause the plastic to melt, blocking the suggestion and flutes of the drill with melted shavings, specifically if the bit is blunt. As shavings cool & get stuck in the flutes/coat the bit, the issue gets worse, and the bit can get stuck. It’s not such a huge offer when drilling through the thin plastic. However, I’ve found that when drilling through thicker sheets and mainly acrylic (frequently understood by the trademark name “Plexiglass” or “Perspex”), this can be problematic. The same goes for cutting the plastic with a jigsaw; utilize a slow speed.
Which Drill Bit for Solid Concrete, Brick, Block (Masonry)?
- Tungsten carbide bit.
- Diamond hole saw.
Tungsten Carbide Masonry Drill Bits
These bits are for drilling holes in stone, solid concrete, cinder block, brick, and breeze blocks (oxygenated concrete blocks). They are offered in sizes from simply under 1/4 inches (5 mm) to 1 1/2 inches (approx. 40 mm).
Masonry bits have a round area shank for usage in a traditional chuck. A better choice is an SDS-type bit. The shank on this type of bit does not slip in a chuck, and you can quickly place and extract from the SDS chuck on the power drill. You can use masonry bits in a percussion, hammer, or impact drill. This percussive or hammering action pulverizes the masonry in contact with the pointer of the bit.
You can use masonry bits for drilling rough holes in wood. The hole will be rougher, and development will be slower. That is because the drill chips its way by force through the wood. A good wood-drill-bit shaves its way through wood like a sculpt. For building and construction work, this isn’t a problem, though.
