Wood drills: types, design features and applications

General tips for drilling wood

Wood is a relatively soft material that can be easily processed. Of course, there are hard varieties, and there are also exotic ones, which in their properties are not inferior to every metal, but still in Russia most often you have to work with fairly soft varieties. On the one hand, working with soft wood is easy, but on the other hand, you need to follow some rules.

• Before starting work, it is worth applying markings, especially if several holes are needed. The center of the hole is marked with a regular pencil, after which many make a recess there with an awl or a nail. This is necessary so that the drill does not move to the side at the very beginning of work. If the drill has a centering sharp tip, then you can do without it.
• If you have to work with a separate piece of wood, then it must be securely fastened. The ideal option is to use a vice; if you don’t have one, you can simply press it firmly against the wall. Working without fixing it would not be the best idea, since the hole may turn out to be of poor quality, and the wooden part itself may begin to rotate.
• If you need to make a through hole, then you need to place a piece of wood under the wooden part, which will prevent damage to the surface on which the drilling takes place. Surprisingly, many people forget about this. By the way, this will also prevent the fibers from breaking on the bottom of the workpiece (where the exit hole will be).
• For each type of drill (as well as diameter) there are recommendations for the maximum permissible speed. You definitely shouldn’t exceed them, and it’s even better to drill with a small margin, at slower speeds. What are the consequences of high revs? It's simple: chips and cracks. And if you need to make a large hole, then it would be correct to first use a drill of a smaller diameter, and then a larger one.
• Always select drills that are suitable for your task, especially when large diameter holes are needed. And when using very large diameter crowns, they often use an additional blank with an already drilled through hole, which will not allow the drill to go to the side (it is placed on top and the existing and future holes are combined, like a stencil).
• When drilling blind holes, the most important problem is depth. There are types of drills that have limiters in their design, but if they are not there, you can get by with marks that are attached to the drill. You don’t need to buy anything: rubber rings, adhesive tape or electrical tape will do.
• Do not allow the accumulation of chips and especially sawdust, this reduces work productivity and is fraught with jamming of the drill. This is true even when using screw drills, which, in theory, should remove chips, but this does not always happen.

Follow these simple recommendations and you won’t have any difficulties drilling wood. This process requires only accuracy, slowness and the right approach.

Drill bits for tiles and glass

It is extremely difficult to work with such materials - they are easily damaged. For example, ceramics and glass crack when the drill is misaligned or overheated. Therefore, only two types of drills are used for them: crowns and feathers. Crowns can have a diameter from 13 to 80 mm and, as a rule, are coated with diamond dust.

Feather drills. They are an ordinary metal rod with a sharp spear at the end (usually made of pobedit). They allow you to make holes with a diameter of 3 to 13 mm - ideal for dowels.

But keep in mind that after you have gone through the tiles, it is worth changing the drill. Otherwise, you will simply dull it on the concrete and get a crack in the tile the next time you use it.

Twist drill

This is the most popular type of tool that is found in every workshop. The drill has a screw design and a spike located in the middle.

For carpentry work, you need to purchase a set that contains 8 drills. Parameters from 3 to 10 mm. The cost of a basic set of drills is about 150 rubles.

To begin with, you can use the cheapest models, and then purchase drills that work for a long time without sharpening. A screw or twist drill is suitable for holes that do not go all the way through; they leave a flat bottom, which is not always practical.

A nuance of using the equipment can be considered that such drills practically do not remove chips. If it is necessary to make a hole with a decent depth, this is done by several immersions of the device in the raw material.

Do not confuse a twist drill with a Lewis twist drill.

What is a wood ballerina

A circular adjustable ballerina drill is a device that is designed for drilling round holes of large diameter. The tool has a simple design. It consists of a shank with a transverse rod on which movable carriages with cutters are attached. The rod has markings according to which you can set the required spread of the cutters relative to the center of the intended hole. A core drill is fixed in the middle of the shank. It serves as a centering element and support when drilling.

In addition to designs with two cutting elements located symmetrically, there are ballerinas with one cutter or even three. In the latter case, they are located on the base in the form of a disk with grooves.

Techniques for drilling holes in wood

Countersink hole for screw head

There are situations when you need to drill a “blind” hole for a tenon joint. To do this, you need to use a feather drill with a limiter, which is placed on the drill according to the size of the drilling depth

It is more difficult to make holes in large-diameter wood, since the use of conventional cylindrical drills chips the surface of the material, spoiling its appearance. To successfully cope with this task, feather drills and annular cutters are used.

Drilling with feather drills

For successful drilling with feather drills, secure the wood firmly in a vice and press the tip of the drill bit against the surface of the material. Then drill (at low speed) the hole until the tip of the drill appears at the bottom of the wood. Stop drilling and remove the feather bit from the hole, then turn the wood over, clamp it in a vice and drill the hole on the other side. This will prevent the block from splitting when drilling.

Drilling with an annular cutter

Wood annular cutter

An annular cutter is used for drilling holes in wood with a diameter greater than 38 mm. Drilling begins with a small-diameter guide drill, structurally connected to the cutter in one piece. This guide serves as a guide for the annular cutter.

Here are some tips from professionals that will surely help you when drilling holes in wood:

a) for vertical drilling, you can install a square parallel to the drill; b) if you often have to do carpentry work, purchase a special stand for the drill, which allows you to hold the tool strictly vertically and controls the depth of the holes; c) be sure to use a vice when drilling to avoid splitting the wood; d) to ensure that the exit hole does not have chips, place it under wooden part with an unnecessary block and drill them together. This is especially applicable when making holes in a thin board; e) if you do not have a drilling depth limiter, wrap the drill at the limit location with bright electrical tape or masking tape.

How to drill a long hole in wood - All about timber and woodworking

One of the most popular jobs during construction and any renovation is wood drilling. However, every year it becomes more and more difficult to find high quality wood drill sets. That is why it is worth figuring out in advance how to choose the right tool.

Drill classification

Today, there is more than one classification of this tool that cuts almost any surface.

Depending on the design of its working part, we can distinguish: spiral types of drills for wood, centering ones, as well as flat and even drills with exclusively one-sided cutting, and used only for deep drilling.

