The Fundamentals of Light Cutting Tools

Drilling in metal requires a tough drill bit that stays razor sharp.

Jobber Length
• Most common style in the world
• Shank sizes always match the cutting diameter

Maintenance Length
• Slightly smaller than Jobber drills, making it easier to get into tight spaces
• Often have 3-flatted shanks to reduce slippage in the drill chuck

Reduced Shank
• Popular choice for maintenance and repair
• Because the shank size is smaller than the drill diameter, they can drill holes larger than the typical drill chuck capacity

Hex Shank
• More common for maintenance
• Typically come with a 1/4" hex shaped shank that fits into a quick-change chuck.
This allows you to swap accessories, such as drill and driver bits

While regular drill bits will do the job, selecting a specialised tool made for cutting wood will
provide added productivity and smoother holes.
Augers
• Designed for drilling deep holes in wood
• Equipped with a screw point, which helps start holes and prevents walking
• For added ease of use, shanks are hex-shaped to reduce slippage
Spade Bits/Zip Bits
• Most economical choice to bore fast, clean holes in wood
• Deep holes are difficult to make with spade bits
Forstner Bits
• Popular choice for cutting flat-bottomed holes in wood or complete holes in wood framing
• Equipped with a screw point, which helps start holes and prevents walking

In construction applications, it is necessary to create holes in concrete, brick
and other building materials. Matching the right tool to the drill is essential to increase productivity.

DRILL TYPES

Masonry Drills
• Designed for drilling deep holes in concrete, brick and other building materials
• Come with a carbide tip attached to a steel drill body, making them super tough in the most abrasive jobs
• When buying masonry drills, it is important to know what kind of shank and what style is right for your job
Rebar Cutters
• Built to take on the tough job of cutting through steel rebar in concrete structures
• Have replacement heads and shanks
• Come in complete sets
BIT STYLES
Rotary
• Cut like a drill, gradually grinding the building material to create a hole
• Require constant pressure from the user
• Are less productive than hammer bits
Hammer
• Cut by combining the percussion/impact action and the rotary grinding of a hammer drill
• Because of the built-in movement of the hammer drill, they require less pressure by the user
SHANK STYLES
• Spline Shank
• Straight Shank
• SDS
• SDS-Plus
• SDS-Max

Maintenance jobs often require drilling several holes of different sizes or the enlarging of an existing hole. Using a drill bit that can cut multiple diameters saves time and effort. Step drills provide that functionality.

DRILL TYPES

Multiple Hole Step Drills
• Designed to create multiple sized holes in thin materials
• Drill bit is stepped, with larger diameters toward the shank
• Allows the user to cut up to 13 different sized hole diameters

Single Hole Step Drills
• Designed to drill perfectly round holes in thin materials
• 3-flatted shank prevents slippage in a drill chuck

Hole-Enlarging Step Drills
• Designed to make an existing hole larger in thin materials
• Drill bit is stepped, with larger diameters toward the shank
• Allows the user to cut up to 10 different sized hole diameters

Omni Step Drills
• Designed to drill perfectly round holes in thin materials
• Drill bit increases in diameter toward the shank, but is not stepped
• Allows the user to cut a range of sizes, but does not provide the accuracy of a stepped drill
• Step Drills are perfect for use in Steel, Copper, Brass, Aluminium and other thin materials
• Additionally, they can be used for cutting composition board, wood, Plexiglas and plastics

Keys to Proper Use:
• Review “Step Thickness” before selecting a tool
• “Step Thickness” refers to the maximum depth a step will cut a workpiece. For example, a step drill with a “Step Thickness” of 1/8" can cut a maximum depth of 1/8"
• Step drills are perfect for use in Steel, Copper, Brass, Aluminium and other thin materials
• Additionally, they can be used for cutting composition board, wood and plastics