Drill Bits

What are Drill Bits

Drill bits are cutting tools used to create holes in all types of Materials such as Steel, Wood, Glass and Plastic. The specific type of drill bit is required for the different type of material being drilled as there are numerous purposes for a drill bit. It is used ranging from DIY woodworking, steelwork & building projects to construction undertakings.

Drill bits differ in shapes, sizes, length and purpose as there are different purposes for a drill bit. Almost any type of material can be drilled because they are catered for by the specific drill bit, such as Aluminium, Brass, Cast Iron, Mild steel, stainless steel and Plastics. The edges and width are specifically designed to cut through these materials, using a bit not designed for the task may cause your drill bit to break or flatten the bit point as some materials are too hard to drill through and can damage your Materials. To determine which drill bit is required for a specific task you could have a look at the Drill Bit specification chart to get an idea of which drill bit would be handy for your task at hand, these charts are available at Tools4Wood.

Drill Bit Sets

There is a drill bit for every application, but deciding which bit is needed when is often tricky. Drill bit sets have a range of different types of drill bits for any occasion.

Straight Drill Bits

Straight bits are drill bits which simply make a hole into or through a workpiece. Often used for doweling or attaching fixtures and fittings to your workpiece.

Auger Bits

Auger bits are used for quickly and easily drilling through thick timber. The drill bit requires less RPM, drill speed, than conventional straight bits. Often used in construction.

Forstner Bits

Forstner bits have a flat bottom and are most often used for drilling hinge holes into wood. Because the diameters of these bits are often large, a drill press is recommended to ensure the holes remain perpendicular to the work surface.

Spade Bits

Spade bits are used to drill through timber very quickly. The cutting edge requires very little power to easily drill through the material. However, the hole is often rough and splintered.

Boring Bits

Similar to auger bits, boring bits have 2 additional cutting surfaces and as a result provide a cleaner cut through the material. Only suitable for wood.

Hole Saws

Hole saws allow for large diameter holes to be drilled through wood. Often used to cut holes into cabinets and desks for cables to pass through.

Plug Cutters

Plug cutters are used for cutting out wooden plugs from waste material. These plugs can then be used to fill in drill holes to hide them.

Mortice Chisels

Mortice chisels are used to drill square holes or to mortise, cut away a rectangular slot, material. Much faster, and arguably more accurate than using a chisel. Often used when producing a mortice and tenon joint.

Countersink Bits

Countersink bits are used after a hole has been drilled. If a screw is used to join two pieces of wood, the countersink bit creates space for the head of the screw to sit. This effectively makes the screw flush with the surface of the board.

Special Bits

There are many drill bits for special applications, often a combination of two or more of the bits above.