What are Brad Point drills used for?
Content
In this article, I will explain in more detail what point drills are used for and the recommended types for each project.
Generally, taper (or spur) tip drills are used to drill holes in soft wood, hard wood, soft plastic, metal, and sometimes harder materials depending on the type of drill, which can range from steel to diamond (the strongest ). .
I'll go into more detail below.
What is a Brad Point drill?
Pointed bits
First, what is a tipped drill? A pointed drill is a drill with a very sharp point. It looks like a regular twist drill, but with a protruding point. This point looks like a pin, hence the name.
Types and sizes of Brad Point drills
General and special types
Brad point drills are a type of drill that combines the capabilities of a conventional twist drill and a powerful blade drill used to drill large holes. They come in three common types providing different strengths: they are made of carbon steel, carbide or high speed steel (HSS).
Less common are chrome vanadium steel products, which are only slightly stronger than steel and less durable than high speed steel. The most durable are made of tungsten carbide and polycrystalline diamonds.
Which Brad Point drill to use
Use this handy chart to determine which type of tipped drill is best for specific materials.
| material or surface (which you are going to drill) | The best pointed drill to use |
| softwood | steel bits |
| Hard softwood and soft plastic | Carbon steel, chrome vanadium steel or high speed steel |
| Hardwood | HSS or tungsten carbide tip |
| Metal | With tungsten carbide tip |
| The most durable material | Polycrystalline diamond crowns |
Size range
Brad tipped drills typically come in sizes from 0.0787" (2mm) to 0.9843" (25mm). For less common applications, larger diameter models are available.
What is the Brad Point drill used for?
Improved accuracy
Drills with a Brad tip are designed for special applications. They are designed to help you make very crisp and precise holes. They ensure that your holes are always straight and smooth, no matter what surface you are working with.
No wandering
It is their sharp ends that provide greater accuracy.
The dot helps hold them in place after they are positioned. This prevents them from "wandering" as twist drills do (unless a center punch is used first). This makes them very versatile and powerful. If you need to avoid drill wander and don't have a center punch handy, use a pointed drill instead.
Working to perfection
If you're a crafts expert, having a pointed drill bit in your toolbox ensures your work always looks professional. Unlike universal drills, they are specially designed for woodworking in particular. If you want all of your holes to look perfect and everything to fit snugly, be sure to use them.
What are they used to make
These features make sharp point drill bits especially useful when you need clean, precise holes. They are used, for example, in the installation of dowels, the manufacture of bookshelves, commercial cabinetry and other furniture construction.
Brad point drills are also used in drill presses. In fact, using them in a drill press makes them more efficient because you can more easily clamp the material and drill. For precise drilling at an angle, attach them to the jig using bushings.
On what surfaces can the Brad Point drill be used?
Ideal for wood
Brad tip drills can be used on a variety of surfaces and materials, including soft and hard woods.
They are ideal when you need to drill precise and clean holes in any type of wood. If a regular drill can't penetrate a particular hardwood, a pointed bit will most likely work for you.
The carbon steel (black) type is best for softwood and the HSS type for hardwood.
In fact, round tip drills can be used for a wide variety of materials. While they are ideal for wood, they work equally well with soft plastics and thin sheet metal.
Do Brad Point drills work well in thick metal?
Unfortunately, round tip drills don't work as well with thick metal sheets. The reason for this is that their sharp ends can be difficult to penetrate hard materials. A conventional multi-purpose twist drill can work better in hard metal if it is made of high carbon steel, carbide or high speed steel.
Drilling with a Brad Point drill
Step 1: Center Punch
First, punch through the spot you want to drill.
Step 2: Drill a Pilot Hole
This is optional but necessary if you want to drill a large hole.
Can the Brad Point drill be sharpened?
Sharpening can be very difficult
Although point drills are already very sharp by design and last a long time, if they ever become dull and need to be resharpened, this is very difficult to do. This requires setting up your grinding wheel and using cone saw files, rotary cutting tools, Swiss flat files and diamond cards (especially carbide tipped cards). You may just need a professional sharpener to sharpen a sharp point drill bit!
Sharpening Brad Point Drills
It is very important to maintain the sharpness of a drill with rounded ends. If it is not sharpened evenly, it can interfere with drilling something and even damage it. If it doesn't, a blunt-ended drill may cause the hole to be larger than you intended.
If this problem bothers you and you can afford the higher cost, it is best to work with carbide drill bits because they are more durable. However, pointed bits are definitely worth having if you're serious about your job or if you're a carpenter by trade.
Sharpening the Brad Point drill
Whether you're looking to sharpen a blunt-tip drill yourself, or you're just curious about how it's done, here are the steps:
Step 1: Sharpen Your Spurs First
Start by sharpening your spurs to sharpening their point. If you're working from the right angle, it may only take a few strokes. The same is true when using a meat grinder.
Step 2: Sharpen the Point
Having sharpened the spurs, now sharpen the point. Focus more on its edges. Set the angle of each side between 5° and 10° maximum and use the same number of passes on each side. Keep the bit as centered as possible to avoid uneven sharpening. Rotating on a drilling machine can make this task easier.
Additional Benefits of Brad Point Drills
Stronger and more durable
Compared to other types of drills, pointed drills are not only sharper, but also stronger and have a longer shelf life. They can stay sharp for a long time making them more durable. These features alone should make them an essential item in a carpenter's toolbox.
Decreased chance of splitting
In addition to providing accuracy, i.e. making it easier to drill to a precise mark compared to conventional drills, solid head drills also reduce the chance of splitting wood when drilling. This is due to its spur design. When you start drilling, splinters often occur. The chance of breakage is also minimized, which happens when the drill goes straight through the wood. (1)
Some shortcomings
Brad point drills are not without some drawbacks. They are more expensive than cheaper and less reliable conventional drills. Although it is possible to buy cheaper point drills, they will not work as well as regular point drills and are likely to suffer from "wobble".
Also, sharp point drills are not suitable for reaming holes you have already made. They are only suitable for making clean new ones. This is because its cutting edge may not sit properly inside the hole. If this happens, it will move easily while drilling. If you need to widen an existing hole, use a regular twist drill.
What are the good and not so good Brad Point drills
This table summarizes all the advantages and disadvantages of solid head drills mentioned in this article.
| Brad Point Drills | |
| Good for… | Not so good for... |
| Work with precision (exact alignment) Make straight and precise holes Professional woodworking Work with any soft material such as wood, plastic or thin sheet metal Minimize the chance of splitting and tearing wood Keep drills strong and durable. (2) | Your pocket (more expensive) Reaming existing holes Works with thick metal sheets (unless using the strongest types) Easy to sharpen. |
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- How to sharpen drill bits with a file
- What size drill bit for metal for 8 screws
- What is the size of a 3/16 tapcon drill?
Recommendations
(1) ensuring accuracy - https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/wtc/data-literacy/catalogue/892000062020008
(2) Accuracy - https://study.com/learn/lesson/accuracy-precision.html
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