If you look at photos of wood drills, paying attention specifically to the design of their tail part, you can distinguish the following types:

• conical;
• cylindrical;
• 3,4,6-sided;
• SDS drills.

Also, all tools can be divided into several groups, based on the type of material they can process. So, these are long wood drills, as well as drills for hard concrete, glass, high quality metal, stone and ceramics, as well as universal tools.

Important points when choosing a tool

The basic rule when choosing any drill is that its structure must be significantly harder than the structure of the material used for processing. For example, if you have to drill plastic or drywall with wood, then the simplest drill made of high strength steel will do. In this case, the size of the drills will not affect anything.

But if you have to drill into a material such as brick or stone, then during the work you will have to turn to a carbide drill, whose tips are distinguished by plates made of alloys that are much harder than any other material.

When choosing a drill, you should also pay attention to the appropriate type of work being performed. The actual dimensions of the tool are also significantly influenced by the mass of the surface for subsequent processing. As it becomes longer and much thicker, you will have to purchase the drill itself.

At home, various drills are mainly used, the diameter of which is no more than 12 mm. If you need to secure curtains for future curtains, even a drill with a diameter of no more than 8 mm will work perfectly.

But to secure the toilet, you will need a drill with a diameter of about 10 mm. Accordingly, the more specific the job, the greater the likelihood that a non-standard drill size will be needed.

When purchasing a drill, you should also pay attention to the functionality of the tool. This can be done by simply trying to drill a small hole in the plastic/wood.

You can do this with any mechanical drill, but using an electric drill or even a screwdriver will make your work much easier.

These tools can become indispensable assistants for you if you need to drill metal/stone surfaces. But, if you have to drill even a small hole in concrete, then it is advisable to turn to a hammer drill.

When choosing a drill, it’s a good idea to pay attention, including its appearance. A high quality instrument will not have scratches, even small chips or various defects.

Working with drills and sharpening them

When working with drills, there are a number of quite important points that it is advisable to pay attention to. First of all, they relate to the careful use of tools and compliance with safety precautions.

First, before starting drilling, you need to make sure that the body of the material in the future hole does not contain any foreign inclusions, such as staples or nails. Otherwise, this may be the main reason for the tool being pulled out of your hands.

Secondly, if it so happens that you need to drill, for example, wood with a tool designed for metal, then sharpening the drill with your own hands should be done as close as possible to the horizontal scan and only at an angle.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that if you follow all the rules for working with drills, then their service life will not make you upset, and the ability to sharpen and restore them yourself will significantly allow you to save on their purchase.

Photo of wood drills

Tips for choosing

An instrument of any form has its own criteria and must meet them. You can determine the quality of the instrument you are purchasing by its appearance, color, and also by the material from which it is made.

• Material. It is impossible to visually determine the quality of the material. Therefore, before purchasing, you need to make sure that the product has a quality certificate. Chinese counterfeits are often sold without documents.
• Appearance. A high-quality product has a flat, smooth surface. Various cracks, scratches and damage are defective. The cutting area must be carefully sharpened. Long drills must be straight. It is very easy to check their quality; just roll them on a flat surface. All irregularities will be immediately visible.
• Color. To ensure that the tool has additional strength, it is manufactured using a special technology. You can find out which processing method was used by the color of the product. The steel color indicates that no additional processing was carried out. The yellow-gold spraying relieves metallic stress. A product treated with titanium nitride (a tool with a bright gold color) will have a long service life. The black drill has increased strength. Steam was used to process it.
• Package. Products from well-known manufacturers have good, high-quality packaging. All fakes are poorly packaged, and the text is sometimes written with errors.
• Price. The higher the price, the better the quality of the product. All budget tools have a short service life.

Caring about their reputation, well-known stores will not sell counterfeits. And no matter what kind of tool you buy, in order for it to be of high quality and last a long time, you should contact reliable and trusted suppliers.

For high-quality performance of even such a simple procedure as drilling holes in wood products, the correct mode and the appropriate tool are required. When choosing a wood drill, you should take into account the characteristics of both the material being processed and the hole that needs to be made. The modern market offers a wide variety of drills designed for making holes in wood, so choosing a tool to solve certain technological problems will not be any particular problem.

Drilling holes for socket boxes with a core drill in wood

How to drill a long hole in wood

All photos from the article
If you need to make a large diameter hole in a tree, you will have to use special devices, each of which has its own characteristics. We will consider all possible options and tell you about their main advantages and disadvantages so that you can choose the best option in accordance with the specifics of the work in a given situation.

In the photo: equipment for wood differs from equipment for concrete and ceramics

Criteria for choosing a quality option

Below we will look at the main types of devices for cutting holes in wood, but for now we will outline the criteria that any option must meet, regardless of its modification:

Advice! To be guaranteed to purchase a quality product, be it an electric jigsaw for wood or a circular saw, you need to contact official representatives of a particular brand or buy products from well-known stores that care about their reputation and do not sell cheap fakes.

Cheap core drill sets are so unreliable that they may only last for a single use

Types of products and their features

Let's look at what options you can find in our retail network and how they differ from each other.

Feather drills

The most common and budget option, which is quite convenient for even inexperienced craftsmen to work with. And you can also master this simple process with your own hands.

Let's look at the main advantages of this solution:

• The diameter range varies from 10 to 60 mm.
• The work is done quite quickly, but the quality of the hole is low, and it is unlikely to achieve an ideal result.
• The maximum drilling depth is approximately 150 mm.
• Products are sold either in sets of 5-6 pieces or individually, so you decide which option is right for you.
• If necessary, you can buy an extension that clamps the drill and increases its length by 300 mm.

Large sizes are usually sold individually, small sizes are usually sold in sets.

It is impossible not to mention such an interesting option as an adjustable pen drill; this type of product can make holes with a diameter of 22 to 76 mm. The work is carried out at low speeds using fairly powerful power tools.

Adjustable nib – a new word in products of this type

Forstner drill

This product option is used very widely in furniture production due to a number of undoubted advantages:

• The edges of the hole are perfectly smooth, which is not possible with other options.
• High reliability and long service life allow such devices to be used for years.

