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Drill types: drills and drills for different materials

This post outlines the different types of drills and their advantages and uses when drilling different materials. Drills have a wide range of applications, depending on the materials. Bits made of high speed steel (HSS) are good for drilling wood and plastic, while carbide-tipped bits are ideal for hard metals like stainless steel or titanium. Twist drills should be used on tougher metals, like cast iron and aluminum, while masonry bits are suitable for drilling through concrete walls. Each type of drill has its own advantages and should be used for the appropriate material. With the right drill, any project can be completed efficiently and precisely.

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This article provides a classification of drills depending on the operations performed. From the article you will learn what are the types of drills and drills, their working diameters and possible combinations. We will explain the differences and similarities between different types of drills and how they work..

Drilling material is a process that accompanies any type of construction and repair activity. The main and auxiliary holes in any material are the “merit” of special drills. In this article we will analyze their main types..

Most drills have a helical structure and differ in tip structure. As a rule, the edges of the chip evacuation grooves are also sharp and perform an auxiliary operation – cleaning the hole from the remaining chips.

Drills for wood

This type includes four popular varieties, which make 90% of all wood drilling work:

  1. Twist drill for wood. Diameter from 3 to 12 mm with a length of 150-800 mm.
  2. Pen or just “feather”. Diameter from 12 to 40 mm with a length of 160-250 mm.
  3. Wood drill. Diameter from 6 to 40 mm with a length of 250-1200 mm.
  4. Variable diameter expanding drill. Diameter from 15 to 76 mm with a length of 160 mm.

Drill types. Drills and drills for different materials Wood drill bit

Excision of the sinus of the hole is made in a non-shock way. The cutting edge cuts a layer of wood, the thickness of which depends on the combination of forces of rotation and pressure.

Drill for metal

The double tape of the tip of this drill is cut at a 55 ° angle at the tip. The strips, crossing the sharpened edges, form a kind of cutter. Varieties of drills for metal:

  1. Normal. Total edge angle 115-118 °.
  2. Single-edged or armored. Has only one cutting edge.
  3. For deep drilling (depth over 5 diameters). Such a drill can be hollow for removal of chips or have a channel in the structure for supplying coolant (internal or grooved).
  4. Ring. Only the annular part of the material is drilled.
  5. Drill Zhirov. The peculiarity of this type is in a special sharpening. The edges are directed not outward, but inward, forming three sharp cones – central and lateral. This drill is perfect for holes in sheet material.

Drill types. Drills and drills for different materials Annular drill for metal

Modern drills for metal of the same type can be used both in machine tools and for hand tools, if the fastening allows. On the factory machines of the old modification, the Morse taper mount is used, which makes these drills unusable separately from the machines.

Holes in any kind of plastic are usually made with metal drills, since the two materials have a similar origin – solidification of a homogeneous molten mass. When working on plastic, the drills wear out a little and do not dull for a long time.

Drill for stone and ceramics

It is a reinforced rod with solders in the cutting part. Soldering is usually made of a heavy-duty material – pobedit, made with the addition of diamond dust. On the outer part of the rod, grooves are cut to remove the crushed chips. Drills for stone are divided into four types:

  1. Drill for concrete and brick. It has a cylindrical or hexagonal shank, a two-tape working part and two solders in the cutting part. The solders protrude 1–2 mm beyond the plane of the rod (depending on the diameter). Designed for impact drills. Diameter from 4 to 12 mm with a length of up to 150 mm.
  2. Small diameter concrete drill. The design of the working part is similar to the drill, but it has a special shank with SDS, SDS-plus or SDS-max fastening. Designed for installation in a hammer drill chuck. Diameter from 6 to 18 mm with a length of up to 600 mm.
  3. Reinforced concrete drill of large diameter. It has two auxiliary solders (four in total) and a shallower angle of cutting edges. Shank – SDS-max (for hammer drills from 1800 W). Diameter from 18 to 28 mm with a length of up to 1200 mm. Passes reinforcement in reinforced concrete.
  4. Drill bit for ceramic tiles and glass. Smooth rod with spear-shaped diamond soldering. The cutting edge is on the outside of the soldering. Diameter from 6 to 12 mm. Larger holes are made with special devices – “ballerinas” (with additional cutters) and diamond crowns.

