Tools for drilling wood

Drill bits for wood

To drill the wood we use the electric drill equipped with special tips for wood. If the hole has a diameter greater than 10 mm you should perform a preventive drilling with a bit of lower diameter (5 mm maximum) and then move to the suitable diameter in order not to tear the fibers attaching them immediately with a tool of greater diameter.

After marking the point at which you intend to make the hole, tighten in the chunk of the drill, a wood drill bit of suitable diameter.

Wood drills bits stand out from the others because of the point they have at the center (called vettino) which sticks initially in the fibers and makes the drilling accurate. If you smell something burning is likely that the tip is sharpened and the wood is very hard. In this case, you should replace the tip with a new, or with the regenerated sharpening.

If the hole is not blind, but is a throughout hole, that is, it goes through the wood, it is possible that when the point comes out from the opposite side, the wood splinters: to avoid this place a piece of wood on the opposite side of the one been pierced, securing it with a clamp so that the tip, coming out from the wood to be drilled, break through the attached one and does not cause splintering.

If, instead, the hole is blind, that is, must not cross the entire piece of wood, you must be able to stop the drilling at the established depth. For this work there are depth stops that are blocked on the bit body so that, when the tip in in in the right depth, the stop touches the wood and prevents the tip to go further. The stop is a ring, with a small screw side, which can be slipped on the tip and locked, by tightening the screw, in a suitable position.

How to drill

Set the electric drill at maximum speed and the rotation before the tip is in contact with the wood. Place carefully the point in the tip that you have drawn and push forward, without pressing too much, so that the tip penetrates into the wood.

Holes with the auger bit

To run on the wood holes of diameter greater than 12-15 mm, it is necessary to use a particular tip called auger, that is not made as the normal drill bits but is composed of a flat portion and two cutting faces with a central point.

The auger bit is blocked like a normal bit in the chuck of the drill and rotates at maximum speed.

It is used to drill holes ranging from 15 to 30-35 mm in diameter. Be very careful when running large holes as the auger bit removes wood and undergoes a remarkable effort that is why you should not push too hard with the drill or you risk breaking or deteriorate it.

The column support

The drilling of the wood should, whenever possible, be carried out with the drill mounted on a column support so that the hole is perpendicular to the outer face of the wood and absolutely regular. In fact, the handmade drilling does not guarantee the perfection and precision of this operation.

If the hole is to be practiced at the center of a panel or in any case in a position such that it is not possible to use a column for a drill, it is convenient to use the appropriate guide for vertical holes which is formed by a metal support where to insert the drill. The guide is supported on the face to be drilled while the springs allow the lowering of the drill.

Holes with the hole saw

For bigger diameter holes (up to 8-10 cm) you should use a special tool called hole saw. The hole saw is composed of a disc support, equipped with a stem, which is inserted into the spindle. On the support there are several grooves in which the blades can be inserted toothed circular shaped blades, of different diameters.

At the center there is a normal wood drill bit used as a guide. To make the hole plug into the base plate the appropriate blade to the size of the hole. Switch on the drill, and bring the central point in contact with the of the hole.

The tip penetrates in and then the circular saw blade cuts the wood by removing a disk and leaving a perfectly circular hole.
The limit of the saw cup is given by the depth of the hole that can not be more than 20-25 mm, that is, the height of the blade.

If the wood is thicker, it is necessary to attach two opposite parts using the central hole of the guide. Even with the hole saw you must work with some care as it is always possible to burn the wood due to the reduced sharpening and the teeth of the blades. Possibly practice the hole in two or more times.