Massive nodes are very reliable

• The size range varies from 10 to 60 mm.
• The standard drilling depth is about 10 cm, but if desired, you can additionally purchase a 300 mm extension.
• This is the only option with which you can drill blind holes, because the centering pin protrudes only a couple of millimeters.

Screw drills

This option is very popular among those who drill large-diameter holes in wood to a considerable depth. To use them, you don’t need special instructions; just connect the unit to the power tool and you can start working.

The features include the following:

Spiral fixtures are available in a wide range of sizes

• This option is available in three lengths: 220, 450 and 600 mm. The last type is the most popular, since it can be used to effectively drill thick materials.
• It is best to use a drill with a rotation speed of 800 rpm. This allows you to carry out work most efficiently, but at the same time the power indicators of the power tool must be high.
• If you need to drill holes in log houses through 2-3 logs, then you shouldn’t even consider other options; this solution is optimal in all respects.
• The hexagonal shank allows you to securely fix the unit in the drill chuck.

All craftsmen who build log houses use this option.

Circular adjustable designs

The popular name for this device is wood ballerina. The design is a kind of compass, in the middle of which there is a centering drill, and cutting elements move on the crossbar, which can be installed in different positions.

The following factors can be considered features of this solution:

• With its help it is very good to process sheet materials and products up to 20 mm thick. The design copes well with both wood and fiberboard, chipboard, plywood and other similar options.
• The range of possible hole diameters is quite wide and ranges from 30 to 130 mm. This is much more than all the options described above, and the only drawback can be considered the small processing depth.
• The kit should include a hex wrench for adjusting the position of the cutting units and a center punch for making marks on the surface. It is recommended to carry out work at low speeds, since during the drilling process the cutting elements are subjected to very strong loads and can simply break.

This is what ballerinas look like when working with wood

Important! You can find many fakes on sale that are short-lived and do a poor job, so you should be especially careful and scrupulous when choosing this option (see also the video in this article).

How to drill a hole in a large diameter tree? Read about it below.

Hole drills for wood

The second name for devices of this kind is tree crowns; they are widely used due to a number of advantages:

• Possibility of drilling diameters from 19 to 127 mm, you will not have a question about how to drill a large hole in wood, the work will be simple and fast.

• Products are sold in sets of 12 or 6 pieces, allowing you to have a wide range of accessories on hand for all occasions. Of course, the cost of such a set will be quite impressive, but you will once and for all solve the problem with devices for creating large holes in wooden structures.

Wood drills: types, design features and applications

For high-quality performance of even such a simple procedure as drilling holes in wood products, the correct mode and the appropriate tool are required.

When choosing a wood drill, you should take into account the characteristics of both the material being processed and the hole that needs to be made.

The modern market offers a wide variety of drills designed for making holes in wood, so choosing a tool to solve certain technological problems will not be any particular problem.

Drilling holes for socket boxes with a core drill in wood

Main types

The main parameter, depending on which wood drills are divided into different types, is the design of the working part. Based on this feature, wood drilling tools may fall into one of the following categories.

Feather

Drills of this type are used to make holes of medium diameter in wood - up to 25 mm. It is advisable to use such a tool in cases where the requirements for the accuracy of geometric parameters, as well as for the quality of the holes, are not too strict. Among the most significant advantages of pen drills, low cost and ease of maintenance should be noted.

Main types

The main parameter, depending on which wood drills are divided into different types, is the design of the working part. Based on this feature, wood drilling tools may fall into one of the following categories.

Drills of this type are used to make holes of medium diameter in wood - up to 25 mm. It is advisable to use such a tool in cases where the requirements for the accuracy of geometric parameters, as well as for the quality of the holes, are not too strict. Among the most significant advantages of pen drills, low cost and ease of maintenance should be noted.

Feather drills are considered the most affordable

Core type tools are designed for drilling large diameter holes. In terms of their design, wood crowns resemble a metal glass with a shank, the working end of which has cutting teeth. When such a drill rotates, its cutting teeth, interacting with the workpiece, cut out a circle of the required diameter on its surface.

Set of wood crowns

Spiral wood drills are also called screw drills. Their working part resembles a screw. They are used for drilling small diameter holes in wood. Due to the special design of screw-type drills, chips are effectively removed from the processing area when used. The twist drill also ensures high precision and extremely high quality machining.

Spiral wood drill with scoring bits

These are tools with the help of which, in products made of wood, they create not through, but blind holes with a perfectly flat bottom. In addition, if you use such a wood drill with additional accessories, you can drill a square hole in a wooden product.

There are many modifications of the Forstner drill available.

With the help of such tools, it is possible not only to drill wood, but also to make grooves of various configurations in wood products. Drills of this type are most often used in cases where it is necessary to perform complex processing of wooden parts, and in order to drill a regular hole, a twist drill, a feather or a core tool is used.

Milling drills are designed for drilling a round hole and then boring it to the desired shape. Used when working with wood and thin metal

The shank of drills designed for woodworking is usually cylindrical, but manufacturers also produce them with shanks of other configurations. So, on the modern market you can buy drills for woodworking, the shanks of which can be:

• triangular, optimally suited for fixation in a three-jaw chuck (tools with a triangular shank are ideally transmitted torque, and even very significant loads are not able to turn it in the chuck);
• hexagonal (tools with such shanks can be installed in both a standard and a three-jaw chuck, but there is a very high risk of the drill turning when subjected to heavy loads);
• conical (tools with shanks of this type are used primarily to equip production equipment);
• tetrahedral (a rarely used form of shanks, which, however, ensures high stability of the tool against rotation in the chuck).

Basic parameters to consider when choosing drills

If you have never carried out such work before and do not have experience in choosing devices, then just read a few simple recommendations to choose the best option. The most important factors are the following:

Advice! You should not purchase the most budget options, there are many different products on the market, and the cost of many of them is simply negligible, but their reliability is so low, it makes sense to purchase them only if you need to make several holes; they are not suitable for serious work.

To drill holes for hinges, a special option is used - a Forstner drill, which has a special limiter, adjustable depending on the thickness of the material being processed.

Drills for concrete and blocks

Their main difference is the soldering of hard metals on the pointed surface of the drill: Pobedit or artificial diamond.

