Understanding Hole Cutting Drill Bits
There are various reasons as to why you may need to drill into a material for a project. Whether it's pre-drilling a hole for screws so that you don't split the wood you’re working with or using a hole saw bit to cut a hole to insert larger piping, it's important to understand what type of drill bit will be the best fit for the job. There are 3 main types of hole cutting bits. The standard bit which you will use for most of your projects, along with the spade bit and hole saw bit which you'll use on more advanced projects. With that said lets go over the 3 types so you know which one will best fit your needs for your upcoming project.
Standard Drill Bit (AKA Twisted or Fluted Bit):
The Standard Drill bit is the most commonly used drill bit. These bits usually will start with a measurement of 1/32 inch diameter all the way up to 1 inch diameter, increasing 1/32 inch in size at a time. The Standard Drill Bit is an auger-like cutting tool which allows the new material cut to be funneled out from the hole as it is being cut which leaves a nice clean cut hole. These types of bits are great for drilling small holes for wires, bolts, or pre-drilling holes for screws. It is crucial to understand what type of material you're drilling into because there are different styles of the standard bit meant for different. For example a spur bit is used to drill into wood, a masonry bit is used to drill into ceramics and concrete without damaging the integrity of the material, and metal bits are used to drill into metal. If you don’t use the proper bit you risk damaging the material you're working with along with quickly dulling the blade of the bit and potential hazard of the bit breaking and harming the user. Your Standard Bit will be your most used bit when looking to drill a hole because it is versatile and most projects will not require a hole larger than 1 inch in diameter.
Spade Bit:
Spade bits are used on softer materials like wood and typically range between ¼ inch to 1 ½ inch in diameter. Unlike the Standard Bit that uses an auger like blade, the spade bit uses a pointed end with a single flat blade attached to its side. The benefit of using a spade bit is that you are able to cut wider and deeper holes faster than a drill bit which also risks getting stuck. The downside to using a spade bit is that they tend to leave rougher looking holes so they are typically used on projects that don't take cosmetics into consideration like running a piece of copper pipe through a stud in the wall that would be either covered by drywall or patching.
Hole Saw Bit:
The hole saw drill bit, like the spade bit, is great because it allows you to cut larger holes. Unlike the spade bit though, the whole saw is a little slower to cut holes but the holes they cut come out cleaner. This is because the hole saw bit is actually 2 drill bits in one. The hole saw starts with the standard bit, built in, to help guide the saw bit. The reason the saw needs a guide is because it helps keep the saw balanced and from jumping all over the place. Think of when you start cutting into a piece of material with a hand saw without a guide already started. Your hand saw tends to move and slide all over the place until a guide is created, then the process speeds up and is cleaner. Essentially that's what your standard bit is doing, creating the balanced guide for your saw. The Hole saw works great for materials where cosmetics need to be taken into consideration like cutting a hole in your sink for a new faucet and handles. Another benefit of the hole saw bit is that it allows you to cut larger hole diameters with them ranging between ⅝ inch all the way up to 6 inches in diameter. The only downfall of using a hole saw bit over a spade bit is that it doesn't allow you to cut much for depth other than an average of around 1 to 2 inches deep. They do make deeper depth bits, but they are hard to find and are more expensive, which in my opinion you'd be better off using a spade bit.
If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I hope I was able to help better your understanding of the significance of understanding the different types of Hole Cutting Drill Bits. For more articles like this, please subscribe so you don't miss out.