For so many reasons we need to make a hole in various materials and there are many ways, you will find to make a hole. Holes are made using a mechanical drill fitted with the appropriate drill bit but we must use the correct drill for the target material. Below is a good selection of different drills for different materials.
So, your target should be the making of a hole with the least trouble and without damaging the material. Choosing the correct drilling solution is the key to succeeding in making a clean hole for your screw or bolt.
You may need to drill holes of different shapes, size and on different types of materials. Depending on your needs or that of customers the drill bit manufacturers have provided us with a selection of drill bits.
To pick up the right drill for your work is essential. Here we will help you understand the drill bit you need.
Different Types of Commonly Used Drill Bits
Drill bits can be categorized in many ways. For example –it can be categorized on the basis of
- shape
- manufacturing material
- the material on which you are going to work with it
Category 1: Drill Bits of Different Shape
Twisted drill bits have a pointed end with a spiral groove that helps to carry the chaff out of the hole. They are available in different sizes including from a fraction of a millimetre up to multiple inches.
Twist drills can be cheap for DIY but high-quality Cobalt drills last a long time and can be used for drilling steel. When the drill bits become dull you can sharpen them using drill bit sharpener.
Auger drill bits are used for boring large holes in wood. They are similar to a twist drill as they are based on the Archimedes screw principle.
For drilling, soft materials auger shaped drill bits are very popular. You can make both medium size and deep holes with them easily. The Auger drill bit is traditionally used with a hand brace but today we use versions designed for power drills. Ideally, they prefer to be driven at low speed but high torque.
Spade or paddle bits have a flat bottom with a sharp tip at the centre position that helps to keep the bit on the target. They splinter out the backside of the hole when they cut through. Spade drill bits require more torque compared to twisted drill bits.
They are available in different lengths and because of their simple design, you can sharpen these easily using drill bit sharpener. You can use them for drilling into wood.
If you are not an expert we will recommend you not to use spade drill bits for making angled hole since it is hard to start angled hole using spade drill bits.
Forstner drill bits have a flat bottom with a point in the centre position. They are unique in design. You can cut two ways at once using Forstner drill bits. Compared to the previous types of drill bits this type require more pressure to make the drill. The Forstner drill is used for boring flat bottomed holes and is ideal for modern kitchen unit hinge holes.
For making high precision drill Forstner drill bits are best. For wood and other soft materials, they are highly preferred. They are more expensive compared to other types of drill bits.
- Step
This type is named as step drill bits because of their stair-stepped profile. If you need to cut the different size of holes and you want to complete all of these jobs with a single drill bit then you can choose step drill bits.
Step drill bits are popular for drilling sheet metal. It makes drill through metal without doing any damage. They are expensive but comparatively accurate and quick in doing their intended job.
Besides the 5 common drill bits of different shape mentioned here, there are so many speciality shaped drill bits for making holes of a different shape.
Category 2: Drill Bits made of Different material
Generally, carbon steel, high-speed steel (HSS), cobalt steel, solid carbide, and tool steel is used for manufacturing drill bits. After manufacturing the main body it is covered with different types of coating material like black oxide, bronze oxide, and titanium nitride for protecting the drill bits from corrosion, for the convenience of tempering and stress relieving and so on.
Category 3: Drill Bits for Drilling Different Types of Material
Common Drill Bits for Wooden Material
Generally, the following 7 types of drill bits are commonly used for drilling wooden materials
- Manual Drill Bits
- Three Prolonged Drill Bits
- Pallet Drill Bits
- Drill C
- Forstner Drill Bits
- Broca e Drill Bits
- Router or Tupi Drill Bits
Common Drill Bits for Metal
Generally, the following 4 types of drill bits are commonly used for drilling metal-
- HSS Laminated Drill Bits
- Rectified HSS Drill Bits
- Rectified Titanium HSS Drill Bits
- Rectified Cobalt HSS Drill Bits
Common Drill Bits for Concrete and Masonry
Generally, the following 2 types of drill bits are commonly used for concrete material
Masonry drill bit construction
- Laminated Drill Bit With Tungsten Carbide Insert
- Milling Drill Bits With High-Performance Carbide Insert
Common Masonry Drill Shank Types
- Plain round for standard drill chuck
- SDS drill bits
- SDS Plus drill bits
- SDS Max drill bits
Common Drill Bits for Glass and Ceramic Material
Generally, the following of drill bits are commonly used for glass and Ceramic-
- Diamond encrusted cutting edge
- Laser welded diamond edge
- Carbide glass drill
Final Verdict
If you have the primary knowledge about different types of drill bits and their functionality you can easily decide for which one you should go for. This is a complete guide about different types of drill bits that will help you to make the right decision about purchasing drill bits.
We have tried to cover all the necessary basics in brief so that it does not take a lot of your time and do not cross the limit of your patience. Hope you will find it helpful.
So you like hand tools check out our comprehensive guide on the types of Handplane
Meta Description
To choose the right drill bit from different types of drill bits available in the market this complete and handy drill bit guide will help you.