Drills for concrete are also different:

• spiral - suitable for making shallow holes (up to 100 mm), they are the most popular;
• drilling - similar to spiral, but usually with longer and wider grooves for dust to escape;
• crown - used when it is necessary to make a recess or hole of large diameter in concrete for a socket or junction box.

The same drills are also suitable for blocks, but when working with soft materials it is not recommended to use the impact mode (usually it is not needed).

Color matters

Even by the appearance of the drill, you can determine its properties and qualities.

• The gray color indicates that this is an ordinary simple drill, without any additional processing.
• Cherny reports that the drill has been treated with hot steam and has increased wear resistance.
• Yellow means that the drill has been quenched and tempered (a procedure to relieve internal stress). Such products are even more wear-resistant, but are afraid of overheating.
• A bright golden color is usually characteristic of drills treated with titanium nitride, which reduces contact friction in the drilling area and perfectly hardens the surface of the tool.

Tool functionality

A high-quality ballerina is made of high-strength steel, which makes it possible to use the device in working with soft and hard wood.

This tool has an adjustable drilling diameter. This allows you to make holes of almost any diameter. The limitation of the drilling range depends on the size of the ballerina. Manufacturers produce devices with the following cutter spread limits:

• from 30 to 120 mm;
• from 40 to 200 mm;
• from 40 to 300 mm;
• from 40 to 400 mm.

The maximum drilling diameter is limited by the rod on which the cutters are mounted. The minimum is the thickness of the shank.

A ballerina drill can be used in any places where using a jigsaw or a hand router would be inconvenient. For example, this may be assembled and installed furniture, in the part of which it is necessary to drill a neat hole, given the limited space. Another example is an uneven (concave or curved) surface. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do everything smoothly and neatly with a jigsaw or milling cutter. It will be difficult to control the inclination of the tool relative to the surface. A ballerina can easily cope with this task.

Areas of use and design features

As mentioned above, in order to drill a quality piece of wood, it is very important to choose the right drill bit. When making this choice, it is necessary to take into account both the characteristics of the material being processed (in particular, its hardness) and the type of hole that needs to be made. That is why it is very important for home craftsmen and specialists whose work involves processing wooden blanks to understand both the types and functionality of wood drills.

Twist (screw) drills

A twist or screw drill can be produced with two types of working tips: conical and with special scoring tips. If we compare both types according to the degree of their effectiveness, then it is almost at the same level. However, they differ in the load taken by the tool during wood processing. Thus, in the design of the working head of a drill with a scoring tool, there is a jumper, which causes significant loads to be transmitted to the entire body of the tool. Drills with a conical working head do not have this drawback, which, in addition, are much better centered on the surface of the workpiece. The conical head immediately enters the material, and the drill does not move to the side. Meanwhile, spiral drills with scoring tools, due to their design features, allow you to create holes in wood with higher precision.

Design of a twist drill for wood

Drilling wood using a spiral tool allows you to get precise and neat holes with straight edges and a smooth surface on the inner walls. Tools of this type can be used for drilling wood of any species and almost any hardness, as well as materials made on its basis (chipboard, MDF, plywood, etc.). If the drill is driven into the material being processed at a low speed, there will be no need to frequently remove the tool from the hole being created to remove accumulated chips.

How to drill with a feather drill

A professional finisher, builder or home craftsman periodically faces the need to drill wood. For high-quality work, there are sets of drills of different sizes, shapes, and functionality.

The choice depends on the specific task and conditions. Feather drills for wood are considered one of the most popular on the market - the best option for obtaining holes of different depths and diameters. This is a well-thought-out attachment for a drill, without unnecessary details.

Everything is designed to accomplish the task.

Application area

The tool is used when working with all types of wood, as well as its derivatives (MDF, chipboard, plywood). It is equally widely used for repairs, in the manufacture of furniture, doors, window frames, and in other areas of industrial production. There are two main types of drilling in which it is used:

• For non-through holes of small diameter. For example, the production of fastening sockets for door jambs, furniture production.
• For through holes. For example, sockets for installing studs and other fasteners.

Important! Spade wood drill bits are recommended for shallow drilling. You also need to remember about the thin tip. It goes deeper into the wood than the main head.

Design features

The uniqueness and efficiency of feather drills lies in their design simplicity. They consist of two parts:

• The working part is the main part of the tool that comes into contact with the wood being processed. The shape resembles a shovel with a sharp tip. He is responsible for the exact position of the blade and cuts out the main part of the wood. On the sides of the working surface there are blades and cutting edges. If you look at the longitudinal section, they are sharpened to the right side.

Feather drills for wood are made according to strictly verified patterns. The proportional ratio of the width and thickness of the working part is strictly observed:

• tail - a steel rod in the shape of a hexagon. The multi-faceted configuration allows you to securely attach it to the drill chuck, as well as use adapters to increase the working depth.

Characteristic

The most complete idea of ​​the technical characteristics can be obtained in comparison with other types of attachments. There are three types of wood drill bits that seem to perform the same task. This is not entirely true:

• Spiral - designed for through drilling. It will not be possible to make a mounting socket using it. It is possible to obtain deep through holes of small diameter with smooth edges.
• Forstner drill - used to make shallow, large diameter holes. It is characterized by high cost. The shank is short, which limits the scope of application. The edges of the hole are smooth, without flaws.
• Feather - inexpensive, with a wide range of working diameters. There is an extension option. Convenient, easy to use. Suitable for all types of wood. With a drilling diameter of more than 60 millimeters, creases and torn edges are possible.

Feather drills for wood outperform their competitors in many ways. The only drawback is uneven edges with a large drilling diameter, but this is not worth paying attention to. You need to know that high-quality large-diameter holes are drilled with crowns.

Selection rules

Finding a high-quality nozzle at an affordable price is not so difficult. If we are talking about trusted companies, such as Bosch, Hitachi, then with a high degree of probability the product is of high quality and reliable. To determine the quality of drills from lesser-known brands, there are several rules that can be easily checked by visual inspection:

• Geometric dimensions. The cutting edges must be symmetrical to each other and be the same size.
• Quality of sharpening of cutting edges. It is checked by touching it with your finger, similar to checking the sharpness of the blade of a kitchen knife.
• The quality of the nozzle. Any irregularities in the working or tail part should alert you. Reliable products have an almost perfect sheen.
• Metal color. An important parameter to pay attention to first is:

How to choose and what to pay attention to

Choosing a high-quality circular drill is quite easy. The main thing is to know the main points that you should pay attention to first, but also not to lose sight of the little things.

