Back in the day I used to think that drilling was something for specialists only. If I needed to hang a picture on my wall, I called my dad (who happens to be a specialist, conveniently enough…) If I needed to fix the light fixture – call the specialist…
But it all changed when I got my own house pretty far away from everybody who could help me, and paid so much for it that there was no money left to call in a professional.
The first tentative drilling steps involved hanging up the family pictures. Or… the terror of making a whole in the wall. The mystery of how the picture going to actually hang on it… I still get goosebumps remembering the first time I turned the drill on all by myself. All I could think about was “goodbye wall and goodbye fingers”.
Surprisingly enough that experience went quite well. Turned out that there was really more fuss about it than needed. Given the right drill (and I got a great one as a gift from my specialist dad) and the right bit (yes, he also explained to me how to choose a drill bit size to match the screws) the whole task literally took seconds.
Then I felt incomplete and drilled a whole set of wholes just for future frames. Decorating the house, you know?
And then there was that day when I was stuck with a baby gate and had to mount it on all by myself, or else chase the baby without a break till he learns to listen to me. The odds of him listening where too small, so up from the basement came the power tools.
I’m still proud of the precision workmanship I showed that day. Turns out the gate was a bit misaligned at the plant, so I even had to drill a whole in the metal to make it actually fit on the frame! And I had diamond drill bits lying around handy! That was too fulfilling. I don’t think I’m taking that gate off anytime soon. It has my bragging rights all over it.
I guess another thing that increased my comfort with basic drilling is the fact that drill bits are now pretty much everywhere. That makes them seem like the kind of thing everyone is using. And if everyone can – why not me?
And why not you either? Really, it’s not as scary as it seems…
Showing posts with label diamond drill bits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diamond drill bits. Show all posts
A Case for Diamond Drill Bits
The thing about diamond drill bits is that they look so much like the regular ones that many people do not know that they should have them in the house. I’ve seen people try to drill wholes in concrete kitchen floors and bathroom tiles with the regular bits with some really sad results. Lucky are the ones who had replacement tiles.
Seriously, people. You wouldn’t use a wooden knife to cut a stone, would you? When you are drilling through a hard surface, you really need something that is harder than the surface you are working on. And it doesn’t get harder than diamond. Diamond happens to be the hardest material we know.
But when you get comfortable with the idea of drilling, get yourself a whole bunch of diamond drill bits of various shapes and sizes (twist, core drill bits, etc) and you can do a whole set of fun projects.
In fact, diamond core drill bits are used quite intensively for various craft projects. You can use them to cut out various designs on the glass. Just check out this cool project . That will give you an idea of things you can do with your drill! Seriously, drill bits are not just for the handyman around the house. They are also for the decorist of the place :)
By the way, when I mentioned the sad results of using the wrong drill bits on concrete, I really meant me… Yah… That time when I tried to drill a whole in the ceramic kitchen floor… I learned my lesson though. My diamond drill bit collection is in the place of honor in my basement.
Seriously, people. You wouldn’t use a wooden knife to cut a stone, would you? When you are drilling through a hard surface, you really need something that is harder than the surface you are working on. And it doesn’t get harder than diamond. Diamond happens to be the hardest material we know.
But when you get comfortable with the idea of drilling, get yourself a whole bunch of diamond drill bits of various shapes and sizes (twist, core drill bits, etc) and you can do a whole set of fun projects.
In fact, diamond core drill bits are used quite intensively for various craft projects. You can use them to cut out various designs on the glass. Just check out this cool project . That will give you an idea of things you can do with your drill! Seriously, drill bits are not just for the handyman around the house. They are also for the decorist of the place :)
By the way, when I mentioned the sad results of using the wrong drill bits on concrete, I really meant me… Yah… That time when I tried to drill a whole in the ceramic kitchen floor… I learned my lesson though. My diamond drill bit collection is in the place of honor in my basement.
Diamond Drill Bits
Diamond drill bits are a type of diamond tool, and therefore contain diamond segments bonded to a base material. It is the hardest type of tool and is especially frequently used on highly abrasive materials.
Until recently scientists thought that diamond was first used some time 500 BC in India. However recent new evidence suggests that craftsmen in China used diamond for polishing as far back as 4500 years ago.
The industrial market for this mineral focuses primarily on the hardness and heat conductivity, while clarity and color are considered irrelevant. Thus 80% percent of what the miners find end up in tools (such as diamond drill bits, diamond core drill bits, blades, polishing cups, abrasivesetc…) and not on the necks of Titanic bound debutants.
Due to the fact that it’s the hardest material we use, it is excellent for working on stone, ceramics, marble, glass, fiberglass, porcelain, etc. However, diamond drill bits grind, as opposed to cutting the surface. Nevertheless, they are less noisy and less brittle then other alternatives.
Diamond core drill bits (also known as diamond hole saws) have a hollow center and cut a circle in the material to create or enlarge an existing hole.
