5 Nifty Drill Bits You Didn’t Know Existed

Most DIYers will use a drill set to make small holes in metal, wood, and plastic – nothing else. However, several other types of bits can do many jobs for many things, as long as you choose the right drill bit for the job. We list a few unique metals that do a special job.

Although many of these bits are designed to make boreholes, these are not the usual points that you put into wood and other materials to place a small screw. Instead, they are designed to make larger holes for different projects, such as parts for plugs or angled holes for joining materials at right angles.

One of the strongest ways to join two pieces of wood is to join a pocket hole. This method uses a pocket hole drilled at an angle, creating a “pocket” for the screw. This will then allow the screw to automatically secure the two pieces together while remaining discreet (as long as the hole is drilled on the inside of the joint) or hidden (if you use plugs to hide the holes).

To do this, you need a pocket hole jig to avoid mistakes, especially if the material you are working on moves while drilling. It is best to use a speed drill bit to drill the pocket hole. That’s because a small step drill has a small diameter tip, which allows it to drill a pilot hole where your screw will fit. Another part of the stepped drill has a larger diameter that removes more material, creating a “pocket” that will hide the screwhead. This makes it the perfect addition to your tool kit for making these beginner-friendly woodworking projects.

While you can theoretically drill a hole in a pocket without a small drill, this is a very involved process. You will need two drill bits – a thin one for the pilot hole, and a small one for drilling the pocket itself. That means you’ll have to drill twice, increasing the chances of you slipping and making a mistake.

Conventional drill bits are fine for boring small holes for screwing in, but they are not good enough for fixing larger objects. For example, if you’re making a cabinet door or want to put a desk grommet in your hardwood table to run wires, a regular drill bit won’t work. If so, you need a Forstner bit, especially if you want to create a low-profile hole for mounting hinges and making dowel joints or need a clean, precise cut in expensive hardwood.

A spade bit can do the same job as a Forstner bit, allowing you to create holes in your material that are both seamless and non-finishing. However, they can only make rough cuts, which means they are not suitable for jobs that require a nice, high-quality finish. You can also use a hole saw to drill larger holes, but this type of bit cannot make shallow holes, making it unsuitable for some applications.

If you want the best of both worlds, the Forstner bit is a great addition to your drill bit collection alongside these handy Makita tools for making custom cabinets and other woodworking projects.

If you want to cut a large hole in brick, concrete, or other masonry, use a coring drill bit. This is a hollow, cylindrical tool with sharp teeth on the drilling edge. Since this is a hollow piece, its maximum drilling depth is limited by the length of the cylinder. Once the tool has reached its limit, you will need to remove the coring drill bit and remove the core (or the material left by the bit) before you can start working again.

There are two common types of coring drill bits – carbide and diamond. Carbide coring drill bits are usually a cheaper option, as they use tungsten carbide teeth. While they’re good for going through the gauntlet, they’ll be tough when hitting other materials like steel rebar. In addition, they do not cut as cleanly as the latter, which have a diamond-encrusted edge that allows for clean cuts.

Diamond core bits can easily cut through steel rebar without dulling quickly, but you will have to cool the drill by stopping for a while or using a water cooling system.

You cannot rely on bits designed for wood or stone to drill a large diameter metal hole. Instead, you need a special annular cutter drill bit. These bits’ sharp, cylindrical design may seem no different from hole saws and coring saws, but they won’t cut large holes in aluminum, steel, and similar materials.

The annular cutter drill bit is known for its clean, precise cuts, resulting in smooth edges of the cut metal. This means you don’t need to remove or re-adjust the edges, saving time, effort, and damage to cables, cords, or anything else you might pull through the hole.

Like core drill bits, annular cutter drill bits are available in two types — high-speed steel (HSS) and tungsten carbide-tipped (TCT). HSS is a more affordable option, but it is only suitable for cutting soft metals such as copper and aluminum. If you need to drill holes in cast iron or high-strength steel, you’ll want a TCT bit. Unfortunately, these pieces are very expensive and cannot be resharpened, so replacement is the only option.

A plug cutter drill bit is different, as it is not designed to make holes. Instead, it cuts wooden plugs that cover the bolted holes, hiding the screws or bolts used to join the pieces of wood together.

To use this drill feature, you need a jig or drill, as using a pilot hole to guide the plug cutter bit can create a hole in the plug and make it difficult to hide. Once you’ve reached the end of the plug cutter bit, pull it out of the wood and use the screwdriver as a lever to remove the plug from its base. Then, dip it in wood glue, align the grain of the plug with the rest of the wood, and screw the plug into the hole you want to hide.

Although you can use wood filler to cover holes, it will still leave obvious marks, especially if you plan to stain your woodworking project. To hide it naturally, you can use a plug cutter drill bit to create plugs from the same wood – or from a different wood for a more dramatic design.