The design is a very important point: a wood ballerina comes with one chisel or two or more. For frequent use, it is better to purchase an option with two or three cutting elements. It is easier to work with such devices and the quality of the processing performed will be at an acceptable level.

It would not be superfluous to be able to replace individual parts. Inexpensive circle drills can have a solid shank with a permanent center drill and rod.

Metal, its quality determines its strength and ability to withstand workloads. High-quality tools are made from high-strength steel or alloys. The shank and cutter holders are shaped using a machine tool. The rod is usually stamped and made of the same metal.

Cheap options often use soft metal or alloys, which can be brittle. Under load, parts may become deformed or break. Such a tool will not last long and it will also be difficult to achieve accuracy from it.

The quality of workmanship, the main feature is the absence of backlashes and distortions. All parts must fit together and be securely fastened with fixing screws.

The markings of a high-quality ballerina's barbell are stamped. Sometimes the divisions are highlighted with bright paint for better visibility.

Cutters and high-quality cutting elements are made from hardened tool steel. They are secured to the holders with rivets or soldering. Solid cutters with holders (made of the same metal) quickly become dull and are not durable.

Manufacturer, when choosing any tool and consumables, preference should be given to well-known and long-proven brands and brands. The most common are Topfix, Stayer, Irwin, Strum.

Purchasing an adjustable circular drill for use at home, or if you need to drill several holes, is completely worth it. This eliminates the need to purchase an expensive tool that may only be needed a few times.

How to choose a low-speed drill

Among the variety of presented functionality, first of all you should pay attention to the power of the electric tool. The final capabilities of the drill depend on this parameter. For serious construction work, choose a drill with a power of at least 1500 W. If we are talking about minor repairs, you can get by with a simple drilling option with a power of 700-1000 W.

When choosing a drill for drilling timber, the main parameter is its power Source Rubankom.com

A particular advantage is the so-called mixer drill, which combines the functions of mixing construction mixtures and making holes. This is a fairly powerful tool, equipped with modern electronics, which provides:

• ease of use throughout the working day;
• durability and reliable service;
• possibility of drilling various materials over a wide range.

A set of accessories for work is supplied with the drill. Each of the spindles included in the set has a characteristic thread. Shaft manufacturing companies take into account the features of spindle fixation when producing products.

Drill sharpening

Drill bits may become dull with frequent use. You can sharpen the tool yourself or contact a specialist. If you decide to do this yourself and do not have the skills, it is better to practice on an old instrument. When sharpening, the main thing is not to violate the desired geometry and adhere to a certain degree. Sharpening can be done manually or on an electric machine.

• Metal analogues of drills are made of softer metal. They can be sharpened manually using a file.
• Using an electric machine, the drill overheats greatly. This can be avoided by constantly dipping it in water. Or organize a stream of water pouring onto the tip of the drill.

How to drill a log or thick beam? Of course with a screw drill

We continue to understand the equipment with which you can work on wood. In general, wood can be drilled with different drills; in the last article we analyzed the effectiveness of the Forstner drill, and figured out how and where it is recommended to use it.

There are a great many types of wood drills and it often happens that they are ideal for some jobs, but not suitable for others at all. Therefore, a home craftsman must understand what and how to drill into wood. Today's article will be about a screw drill, also called a twist drill.

It is for wood and will help out in cases where it is necessary to drill a deep hole. For example, you have a log house through which you need to stretch a water pipe or a bundle of cables. And only a twist drill can cope with thick wood. Of course, nothing prevents you from trying to use a regular perk, however, as I already said, drilling with it is inconvenient and it is not a guarantee that you will be able to complete the job.

Here is a photo:

As you can see, the tip is made in the form of a thin thread, which helps to screw in the drill perfectly at the initial stage of drilling. The ejection of chips occurs due to the screw edges (like any drill or brace), so drilling is easy. The shank is most often 6-sided, so the tool is securely mounted in the chuck of a drill or screwdriver.

It is necessary to work with such a drill at low speeds, so it is best to use a regular home drill with speed control or a powerful screwdriver with a high tightening torque.

But it is best, if possible, to use a low-speed drill with a speed of up to 800 (I recommend a rebir drill).

The most common use of such equipment is the fastening of logs. Workers who assemble log houses often come to our store and they buy “spirals” with a diameter of 25-28-30 mm and a length of 450-600 mm. As you know, in order to fasten the logs of a log house together, you need to drill them from above and insert iron reinforcement into the hole made. It is very important that the hole is drilled deeply, which is why a long drill is needed.

The standard range of lengths is as follows:

— 220 mm — 450 mm — 600 mm (the most popular).

To make holes with a diameter of 30 mm to a depth of 600 mm in wood, you need a very powerful power tool, so we recommend using a drill of at least 1000 Watt (and that is unlikely to be enough), as well as screwdrivers with a torque of at least 36 Nm. Of course, the most preferable option is a low-speed drill, which has a power of 1200 Watts; for such work you can’t imagine anything better. It is very powerful and easily pushes such a thick drill bit through solid wood.

The prices for such “consumables” are quite high, at least it is much more expensive than feather and Forstner drills. For example, 22*600 costs around 300 rubles. And the thickest ones come with a price tag of a piece of rubles. They are taken only when it is necessary to drill a hole in a log house for a sewer pipe, etc.

However, if you consider that the drill is powerful and heavy, and it is used to perform specific work, then you should not worry about the price. Because anyway, nothing else can drill through 3 logs at once.

In construction and finishing works, drilling holes does not play a dominant, but quite noticeable role. And only at first glance it seems that drilling is simple - press the drill button and that’s it. Each material requires the selection of a suitable drill, the required speed and pressure on the drill, a method for cooling the drill and removing chips - all this is felt literally intuitively with experience. And our advice will help beginners.

