Different Types of Drill Bits

There are many different types of drill bits in the market. We will describe all of them here.

Drilling tools are essential, and should be found in every modern home.

From the chairs, tables, cabinets and every other equipment’s in our home, everything were all just pieces of woods and metal till we decided to pull out the tool boxes, power drills and drill bits and piece them all together.

Unfortunately, it isn’t until its time to redecorate the kids room, or buy new furniture that drilling equipment become a MUST have.

After realizing we are in need of drill tools, most DIY, new tools buyers find themselves clueless as to what function each individual drill bits delegate, as well as the specific type of steel component to buy.

What is a Drill Bit?

Let’s start with the basics.

The drill is a cutting (drilling) device, which finds application in creating holes in a material.

The drill creates round holes, despite it happens in different shapes and sizes. In accordance with this, we can get holes of any size and model if we use a drill.

The structure of the drill is not complicated. As a rule, it has a spiral part, a point angle, and a lip angle.

The spiral part is the most important part since it is this part that is used for control during cleaning of the bit from chips.

The spiral part can be fast and slow. If you want to remove the shavings from the material quickly, then you need a fast spiral. Need a low rate of chip cleaning? Use a slow spiral.

Such a part as a point angle is not less important part of the bit than the spiral part. When working with the solid material, you need to select a bit with a large point angle.

The reverse works with a soft material. In that case, you need a bit with a small point angle.

And the last part – the angle of the lips – is needed to adjust the support for the cutting edge. It will allow you not to damage the thread.

The length of the bit is not part of it, but it has a big effect on the bit’s performance. The length provides the depth of the hole that you are going to do with this bit.

In addition, material divides the bits. So, there are metal, woody bits, and many others.

As an attempt to aid in a clear up all confusion, as well as provide general understanding of drill bits, heres an outline of the three common steels the drill bits are composed of.

1. Cobalt Steel

To truly understand the kind drill bits that are made of cobalt steel, simply examine the nickel in your pocket.

While cobalt steel can withstand high temperature while drilling through stainless steel and hard surfaces, it is actually less durable than high carbon steel.

2. Low Carbon Steel

Drill bits made of low carbon steel are made from as little as 0.005 – 0.3% carbon, and require constant sharpening and polishing, which is why they are inexpensive to purchase so you get what you paid for.

Low carbon steel drill bits are commonly used for drilling holes through softwood and hardwood, and rarely for hard metals.

3. High Carbon Steel (HSS)

Like its name implies, high carbon steel don’t corrode or weaken under intense drill heat like its counterpart low carbon steel does.

High Carbon Steel drill bits serve as a better alternative for drilling through solid metals, hardwood boards, and all other seemingly impenetrable surfaces. Your money is well spent when you purchase high carbon steel drill bits, for they promise longevity and durability.

4. Flat Head Screwdriver Bits

It is only right that we begin with the first drill bit ever developed, the flat head screwdriver bit.

Armed with one single slot in which to drill in the usually flat head screw, flat head screwdriver bits are commonly used for the construction of the tables, chairs, cabinets, and other household furnitures that beautify your home.

Flat head screwdriver bits can be operated on a manual screwdriver, or an electric one, and can only be used to drill a flathead screw through wood and walls.

5. Twist Drill Bits

Twist bits, or twist drills as they are commonly called, are tools usually used by your repairmen in your home reparations. Twist bits can be operated with both a manual drill, as well as an electric drill, and are available in sizes 0.8mm to 12 mm.

Most points on a twist bits are situated at a 118 degree angle which is perfect for when working with wood, metal, and plastic.

The tricky thing about these bits is that they are layered with Titanium Nitride (TiN), a low carbon steel, which makes polishing and maintaining them a bit harder due to the easily corrosive nature of Titanium Nitride.

6. Spade Bit

As its name suggests, this spade shaped drill bit is equipped with a flat blade, and two cutters which helps centralize and secure its drilling position.