Drill types. Drills and drills for different materials Drill “ballerina” for tiles

The first three types require the application of shock loads in addition to the clamping and rotational forces. This is achieved thanks to the design of the drill (punch). Moreover, their rods are more powerful to withstand impact. Borax is applicable to any kind of stone – artificial or natural. Holes with a diameter of more than 28 mm are drilled without impact using special powerful diamond core bits (diameter from 30 to 800 mm).

Universal drill

This species is a cross between all of the above. Engineers have tried to combine the designs of stone and metal drills in order to create a convenient and effective multi-tool. The result is a drill with reduced cutting edges and a developed guide pin. More precisely, it is not a spike, but a directing cone, which precedes the sinking with an edge.

Universal drill ALPEN Profi Multicut

The most relevant application is cladding a brick wall with sheet metal – the drill easily goes through the metal and you do not need to change the tool to drill the wall for the dowel. Using a metal drill for wood is not always a good idea, since the power consumption and wear of the drill is higher (compared to a wood drill).

Combined drills

This look includes all sorts of variations on the drill theme. A huge number of them were invented and patented at different times. We will present the most demanded in the construction and home workshop:

  1. “Ballerina”. A device that allows you to cut holes with a diameter of 30 to 120 mm in ceramics or wood material. On the traverse, a drill is fixed in the center (for tiles or wood), and auxiliary cutters are attached to the adjustable offsets. As they plunge, the cutters enter the material and cut it.
  2. Drill for confirmation. Chuck with double countersink for furniture Euro screw. A replaceable drill bit for wood or metal is inserted into it (O 4-6 mm).
  3. Forstner drill. Symbiosis of drills, crowns and cutters. Has a threaded guide bit, a crown with teeth and a transverse cutting edge. Designed for blind holes (sampling) with a diameter of 20 to 50 mm.
  4. Furniture drills for chamfering. Such devices do not make holes, but they can partially enlarge them. Have a mount for a movable cutter.
  5. Center drill. A special metal tool. The cutting part repeats the drill for metal, but the working part is several times thicker and shorter. Designed to guide central holes.
  6. Countersink. A drill that plunges into the material only to the edge height. Used to create a sweat under the screw head.

Drill types. Drills and drills for different materials Forstner drill

Work with a drill

Drills and drills are always at the forefront of hard work. They are affected by friction, shock, temperature, so sooner or later they fail. To extend the life of your drill, learn to sharpen it and do not overload it with pressure while working. If the tool begins to drill worse, carry out an audit without waiting for the working part to overheat.

Signs of drill damage:

  1. There is no proper effect when pressing a working tool – it stands still (does not deepen).
  2. The edges are smoothed out, no longer sharp. Solids have decreased in size or chipped.
  3. The metal on the edge has an unnatural tint (sometimes bluish) – a sign of overheating.
  4. When drilling metal, a piercing whistle is heard, but the drill continues to pass through the metal – one of the edges is out of order.
  5. Drill break.

In all cases, only wood and metal drills can be repaired. There is only one way – sharpening. Carbide-tipped drills and drills cannot be repaired or refurbished.

The varieties listed are only a fraction of the total. The engineers of each manufacturer try to find their ideal balance of the angle of inclination and sharpening, weight and length, the location of the cutting edges in order to facilitate the work of the craftsmen.

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Comments: 2
  1. Emberlynn

    What are the different types of drills and which one should I use for different materials?

    Reply
  2. admins

    What are the specific types of drills and drill bits recommended for different materials? Do certain drills work best for wood, while others are more suitable for metal or concrete? I’m curious to know which combination of drill types would provide the most effective and efficient results for various materials.

    Reply
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