First, let's determine whether the existing drill can handle the holes you want to drill. The determining parameter in this case is the power of the drill. An ordinary household drill with a power of 500-600 W can handle holes up to 10 mm in steel and up to 25 mm in wood. An impact drill of the same power can drill a hole up to 13 mm in concrete or brick. If your work requires more, then you need to choose a more powerful drill.

The choice of tool and drilling modes greatly depends on the material to be drilled and the diameter of the hole.

Drilling wood, plywood, fiberboard

Drilling chipboard and laminate

Drilling plastic and organic glass

Drilling brick and concrete

Drilling glass, porcelain and ceramic tiles

How to drill wood, plywood, fiberboard correctly?

Drilling small holes in soft materials does not pose any particular problems even for beginners. There is no need to press hard on the drill; the speed should be slightly higher than average - this will result in a cleaner hole. Too high speeds can cause the drill to become hot due to friction, and the wood will begin to burn. This is a good way to make fire, but the part will be ruined.

For holes up to 10mm in diameter, you can use regular metal twist drills. When drilling deep holes in wood, especially in resinous rocks, the drill must be removed more often (every 10-15 mm drilled) and the spiral grooves must be cleared of chips . This must be done carefully so as not to get burned on the hot end of the drill.

When drilling very small holes (up to 1.5-2 mm), any careless movement of the drill, the slightest misalignment will lead to breakage of the drill. Drills smaller than 1 mm can generally be broken by the weight of the drill by placing the drill at the drilling point. In order not to use such drills in batches, keep in mind that wood, fiberboard, and simple plywood can be drilled with a piece of paper clip or a nail . The end of the “tool” is bitten off with side cutters at an angle - and a passable drill is obtained. The drilling point needs to be pricked with an awl.

Special twist drills for wood at first glance resemble drills for metal, but their cutting part is sharpened differently (with a point in the center and edges), and the grooves are wider. This allows for cleaner holes and improves chip evacuation. The diameter of such drills is from 3 to 50 mm.

Large diameter drill bits often have a hex shank, which prevents the drill bit from twisting in the chuck. There are also extensions for the hex shank for drilling deep holes with regular short drills.

The rotation speed when drilling is selected based on the diameter of the drill and the hardness of the wood. Holes up to 15 mm can be drilled at 1400-1600 rpm, 15-25 mm - at 1000-1200 rpm, 25-50 mm - 500-600 rpm. For hard wood, the speed should be reduced by 1.5-2 times.

To drill holes from 10 to 60 mm in wood, feather drills are produced. Outwardly, they resemble a spatula with a point in the center.

Such pen drills of large diameters are much cheaper than twist drills, this is their main advantage. Drilling deep holes with feather drills is not very convenient. The drill does not throw out chips; it has to be removed and the hole cleaned manually. The rotation speed when drilling can be kept higher. For holes up to 25 mm - up to 2000 rpm, over 25 mm - 1500 rpm. For hard wood, the speed should be reduced by 1.5 times.

For drilling large and deep holes (for example, holes for wires and pipes in wooden support beams), use Lewis drills. This drill looks like a drill with a screw at the end.

A wide flute with a slight angle of inclination effectively removes chips. Lewis drills are produced with a diameter of 10 to 50 mm. Holes up to 15 mm are drilled at 1500 rpm, 15-25 mm - at 1000 rpm, 25-50 mm - 500 rpm. For hard wood, the speed is halved.

For special types of woodworking, Forstner drills, router bits, hole saws and hole saws are also used.

How to drill chipboard and laminate correctly

Drilling into particle boards and laminate is generally no different from drilling into wood. Some difficulty may arise due to the heterogeneity of the chipboard - this makes it difficult to start drilling exactly in the intended location. To avoid this, first prick the hole with an awl and drill it with a drill with a diameter of 2-3 mm. Then drill out with a drill of the required diameter.

Laminate flooring can be easily drilled using both conventional wood drills and crowns of any diameter. When drilling laminated chipboard for furniture, it is convenient to use a specialized tool. For example, holes for confirmations (special self-tapping screws for assembling furniture) are drilled with a special drill with three cutting parts. This allows you to simultaneously drill the attached part and make a pilot hole for the threaded part in the main part.

How to drill plastic and organic glass correctly

Plastic and organic glass (polycarbonate, plexiglass), unlike wood, have a homogeneous structure without fibers, but melt easily. In this case, the drill may get stuck and break .

Holes of small diameters (up to 10 mm) can be drilled with conventional metal drills at low speeds (up to 500 rpm) . It is advisable to “puncture” the drilling site with a hot nail. The drill needs to be brought out quite often and cooled in water.

The easiest way to drill holes of larger diameters or complex shapes is to drill along the contour with a 2-3 mm drill, saw through the jumpers with a jigsaw or hacksaw blade, and file the edges.

How to drill brick and concrete correctly?

You cannot drill concrete and brick with a regular metal drill. Or it will work out, but not for long. In this case, the material will play the role of a sharpening stone and simply dull the drill. Holes in brick and concrete are drilled (or rather, drilled) using an impact drill or hammer drill . These tools not only rotate the drill, but also strike it.

In impact drills the impact is mechanical. The parts of this mechanism wear out quickly, so hammer drilling for an impact drill is an auxiliary mode and it is better not to abuse it. In hammer drills, the impact is carried out by an electromagnetic or electro-pneumatic mechanism; it can work hundreds of times longer. And the impact energy of a hammer drill is much higher; with a good drill, a hammer drill can drill concrete no worse than solid wood.

Before drilling into a wall, be sure to check whether there are any water pipes, heating pipes or electrical wires in it. Everything is usually clear with pipes, but it is better to check the presence of electrical wiring with a special device or, in extreme cases, with a simple homemade hidden lead finder.

Drills with carbide tips are used for drilling brick and concrete . By tradition, they are often called “pobedite” drills, although other materials are increasingly being used to make tips, for example. Wolfram carbide.

Please note that drill bits for drills and perforators have different shanks. And if a drill (drill) for a hammer drill with an SDS-plus shank can still be somehow clamped into the drill chuck, then a hammer drill with a simple cylindrical shank will not turn.