A fairly moderate sized instrument, the spade bit has a diameter of 1 1/2 inches, and is used mostly by woodworkers.

Powered by an electric drill, woodworkers use spade bits as a means to prevent cracking, and further defects in their woodwork.

The bit is a tool that effectively makes cleaner exit holes from the opposite side of the wood. An everyday equipment in your home that had been aided by the use of a spade bit, is your polished wooden dining table.

7. Spoon Bits

Although the spoon bit also comes equipped with a defined holding shaft like a table spoon does, the spoon bit is not used for eating or biting into a bowl of cereal, like its name might suggest, but rather serves a completely different purpose.

The main purpose of a spoon bit is to mark and create a holes in a piece of wood. When looking to create a perfect hole at the side of a wooden equipment, carpenters use a hand brace to twist the spoon bit into the the desired wooden frame in a clockwise motion until they get a clean and perfectly circular hole.

8. Forstner Bit

How do you think the legs of your favor favorite wooden chair were made to fit a perfect angle? Simple. With the aid of a forstner bit

From its shape, to its overall function, this drill bit is unlike any other drill bits we are accustomed to. At first glance the forstner drill bit is seen to have an ‘S’ shaped curvature, as well as its sharp teeth which helps to further enhance its effectiveness.

When looking to make clean, perfectly round flat base at the top, or by the side of any wooden platform, there is no other bit more suitable that the forstner bit.

9. Dowelling Bit

The dowelling bit or lip and spur drill bit, as commonly known, is suitable for creating holes in both wood and metal.

In addition to its four spurs, or sharp corner that instantly pierce through wood, the dowel bit has a small point, or lip at its center which helps to level the instrument while it is being drilled.

So next time you open or close your wooden drawer, say thank you to the dowel bit that helped create that side enclosure.

10. Mason Drill Bit

Mason drill bits have spirals that possess extra-hardened elements and are quite powerful, to say the least. Mason drill bits can drill into walls, concrete, and other thick surfaces without causing cracks or crumbling to the exterior of the indented object.

Since concrete is dense and bulky, and requires both drilling as well as hammered force, I would recommend using a hammer drill when looking to make a hole with a mason bit.

Further uses of a mason drill bit include fixing new wiring and plumbing into homes and office buildings.

11. Adjustable Wood Bits

Frequently referred to as also an expansive wood bit, the adjustable wood boring bit helps create a medium sized hole through a wooden panel.

At its center is a sharp screw for leveling the bit itself and positioning where the hole will be located, and supporting the centre screw is a rotating sharp blade that cuts from one side of the wood to the other side, effortlessly.

12. Countersink Drill Bits

Countersink bits are one of my favorite types of drill bits. Most of us know the frustrating feeling of having a sole screwdriver that wasn’t the right fit for our screws.

Equipped with a short base, and an extended cylinder, capped by a cone shaped end, the countersink drill bit instantly solves that problem on a larger scale, for it comes in several sizes and is well equipped to accommodate various bolts, regardless of their respective size and dimensions.

There are two types of countersink bits, the first being the fluted countersink bit.

Fluted countersink creates a cone shaped opening for which to receive the head of a screw.

However, using a oversized countersink than required is actually counterproductive, for using an overly wide completely swallows the screw and proves ineffective.

The second type of countersink drill bit, is the cross-hole countersink bit. The cross-hole countersink bit is not of a fluted shape, like its counterpart, the fluted countersink.

The cross-holed countersink is equipped with an tilted hole for which to receive a drilled screw at an angled position.

13. Metal Drill Bit

Metal drill bits are well known for their black, or stealth like color, and are fairly more high-priced than the average drill bit.

Not only do they effortlessly drill through heavy metal like a knife through butter, metal drill bits can also be used on less dense materials such as plastic and wood.

If you are the type of person who appreciates quality rather than quantity, then you wont hesitate to invest in a set of metal drill bits, for they guarantee precision for years to come.

