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February 2005 - Hole Story |
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Drill bits make your point |
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| 90°
drivers are a useful drill accessory. They allow
you to drill at an angle and reach around corners.
You’ll be glad to have one when you’re
halfway through assembling a piece of furniture
and realize you need to bore inside a carcass that’s
too small to fit the whole drill into. |
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A drill
without a bit is like a dog without teeth. Avoid that sorry
state by acquiring a collection of bits, so you have one to
chuck into your handheld drill or drillpress for every job at
hand.
Many woodworkers begin their collection
with a set of twist or brad-point bits in a range of sizes.
The central spur on brad-point bits prevents them from wandering,
producing accurate results that are ideal for fine woodworking.
Twist bits suit many applications, from carpentry to building
decks. As you get into cabinetmaking, you may acquire a set
of Forstner bits to produce clean, crisp holes, or a set of
sawtooth bits for larger, coarser drilling. Spade bits are useful
for rough carpentry.
If you need something larger than
a spade bit, go for a hole saw. For an even larger hole than
that, look for a wheelcutter (a.k.a. adjustable circle cutter).
And—more common in construction—there are augers
for drilling deep holes.
Also important is a countersink
bit that you’ll select when you want to hide screw heads
under wooden plugs.
Finally, for drilling metal, plastic,
concrete or brick, there are bits designed for those purposes
as well. |
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Countersink/counterbore bits are useful for jobs such
as installing hinges; they drill a hole for the screw
so when the screw is sunk, it’s flush with the
wood. |
Hole saws create large holes that are perfect for birdhouse
openings or doorknob passages. |
Forstner bits produce clean holes with flat bottoms,
making them a classic for cabinetmaking. |
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Twist bits with a black oxide finish will drill plastic,
metal or wood. |
Metal bits like this cobalt twist model pierce metal. |
Spade bits cut larger holes. They’re more common
in carpentry than cabinetmaking. |
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Side-cutting bits have sharp sides for drilling an elongated
hole in soft materials such as drywall or thin wood
panelling. |
Masonry bits use carbide cutting edges to bore into
brick or concrete. |
Brad-point bits produce fast, clean holes. |
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Ttitanium coating reduces friction, making this split-point
bit suited to metal, wood and plastic. |
Auger bits make deep holes in heavy timbers with a spiralling
motion that sweeps shavings up and out of the holes. |
Extensions to your drill will allow you to get whatever
bit you need into a tight spot that the driver can’t
reach by itself. They’re perfect for that cramped
space underneath the sink. |
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