When drilling brick or concrete with an impact drill, select medium speed. At high speeds, the drill will overheat and fail; at low speeds, drilling will be ineffective. You need to press very hard on the drill, because the impact energy depends on the force of pressure, and periodically remove the drill to cool.

When drilling with a hammer drill, the speed is quite low (800-1000 rpm) and there is no point in pressing hard on the tool - the impact energy is determined only by the mechanism of the hammer drill. It is enough that the drill does not bounce off the concrete upon impact (5-6 kg).

The holes for the dowels are made 10 mm deeper than the length of the dowel. This will save you any problems if there is some concrete or brick dust left in the hole.

How to drill glass, porcelain, ceramic tiles correctly?

Glass and porcelain are highly hard and brittle. An ordinary drill simply does not take these materials - it slides along the surface, and when drilling with an impact, the product splits. Therefore, drilling glass and porcelain is actually done by grinding using a special glass drill. In this case, the glass simply turns into fine glass dust.

A glass drill looks like a small sharpened spatula. The spatula is made of hard metal and may have one or two cutting edges.

There are also drills with two mutually perpendicular blades, reminiscent of a Phillips screwdriver. This drill has four cutting edges. Drills with more cutting edges are more expensive, but they also drill faster. The diameter of spatula drills for glass is from 3 to 12 mm. Holes of larger diameter (100 mm) are drilled with diamond tubular or sliding drills.

Drilling glass and porcelain is carried out at low speeds - up to 300 rpm, without impact , only clockwise. The use of cutting fluid is mandatory. The best results are obtained by using a solution of rosin in turpentine (1:2-1:3) or camphor in turpentine (3:4). You can also use silicate paper glue. In extreme cases, you can use pure turpentine and even water . To prevent the liquid from spreading, a plasticine rim is made around the drilling site. As the liquid becomes contaminated with glass dust (turbidity), replace it with fresh one.

To avoid chipping at the exit, the glass is drilled on both sides. First on one side - 0.7-0.8 thickness, then on the other. In order to drill a hole exactly in the designated place, you can mark the center of the hole with a diamond glass cutter.

Ceramic tiles are drilled using a glass drill . The most difficult thing is to start drilling exactly in the right place. Here, too, you can use a diamond glass cutter and mark a point on the glaze. Experienced craftsmen place the drill at the drilling point and press firmly on it. This is enough to destroy a small area of ​​glaze to fix the drill. When drilling tiles that are already fixed to the wall, it is important to stop in time and not start drilling into the wall material itself. This can ruin the drill very quickly. Therefore, after passing the tile, the drill is changed and drilling continues with a tool more suitable for the wall.

The hard glaze layer on ceramic tiles is thin enough to allow small holes to be drilled with carbide drill bits designed for brick and concrete. To do this, you need to use a new, well-sharpened drill. And here, too, the most important thing is to start drilling in the right place. The drill tries to slide to the side.

If you are not confident in the strength of your hands, then you can use a little trick - stick a piece of adhesive tape in the right place. If there are a lot of holes, then it is better to make a jig. To do this, drill a hole in a wooden block 40-50 mm thick for the drill rod. On one side, the hole is drilled out so that the carbide plate at the end of the drill fits into it. You can glue several pieces of thin rubber to the bottom of the block - this will prevent slipping.

In this case, you cannot do without an assistant. First, the drill is placed at the drilling point, the block is lowered, and an assistant holds it firmly in place. After this, drilling begins - slipping is excluded.

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The task is to drill a large hole in the tree. The solution is wood crowns.

I welcome all visitors to my website, where I talk about various types of tools, give advice and recommendations on choosing and working with one or another tool. Today we will look at a tool with which you can easily drill a large-diameter hole in thin wood, most often plywood, fiberboard and chipboard.

The tool is a hole saw for wood, most often sold in sets with different saw diameters. This is very convenient - I bought one such set and you can drill holes of any large diameter, of course, if the saws that come in the set are of the diameter you need. Photo of this set:

For use at home, the Stayer set is quite suitable; it is optimal in terms of price and quality, moderately expensive, and comes with many saws of various diameters. It is worth noting that there are several variations of diameters, there are more complete sets with a large number of crowns, the diameters start from the smallest to the very large.

The most popular and best-selling set is 19-127 mm, this set contains 12 hole saws for wood of various diameters, it can be said to be universal, since it is almost always possible to select a crown for the desired diameter. However, its cost is 480 rubles. If you take sets with fewer attachments, then it will cost less.

So, let's look at the pros and cons of such a tool.

First the pros))

• Versatility - the ability to choose a crown for almost any diameter.
• Convenient suitcase, everything is stored in one place.
• Quick drilling of fiberboard, chipboard, plywood.

Minuses:

• The cut is not clean, unlike the holes drilled with a forstner drill.
• Sometimes it is not possible to choose the right diameter, for example, for some spotlights.
• Drilling depth is only 30 mm. Of course, you can drill deeper, but you will have to knock out the wood every time when the crown rests on the tree, because it is not deep.

All in all, a hole saw is a must-have tool for the home. For example, I recently pulled a 110 mm pipe through a thin partition (double layer of chipboard with a 50 mm block between them). How to drill 110mm holes in plywood?

There are several options - you can use a jigsaw, using a thin file for a figured cut. It is quite possible to drill a round hole, but you still won’t get a perfect circle.

But take a set of circular saws, choose the diameter of the bit closest to 110 mm, assemble it and drill a smooth, beautiful hole in a few minutes.

Metal drills

Externally, these drills are the simplest, without carbide tips. Although there are also specialized ones. The list is something like this:

• spiral - an analogue of a concrete drill, only made of HSS, P18 or P6M5 steel;
• conical - they are made in the form of a cone, they can be used for drilling large-diameter holes without reinstalling the drill;
• crown - needed for holes larger than 30 mm, made of hard alloys and HSS steel, and can also be diamond-coated;
• stepped - the tool is a cone with steps of cutting edges of different diameters. With just one such drill, you can make holes of different diameters.

Forstner drill

The tool is intended for making loops, belongs to specific equipment and is not widely used.

The design of the drill resembles a feather analogue, but has uneven edges. This consumable allows you to get a hole that has a flat bottom and edges, allowing you to install hinges without additional modification.