It is generally recommended to lubricate these bits with water.
And of course, whatever you do, always pay attention to the manufacturers instructions. Different makers use different material composition, and thus may require different mode of care and application.
Drill Bits Material: From Carbon Steel to Diamond
It is important to choose a drill bit made with the right material for your purpose. Getting a softer drill bit than needed will lead to early dullness and uselessness of the tool, leading to endless replacing at best, and a ruined project as one of the sadder scenarios. When picking the material, consider the surface to be drilled into (Soft wood? Hardwood? Metal? Stone?), and the steadiness of the drill itself – a very brittle bit on a cordless drill in the hands of not a very experienced driller is probably not the best idea.
That said, lets consider the standard options:
Low Carbon Steel Drill Bits
This is the cheapest option. Best used only on softwood. Low Carbon Steel bits require frequent sharpening, have a relatively short useful lifespan, and do not hold the edge too well. Buyer beware.
High Carbon Steel Drill Bits
These are an improvement over the above, and can be used on hardwood and even some metals. However their low resistance to heat causes them to loose their sharpness relatively quickly.
High Speed Steel Drill Bits (HSS Drill Bits)
These have essentially replaced the older Carbon steel bits on the market. HSS is significantly more resistant to heat, and as such these bits are well suited to most wood and metal jobs.
Titanium Coated Drill Bits
Titanium coating makes these bits harder and last longer than the common HSS bits. That is because the coating is a hard ceramic material.
There are a number of different Titanium coatings, most common are Titanium Nitride (TiN), Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAN) and Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN). TiN can increases the life of a drill bit by three or more times. TiAN is considered even better, and can increase the lifespan five times or more. TiCN is also considered superior to TiN.
The problem with coated bits, however, is that once dulled, they can’t be properly sharpened – the coating will be gone, and so will all the benefits of it.
Carbide Tipped Drill Bits
These are very hard, dissipate heat quickly and hold an edge longer than other types. However, Carbide tipped bits are also brittle and are likely to chip if not used carefully.
Cobalt Drill Bits
Cobalt bits retain hardness at much higher temperatures than the HSS ones. However, they are also more brittle than HSS. Cobalt drill bits are most commonly used for drilling stainless steel and other metals.
Diamond Drill Bits
Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) is one of the hardest tool materials. It actually consists of a layer of diamond particles bonded to a carbide support. And since diamond is the hardest thing found in our environment (or at least it is the hardest we know of), the diamond bits can be used on the toughest materials.
Unlike carbide and other types of drill bits, which use sharp edges to cut through material, diamond drills tend to work by grinding away their nemesis on a micro level.
Diamond drill bits can be used on glass, porcelain, ceramic tiles, granite, marble, stone, fiberglass, etc. They are commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries, and in other environments where abrasive materials need to be drilled.
That said, lets consider the standard options:
Low Carbon Steel Drill Bits
This is the cheapest option. Best used only on softwood. Low Carbon Steel bits require frequent sharpening, have a relatively short useful lifespan, and do not hold the edge too well. Buyer beware.
High Carbon Steel Drill Bits
These are an improvement over the above, and can be used on hardwood and even some metals. However their low resistance to heat causes them to loose their sharpness relatively quickly.
High Speed Steel Drill Bits (HSS Drill Bits)
These have essentially replaced the older Carbon steel bits on the market. HSS is significantly more resistant to heat, and as such these bits are well suited to most wood and metal jobs.
Titanium Coated Drill Bits
Titanium coating makes these bits harder and last longer than the common HSS bits. That is because the coating is a hard ceramic material.
There are a number of different Titanium coatings, most common are Titanium Nitride (TiN), Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAN) and Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN). TiN can increases the life of a drill bit by three or more times. TiAN is considered even better, and can increase the lifespan five times or more. TiCN is also considered superior to TiN.
The problem with coated bits, however, is that once dulled, they can’t be properly sharpened – the coating will be gone, and so will all the benefits of it.
Carbide Tipped Drill Bits
These are very hard, dissipate heat quickly and hold an edge longer than other types. However, Carbide tipped bits are also brittle and are likely to chip if not used carefully.
Cobalt Drill Bits
Cobalt bits retain hardness at much higher temperatures than the HSS ones. However, they are also more brittle than HSS. Cobalt drill bits are most commonly used for drilling stainless steel and other metals.
Diamond Drill Bits
Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) is one of the hardest tool materials. It actually consists of a layer of diamond particles bonded to a carbide support. And since diamond is the hardest thing found in our environment (or at least it is the hardest we know of), the diamond bits can be used on the toughest materials.
Unlike carbide and other types of drill bits, which use sharp edges to cut through material, diamond drills tend to work by grinding away their nemesis on a micro level.
Diamond drill bits can be used on glass, porcelain, ceramic tiles, granite, marble, stone, fiberglass, etc. They are commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries, and in other environments where abrasive materials need to be drilled.
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