If you’ve ever tried to drill into robust metal blocks with a cheaper, low-quality tool, you’ll know how important it is to choose the right drill bit for a particular task.
Drill bits are so crucial, as the right drill bits can make or break a project and help you to drill holes that are exactly as you need.
Using the incorrect drill bit can result in the tool not cutting or the drill bit becoming hotter and burning. Fortunately, the majority of home tasks only need a few certain forms of drill bits.
These drill bits include the twist bit, spade, brad point, tile, and masonry drill bit. We’ll cover more about these in this article, including what they are and the tasks they are best suited to perform.
Keep reading to find out which drill bits you should have for household tasks!
What Is The Twist Drill Bit?
A lot of people find that the twist drill bit is the most useful for tasks in the home. This is because the tool can work on many types of materials, including plastic, metal, and wood.
However, selecting the correct twist drill bit can be a hard process, as they come in various types and prices.
In most cases, home projects will require an HSS drill bit, also known as a High-Speed Steel drill bit. Drill bits that are made from high-carbon steel are softer. These will be fine for wood use but will wear down when used on metal surfaces.
Titanium-coated drill bits have a long lifespan, but these will be higher in price. Tasks like working with broken bolts can only be done with these.
If you are using a twist drill bit made from harder metals, stick to a slower motor speed and use a light oil to lubricate the point. This will stop the tool from becoming too hot.
You can stop twist drill bits from moving by using a center punch to dent the metal. Place the point of the drill bit along the indent, then begin drilling at a slower speed.
If you want to make bigger holes in a denser metal, use a smaller width drill bit to make a hole as a guide. Keep drilling in stages to work up to the desired hole size.
What Is A Spade Drill Bit?
A spade drill bit is often used by craftspeople to make bigger holes in wood. This is usually when the look of the hole isn’t of concern, like during the construction stage of important projects.
Also known as paddle drill bits, spade drill bits utilize pivot points to position the hole in the correct area.
Spade drill bits have a long flat blade that can cut through wood well, but a drawback of this is that it can leave a fragmented outlet hole.
You can make this area look better by attaching a sacrificial board to the underside. Another tip is to start backing the drill bit away after the pivot point gets through, then proceed to cut the hole from the board's underside.
What Are Brad Point Drill Bits?
Brad point drill bits are often used for woodworking tasks that need a specific location and hole size. These look like a mix between a twist and a spade drill bit.
The brad point’s pivot point resembles a spade drill bit that cuts into the wood, which also prevents the tool from meandering.
The drill bit’s cutting side helps to make a tidier hole, while the spurs on the edge of the point prevent the outlet hole from splitting. The brad point’s body also has flutes that direct debris away from the surface as you drill the hole.
As you look at the points on a brad-point drill bit, you’ll notice two kinds of spurs, pointed and rounded. Pointed spurs are better for drilling holes in hardwood, while rounded spurs drill better into softwoods.
Pointed spurs are sharp, allowing the user to drill tidier holes into hardwood with limited outlet hole blowout.
However, pointed spurs are not great on softwood, as they catch at the wood’s grain from time to time.
Rounded spurs are better for softwood, as they cut through the grain without snagging or shredding the fibers.
What Are Masonry Drill Bits?
Masonry drill bits are often used by contractors, as they work well to make holes in concrete, cement, masonry mortar, and bricks.
You should never use masonry drill bits on metal or harder tile forms, like glass or porcelain. Masonry drill bits can be identified from their thin shaft and triangular point.
Craftsmen usually use masonry drill bits alongside a hammer drill, particularly when drilling on cement filled with aggregate. Hammer drills will pulse the drill bit as it rotates, acting like a small hammer in the process.
The cutting point has a rough form that sustains well against motions from a hammer drill. Its thin shaft reduces any friction that occurs while drilling holes. The shaft also works to channel debris out and away from the hole.
Commercial hammer drills may have an SDS locking arrangement, allowing the drill bit to move up and down as the hammer drill spins.
This delivers a more powerful blow, so care should be exercised when using the drill. You should also never use hammer drills to make holes in ceramic tiles.
What Are Tile Drill Bits?
A lot of DIY enthusiasts find it hard to select the right drill bit to use on tile.
For instance, Using regular twist drill bits to attach a shower door onto bathroom wall tiles can result in damaging the tiles and your shower door.
Twist drill bits can drill through the aluminum on the door frame, but once it touches the tile underneath, it will only score the surface until the tile cracks or the tip burns up.
Masonry drill bits with carbide tips will be fine to use on glazed ceramic tiles, but they can burn up on glass or porcelain tiles.
If you’re looking for a multipurpose drill bit that can cut through most types of tiles, look for diamond-tipped drill bits. Ones which are ¼ inch in diameter will be fine for the majority of shower doors.
Some homeowners like to use diamond-tipped hole saws to drill bigger holes, like the ones needed for shower arms. Another option is spear tip drill bits, as these generally work well on hard tiles and glass ones.
You can prevent the tile drill bits from moving around the tile by applying masking tape on the surface. Use a pencil to mark where the holes would be on the tape.
Next, use a multi-speed drill to start making the holes. Begin drilling at a slower speed, then slowly increase to a medium level while the drill bit cuts into the tile.
If your tile is made of glass, don’t increase the speed, but keep the drill at a slower one. This will stop the drill bit from burning up.
Keep applying medium pressure and wait for the drill bit to cut through the tile. Keep the drill working as you take it out from the opening.
Conclusion
It’s important to use the right type of drill bit for specific tasks, as using the wrong one can lead to damage later.
The most common ones that are used for household tasks are twist, spade, brad point, masonry, and tile drill bits.
A twist drill bit is very common and can be used on many types of surfaces. If you want to make large holes in wood quickly, a spade drill bit will be best.
Brad-point drill bits are often needed for woodworking tasks, as they are good for drilling precise holes in a specific area.
Masonry drill bits are robust and can be used on cement, concrete, masonry mortar, and brick. They can be used on some tiles, but to be safe, it’s best to use tile drill bits for this purpose.