One such tool is sufficient, but it is precisely the diameter that these loops should be. To create standard hinges, the drill must have a diameter of 35 mm, for non-standard ones – 26 mm.

How to make large holes in walls? Choosing the optimal tool

Drilling large holes requires large nozzles, and they are different for wood and concrete. We will tell you which attachments to use for which tasks and recommend reliable drills.

To drill holes for air conditioner mounts, cable pulling, installation of a soldered pipe for water supply or connecting furniture structures, you will need a large drill. Although large nozzles for wood and concrete are somewhat similar, they are still intended for different tasks and they are not interchangeable. We will tell you about them and recommend a couple of good attachments for wood and concrete. We have already told you how to distinguish drills for wood, metal and concrete. Here we will focus on large attachments, which we do not use very often, but without which we can’t go anywhere in everyday life.

Types of products and their features

Let's look at what options you can find in our retail network and how they differ from each other.

Feather drills

The most common and budget option, which is quite convenient for even inexperienced craftsmen to work with. And you can also master this simple process with your own hands.

Let's look at the main advantages of this solution:

• The diameter range varies from 10 to 60 mm.
• The work is done quite quickly, but the quality of the hole is low, and it is unlikely to achieve an ideal result.
• The maximum drilling depth is approximately 150 mm.
• Products are sold either in sets of 5-6 pieces or individually, so you decide which option is right for you.
• If necessary, you can buy an extension that clamps the drill and increases its length by 300 mm.

Large sizes are usually sold individually, small sizes are usually sold in sets.

It is impossible not to mention such an interesting option as an adjustable pen drill; this type of product can make holes with a diameter of 22 to 76 mm. The work is carried out at low speeds using fairly powerful power tools.

Adjustable nib – a new word in products of this type

Forstner drill

This product option is used very widely in furniture production due to a number of undoubted advantages:

• The edges of the hole are perfectly smooth, which is not possible with other options.
• High reliability and long service life allow such devices to be used for years.

Types of drills and features of their use

A wide variety of devices are used for work; we will look at the most common and popular ones and start with the simplest options that are suitable for small amounts of work; their price is low, so they are very popular among buyers.

Simple options

Here it is necessary to highlight the following types of drills:

• Very often you can hear the question whether it is possible to drill wood with a metal drill, everything is quite simple: metal is much harder than wood, so this type of device can be used for these purposes. But here you should remember several important nuances: the quality of work will be low, especially if the drill is poorly sharpened, it will tear the fibers on the side where it goes against the structure, also due to the fact that the turns become clogged with chips, the element may overheat and become deformed;

Don’t know the difference between drills for metal and wood? First of all, by the configuration of the tip, it is very easy to distinguish one option from another

For information: In the photo above on the left is a drill for wood, in the center is for metal and on the right is an option for concrete. As you can see, the tips of the products differ very much.

• Spiral options are in many ways similar to the above-described option in their design, but they have a different tip - it has a centering tip, which prevents the drill from moving from a given point and ensures high accuracy of work. They are suitable for simple work and have small diameters;

There are protrusions along the edges that cut the fibers, which allows you to avoid tearing the wood and ensures high quality work

• Feather versions got their name due to the fact that their working part is flat, the tip is similar to the one described above - it also has a protruding point and two protrusions along the edges for trimming fibers. The shank most often has a hexagonal shape for easy mounting in drills and other power tools. The diameter can vary from 8 to 60 mm, which allows you to make holes for a variety of purposes;

Feather options are most often sold in sets, but if necessary, they can also be purchased individually

Special products

Here we will look at those solutions that allow you to perform more complex work: drilling holes of large diameter, significant depth, etc.

The most popular types are:

• Screw drills for wood have a spiral shape, which is why they are often called spiral drills; they can have significant lengths: 300, 450 and 600 mm, which allows you to work with them on log houses and other objects with massive structures. In this case, it is very important to use a high-power power tool, since the load during work is large. The size range is also quite impressive and ranges from 10 to 52 mm;

Spiral tip provides excellent hole alignment

• Wood crowns or, as they are also called, ring drills are used in cases where it is necessary to make holes of large diameter; the diameter of the elements varies from 19 to 127 mm, while the depth is small and ranges from 22 to 64 mm. The work is done using a high-power power tool, especially if you work not with pure wood, but with chipboard. Most often, products are sold in a set;

Crowns are indispensable for large diameter holes

• A separate group of products consists of adjustable drills and so-called ballerinas, in both versions it is possible to adjust the drilling diameter, but in order to achieve good quality work, it is recommended to carry them out using a special machine so that the bed is stationary and the workpiece is securely fixed.

Important! Ballerinas are subject to special requirements regarding the quality of execution and fixation of elements; if there is even a slight backlash, the result of the work will be far from ideal.

It is impossible not to note one more nuance; the question often comes up on forums: is it possible to drill wood with a concrete drill? Here the answer is categorical - no, carbide brazing is intended for concrete, and wood begins to burn when such a device is used.

Recommendations for carrying out work

Of course, wood cannot be compared with metal or other solid materials, however, you need to know the basic nuances of the work:

• It is very important to set the tool level so that the hole does not turn out at an angle, especially for long options, which are much more difficult to control;
• Raw wood is more viscous, so when working with it, the equipment will heat up much faster; care should be taken to ensure that overheating does not occur;
• Sometimes you need to make holes of great depth, but there is a short version available, especially for spiral devices, in this case, in order not to spend extra money, because the cost is quite high, you can purchase a special extension;

Wood drill extension - a convenient device

• To work with a ballerina with your own hands, you should carefully read the recommendations given in the instructions for use. It is important to properly prepare the device for the most effective work;
• If you need to make a large number of holes and the accuracy of the work is very important, then a small wood drilling machine with the ability to fix workpieces would be an excellent solution;

A small machine will make the work process more convenient and better quality

We also need to tell you how to sharpen a drill for wood, we will look at the simplest option that can be done at home, you need a machine with a cylindrical abrasive stone, the protrusions should be processed on it so that there is an angle of 80-90 between the centering element and the side protrusions degrees.

Sharpening wood drills is not a complicated process, but it requires care