Drill Bits – An Overview
Drill bits are cutting tools utilized in drill machines to make cylindrical holes. Oftentimes the bit itself is referred to as the drill. Drills are very handy for tasks around the home such as installing fixtures or putting up shelves, which would necessitate the drilling of holes. Drill bits can be used in drilling holes on a number of materials including metal, wood, plastics etc.
Drill bits come in a range of sizes and lengths and are also made from different materials. This type of information is important as different drill bits are required to perform different jobs satisfactorily. Drill bits can be made of carbon steel, cobalt, diamonds, carbides and titanium. Drills made from low carbon steel are the least expensive on the market. However, they are relatively soft and this essentially makes them effective for use only on soft wood. At the other end of the spectrum are drill bits made from diamonds. Diamond is said to be the hardest substance known to man and thus drill bits made from diamonds are reserved for use on the toughest materials. Carbide drill bits are also good for boring into high density materials such as stainless steel.
There are various types of drill bits available. The most common type of drill bits are known as twist drill bits. Twist drill bits can be made from high speed steel and carbon steel. Twist drill bits constructed from high speed steel are more suitable for drilling holes in metals while carbon steel twist drill bits are better suited for use on wood. The masonry drill bit is designed to drill holes in construction materials such as concrete, blocks, stones, bricks or tiles. Another type is the screwdriver drill bit, which is designed to work with replaceable bit screwdrivers. Other types of drill bits include tile bits, flat wood bits, hole saw bits and bullet pilot point bits, just to name a few.
Depending on the quality drills can be costly, but at the same time they can be durable. Taking proper care of drill bits will lengthen their life and effectiveness. The edges of drill bits can get damaged, worn or become dull overtime. In order to prevent or delay this kind of damage it is best to store drill bits in suitable containers. Tool boxes may not be the best holding place for drill bits as they are likely to roll around loosely and may sometimes come in contact with sharp tools and instruments. Drill bits are to be sharpened periodically with a drill bit sharpener. It is not advisable to wait until there are signs of damage to sharpen drill bits. This is because sharpening at this point may cause more damage to the drill bits as the drill bit sharpener might break the sensitive parts of the drill bits more easily.