This will make your job easy and smooth. It’ll also help ensure that your drill will never be damaged by discordant drill bits.

You can even carry your drill to the store to try the bits before you buy them. This will help ensure you don’t make any mistakes.

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about drilling metal, check out our in-depth interview with Christopher Thomas.

This article was co-authored by Christopher Thomas and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Christopher Thomas is a Metallurgist based in Birmingham, Alabama. With 16 years of experience working for Commercial Metals Company, Christopher specializes in designing modern infrastructure, metal recycling, fabrication, performance steel, and construction services. His company is responsible for creating high-end structures, from the AT&T Stadium in Dallas to the Pentagon. Christopher holds a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Alabama. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 304,195 times.

The choice of drill bit largely depends on the project at hand. If you’ll be drilling small holes into light concrete or artificial stones, you can go for any masonry drill bit.

In this piece, we are going to discuss tips that will help you pick drill bits that match your project needs. The tips will also help you avoid the mistakes that most buyers make when selecting masonry drill bits.

If you go for a drill bit made of HSS, however, make sure it’s coated with carbide, diamond powder, or even titanium carbon nitride. This helps make it tough and good for masonry. The coating also helps reduce corrosion and wear.

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Before drilling metal, choose the right kind of bit. For softer metals, like aluminum, a high-speed steel bit will work. For steel or other hard metals, use carbide, cobalt, or titanium. Put on a pair of work gloves and safety glasses, then clamp down the piece of metal to hold it steady while you drill. Draw an X on the metal where you want to drill, then make a dent on the mark with a hammer and center punch. Put a coin-sized amount of cutting oil on the spot to help lubricate and cool the drill bit. Hold the drill perpendicular to the metal and squeeze the trigger lightly while applying pressure to help push the bit through the metal. If the metal starts to glow or get too hot, take a break and add more cutting oil. Once you pierce the metal, switch the drill to reverse and carefully pull the bit out. Smooth the edges of the hole with a deburring tool when you’re done. Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Some drill bits are made of high-speed steel (HSS). These bits are a bit more expensive than those made of low carbon steel.

Cheap bits are usually made of substandard material and have a history of overheating and shattering when subjected to pressure. Buying them is a waste of your hard earned money, not to mention that they can ruin or delay your project.

Yes, it’s good to consider the price when buying drilling bits, but that does not mean that you should go for cheap bits.

If you’re dealing with hard concrete and natural stones, ordinary drill bits are not for you. Go for drill bits that have tungsten carbide or durum tips. They are usually stronger, more efficient, and penetrate hard surfaces better and faster than the typical drill bits.

These drill bits are effective in penetrating stones, concrete block, solid concrete, and other hard and soft materials found in the construction world.

Regardless of the of the type drill bit you choose, the golden rule here is to ensure that you pick a drill bit that is made of a high-quality and durable material, which is coated with carbide, diamond powder or titanium carbon nitride.

While some are meant for wood, others are specially designed for glass, metals, and masonry projects. Therefore, you want to ensure that the bit you pick is meant for masonry.

This is another important question that you should ask yourself. You should choose a drill bit that is compatible with your drill type.

In most instances, you’ll need a drill bit of standard length, but like we mentioned, there are longer bits if you need something longer.

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If you're tackling a DIY project that requires you to drill through metal, how can you know if you have the best tools for the job? Even if it may seem like a tough material to work with, you can easily drill through metal using a regular hand drill. Keep reading for everything you need to know and with a little patience, you'll be able to safely drill metal for any project!

Consider the type of job you want to do; ensure the bit you choose is compatible with your drill; refer to your pilot chart to know the bit size and length needed; ensure you go for masonry drill bits and avoid the cheap ones.

You need to examine the drill bit shank and ensure it’ll be grasped perfectly by the chuck of your drill. However, choosing a drill bit that’s compatible with your drill does not necessarily mean that you have to buy bits of the same brand. No!

If you do all this, you will be able to pick the right masonry drill bit every time you visit a drill bit store. Check out our drill bits for brick work or our products page for various tools and building supplies.

It’s important to ensure the bit you choose has exactly the same size as the hole you are going to make. Going for a bit that is a little bit larger than the hole you wish to create is also fine.

When it comes to length, there are standard lengths, but there also long masonry drill bits that range from 300 to 400 mm.

When selecting a drill bit, you have to consider the material it’s made of. There are masonry drills bits made of low carbon steel. These drill bits are cheap and can be used to drill soft surfaces.

Choosing a drill bit that matches your project’s needs can be confusing and time-consuming because of the diverse drill types available. It’s much more complicated than you might think.

The good news is that they rarely overheat and are highly durable. You can also use them to drill holes in timber is you need to.

You should, however, avoid bits made of substandard material regardless of the quality of concrete you’ll be drilling. They’ll overheat quickly and do a shoddy job.