Drill speed chartMild Steel

If you’re worried about how to drill into cinder block for your next project, we’ve got you covered! Find out how to do it right the first time.

Carbidedrillspeedsandfeedschart

Hi, I’m Megan Taylor, an experienced home renovator and woodworker, mentored by my father, a professional contractor. I'm the creator of TwoFeetFirst, where I share my DIY knowledge with you. My mission is to guide and inspire you in transforming your home into something you love. Welcome!

HSSdrillspeedsandfeeds metric

The boards would have to be secured to the cinder block, meaning we needed to drill into the cinder block. We bought our supplies (which included masonry screws and a masonry drill bit) and started the project, thinking this would take no time to complete.

Drill speed chart

Determine the spindle speed (RPM) and feed rate (IPM) for a drilling operation, as well as the cut time for a given cut length. Drilling operations are those in which a cutting tool with sharp teeth, such as a twist drill, rotates and feeds into the workpiece axially, forming a hole with a diameter equal to that of the tool. Calculations use the desired tool diameter, cutting speed, and cutting feed, which should be chosen based on the specific cutting conditions, including the workpiece material and tool material. Learn more about Drilling.

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Drill SPEED CHARTpdf

We continued using this process for a few days, not getting anywhere. Except maybe getting more frustrated and worried about how we were ever going to finish our whole basement.

But then we got a big slap in the face. After hours of drilling into the cinder block, we only had about 4 finished holes. You can imagine how frustrated we were.

Metricdrill speed chart

One day, my husband and I decided to insulate one of the rooms in our basement (really just a closet). After some research, we chose to use foam insulation with 2×2 boards.

And yes, we were using the correct drill bit for the job.  We even switched drill bits often but after about one hole, the new bit was shot.

Why was it so difficult? We watched lots of videos of people drilling into cement and they did not have this much trouble. What are we doing wrong?

HSSdrillspeedsandfeedschartpdf

Are you working on finishing your basement? Or do you need to drill lots of holes into cement? Skip the frustration and do what we did – buy a rotary hammer!.

Before, we were using all of our strength (guess we could have skipped the gym that day!). Now, the rotary hammer was doing all the work; we just held the drill in place.

Drill speed chartfor steel

So if you are wondering how to drill through cinder block or cement, the answer is a ROTARY hammer drill! It will make your project go a lot smoother.

But again, hours later, we only had 10 finished holes drilled (this worked better than the regular drill but still not easy).

We returned our hammer drill and we got the Bosch Rotary Hammer Drill with a drill bit. Then, after saying a few prayers, we tried the rotary hammer.

Let’s start with a little backstory on how we came to know this and finally learned the easier way to drill into cinder block.

UPDATE: We are still loving this drill. We have used it to drill holes through brick & concrete and also remove tile – this thing is amazing for demo! I would recommend it to anyone

We completed 3-4 holes in the time it took us to complete one with the regular hammer drill. And it was even easier to use!