Drill Bits

Introduction

A drill is a part of almost any toolbox, this instrument is also widely used in many industries. However, even with a top-quality drill, you won’t achieve the results you want without reliable and properly chosen drill bits.

What are Drill Bits Used For?

Drill bits are tools that are used to drill holes in various materials, such as wood, metal, plastic, ceramic tile, porcelain. There are also drill bits for concrete, steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, sheet metal, fiberglass, brick, vinyl flooring, the list goes on.

Drill bits will come in handy in various tasks, from small DIY projects to heavy-duty applications.

What is the construction of a drill bit?

In order to understand how a thing works, you should know its construction.

Let’s consider the elements of a drill bit.

Body - the part between the shank and the point of the drill bit.
Point - the end point of the drill bit.
Body clearance - the body part whose diameter is a little smaller than the diameter of the drill bit. As a result, the friction between the drill & the hole is minimized.
Flutes - spiral grooves on the drill bit body. They do the cutting work & turn the chips into curls.
Land - the length of the body across the part between the flutes.
Shank - the driving end of the drill bit that fits into the drilling machine.
Tang - a part of the shank - fits into the machine spindle.

What are the Types of Drill Bits?

Image	Drill Bit Type	Materials that can be used with the drill bit	Applications	Additional information
	Twist Drill Bit	Wood, light metal, plastic, metal, ceramic, masonry	Maintenance, building projects, small repairs	Popular for home use.
	Brad Point Drill Bit	Wood	Making furniture as well as other woodworking applications	Accurate drilling + a clean exit point.
	Auger Drill Bit	Wood	Woodworking & building	Thanks to a special screw tip, less pressure is required. The tip helps to draw the drill.
	Spade Drill Bit	Wood	It is possible to drill holes in wall studs for various applications, including framing, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, and other projects.	A spade drill bit bores holes with a large diameter.
	Forstner Drill Bit	Wood	Woodworking & building	With this bit, it is easy to create a clean hole with a flat base. Please note that it is better to be used in a drill press.
	Countersink Drill Bit	Wood	Woodworking	It drills pilot holes to the right depth. You will get a tidy finish without any snags.
	Installer Drill Bit	Wood, plaster, some masonry	Used for installing thin wiring for security/entertainment systems	After drilling, a wire is inserted into a small hole in the bit and pushed through the hole. Then, the wire should be grasped from the opposite side and pulled through.
	Step Drill Bit	Wood, metal	Sheet metal-based tasks & woodworking projects.	Ideal if you need to drill pilot holes. With a step drill bit, it is easy to drill holes of multiple sizes, no additional drill bits required. You can remove waste material in holes.
	Glass & Tile Drill Bit	Glass, ceramic	Tile wall installations	Note that with carbide-tipped bits, chips/cracks will be minimized during tile drilling. Drill bits for glass are recommended to be used with a rotary drill at a slow speed.
	Masonry Drill Bit	Masonry (brick, concrete)	Construction	It is better to use a hammer drill.
	Hole Saw	Wood, metal, tile, masonry	Door hardware installing, creating a pass-through for wiring	To be connected to a drill, it is attached to a shank. Hole saws are perfect if you need to drill big cut-out holes.
	Screwdriver Drill Bit	Wood, plastic, and more	Construction, renovations	Considering the type, such drill bits can be used with a handheld drill & impact driver.
	Core Drill Bit	Masonry (brick, concrete)	Heavy-duty applications (like masonry boring)	A core drill bit is compatible with a rotary hammer, impact tools.

What materials are used when making drill bits?

There are different drill bit materials that are suitable for various applications. Here are some of materials that drill bits can be made of:

High-Speed Steel (or HSS) drill bits are often chosen for use on wood, light metal, PVC, fiberglass, and more.
Titanium-coated drill bits offer reduced friction, less effort is needed + they have a longer lifetime. Applications: working with wood, PVC, steel, fiberglass.
Cobalt drill bits have a very useful benefit, they quickly dissipate heat + they have a high resistance to abrasion. In case you are working with stainless steel, a cobalt drill bit is a perfect choice. Applications: drilling steel, hard metals
Carbide-tipped drill bits have an advantage of remaining sharp for a long time of usage. A great choice for masonry, other applications include concrete, tile.
Diamond drill bits. Applications: glass, fused glass, sea glass, rocks, minerals.

How to Maintain Drill Bits?

If you want to prolong the lifetime of your tools (and we hope you do), it is necessary to maintain them in the right way. Here are a few tips:

Let the drill bit cool off after working with it.
Wipe the drill bit with a dry cloth. Remove debris.
Sharpen your drill bits periodically.
Replace damaged drills if there are some.
Keep your instruments dry and organized as well - use a toolbox, tool organizer.

On Mega Depot, you can choose from an extensive range of drill bits from top manufacturers. Get the most suitable tools for your application!