Are you tired of hiring professionals to do the drilling tasks around your home? If you are, the best thing you can do is go the DIY route and do things your way. However, you need to have all the basics of drilling on your fingertips.
For example, do you know the different types of drill bits out there and their uses? And when you buy the tool, can you fit it into your drill?
Well, our focus will be on the lip and spur drill units, and we hope that you learn something new by the end of this article.
About Lip and Spur Drill Bits
At times, you may find the name brad point bits being used in place of these bits and are mainly used for boring small-medium-sized holes in timber. Further, you can also use them to drill holes in plastic since they don’t emit friction which may cause melting.
Another thing about these units is that most of them are made out of alloy steel, and when you compare them with HSS units, you’ll notice several differences. These include a steeper twist and deeper flute, ensuring that they deliver pretty clean holes.
Uses of Lip and Spur Drill Bits
We have already discovered that lip and spur bits are used for drilling softer materials such as wood. But how do you distinguish them from metal bits? It’s pretty simple, starting with the lip and spur as the outstanding features.
The lip is the unit’s ‘chisel’ and does the hard work of cutting through the wood material in the circumference of the hole you have created. As a result, you will end up with a high-quality finish that you will be proud of.
On the other hand, the spur is responsible for providing stability during the process by keeping the bit centered so that it does not wander off on the surface of your workpiece.
Even though wood bits are available in various colors, you will mainly find black and silvery units.
Coming to metal bits, you will notice an angle at the tip, and they are mainly made from HSS material. Then, you will find golden or coppery colors as the dominant ones in the market.
Let’s not forget that lip and spur drilling units are available in sizes ranging from 3mm-16mm (1/8”-5/8”) so that you can choose the size that suits the project you are dealing with.
Fitting – Removing Drill Bit Into/Out of the Jaws
Now that you have your favorite bit in your possession, how about we give you a simple guide on how you can fit it into your drill?
*First, you need to know how to open and shut the jaws, whereby you will hold the drill tightly in one hand via the main handle before turning both of them concurrently. To tighten the jaws, turn the chuck clockwise and do the opposite to open them.
*Once the jaws are open, hold your drill in a vertical position and approximate the size of the opening since this is where the bit is supposed to fit. The opening should not be too wide as you will have a problem holding the drill bit in place as your hand will be busy turning the chuck.
*Lastly, place the bit into the jaws while being keen to maintain a straight position. Your non-dominant hand should be gripping and turning the handle to give you the freedom to turn and tighten the chuck.
Continue turning it clockwise until it gets tight. After that, confirm that the jaws are only gripping the bit’s shaft and not being excessively tight on its blade.
Removing
When the time comes to remove the drill bit, you will have to follow the opposite of what we have presented above. Here, you should hold and turn the handle and the chuck in the anti-clockwise direction.
If you want to be sure that you have done the installation well, do some practice drilling. You should repeat the entire procedure if you notice you have messed up and the drill isn’t working.
Final Word
The lip and spur bit is a useful tool that will drill holes into softer materials such as wood and plastic without ruining them. If you happen to use a metal bit in its place, the friction may be too high for the material, while the holes won’t be that clean and make everything difficult for you.
All that is remaining is for you to find the unit that will give you the best service and leave your material in the same top condition before you start the operation.