14. A Hole Saw Bit

While we use our doors to enter and leave our homes every day, we never truly pay attention to the hole in which both the doorknob and its lockset are situated in.

What tool were used in making that hole, you might ask? Simple. A hole saw. A hole saw is a cylindrical shaped steel bit with sharp saw teeth that pierces right into wood to create a clean hole within it.

In case seeking out a DIY home project that involves the use of a hole saw, there are several safety procedures to follow, one being to wear a pair of safety glasses while drilling a hole through a wooden surface.

The hole saw drills the circumference around a given material and not straight through it which in turn causes an avalanche of dust to fly through the air. Be safe and wear a pair of safety goggles at all times.

15. Step Bit

Step bits are types of bits used for drilling holes in hardwood, and thin sheets of metal.

The amazing thing you should know about the cone-shaped step bit , is that it can handily drill from 10-to-13 different hole sizes with one single bit. Each increase in diameter is accentuated with carvings on the bit itself, and span a width of 0.8inch to 1.5 Inches.

16. Cobalt Drill Bit

Extremely heat resistant and long-lasting , cobalt drill bits are made of a cobalt alloy, usually 5-to-8 percent, rather than the easily degradable cobalt coating found is the so called premium drill bits and best drill bits for stainless steel.

The cobalt bit has a slightly golden color which is a result of its factory production, an aesthetically pleasing feature that makes the cobalt bit stand out from all your other tools.

Also Read: Black Oxide vs Titanium Drill Bits

These drill bits come in infinite sized, just to list a few;

1/16-inch
5/64-inch
3/32-inch
7/64-inch
5/32-inch
1/8-inch

17. A Drill Bit For Glass And Tiles

Drilling through glass sounds like an impossibly difficult task doesn’t it? Actually it isn’t. If it were, then how were the glass doors in your shower fixed in place? Simple. With the aid of a glass drill bit.

Drill bits for glass and drill bits for tiles are spear shaped, with carbide tips which intricately and flawlessly drill through sturdy glass and porcelain tiles.

Glass and tile drill bits come in various sizes depending on the specification of the job requirement. Available in sizes 1/8 inch, 3/16 inch 1/4 inch, 5/16 inch, 3/8 inch and a 1/2 inch, variety is the spice of life.

18. Flexible Bit: A Bit That Reaches Hidden Areas

Flexible bits cannot do cartwheels or backflips, but can certainly help create holes in places unreachable to the common drill bit.

Just as you can flex a muscle at multiple angles, so can the flexible drill bit.

How it works is that while the interior shank spins, the exterior covering serves to balance the extension as the screw is being drilled, which helps fix the bit in position at any possible angle.

With that being said, the large narrow book shelf in your library was assembles with the aid of a flexible drill bit. You’re welcome!

How To Maintain Your Drill Bit

Drill bits, like all metal tend to rust overtime if not properly cared for, so it is essential to retain a proper maintenance routine. Unless you are perfectionist who polishes their instruments after every use, it is is almost impossible to keep them in pristine condition.

Through regular use, our drilling tools lose their original luster and definition, but we have the capacity to ensure that they don’t completely rust and remain highly functional. Dont use your drill bits to pull damage or broken screw.

The number one tip for maintaining your drill bits is to regularly use a clean dry fabric to apply light dabs of oil unto them. Just as plants need water to grow, your drill bits require oil to flourish. You can sharp your dull bits using drill bits sharpener.

In addition to frequent oil coating, it is also essential to keep your tools in a dry, moisture-free location, most commonly, your garage.

Conclusion

Hope you are now more knowledgeable about different types of drill bits and their works on different surfaces While their use may remain obscure to many people, drill bits actually form some of the basic tools we need, either for home-based projects or those we do at our various work stations.

We hope you learnt a thing or two from the above comprehensive review of some of the types of drill bits in the markets today.

What is a Drill Bit?