Types and characteristics of drill bits for cutting and grinding metal

Due to the fact that the drill chuck provides for the installation of various attachments, this tool is completely universal. It can fully replace many types of both manual and stationary equipment for processing metal, wood, plastic and many other materials. With the correct use of the drill, the result will be the same as when working with a profile tool.

You can use various drill bits not only in the absence of a profile tool for specific types of work. They are often used purposefully because they allow you to achieve more correct and accurate results. For example, for processing small parts or in cases where heating of a metal surface is unacceptable.

The main advantages of the attachments include the following indicators:

• precise cut quality along the planned line;

• the ability to create a perfectly flat hole;
• cost savings when buying single-purpose tools;
• ease of installation and operation;

• the ability to handle various types of materials;
• the availability of processing in any place without being tied to the power grid (in the case of using a drill with a rechargeable battery);
• interchangeability of a wide range of different instruments;
• low weight of the device assembled with a nozzle.

Despite the convenience, popularity and wide range of applications, drill bits also have their drawbacks:

• low efficiency when carrying out large-scale works;
• the inability to process large surface areas due to the small size of the device;
• limited drill power.

For example, when processing delicate wooden parts with a milling cutter, it is difficult to control the thickness of the removed layer with a drill. Likewise, and vice versa, when it is necessary to perform work on drilling concrete with a crown, the power of the drill may not be enough.

Many people believe that the drill is used only for one purpose - drilling holes, and only a few craftsmen successfully use it for various other types of work. The drill chuck, which turns at great speed around its axis, fully replaces almost any tool that provides for reciprocating movements. The main thing is that the nozzle has a special rounded or polyhedral pin that will be clamped and fixed in the chuck.

In general, the nozzles are divided according to direct or interchangeable purpose and are of the following types:

• stops;
• ordinary drills;
• cutters;
• core drills;
• grinding blocks;
• cutters;
• feather-removable;
• sharpening;
• corner;
• cutting;
• grinding;
• conical;
• disk.

The speed of revolutions of its chuck and the power of the electric motor may be less than, for example, in a professional grinder designed for cutting concrete.

In this case, it should be borne in mind that the drill may show the worst result in terms of processing time. Do not overheat the tool, you need to turn it off periodically to allow the engine to cool down.

If a professional drill is used, designed for long-term trouble-free operation, then there is no need to be afraid of its overheating and failure.

The rip fence is designed to correctly adjust the depth of the drill. There are also supports made in the form of racks. They are used to improve the stability of the tool during drilling, reduce vibration, helping to make the hole smoother.

The cutting attachments for the drill are made and similar in principle to a punch, cotter pin or an ordinary grinder. But compared to profile tools, similar processing with a drill is performed more delicately. It does not spoil the material, does not lead to its deformation, but keeps the edges intact at the cut points. The nozzle fixed in the chuck penetrates the material due to the production of high-frequency reciprocating movements along the inner plane.

The most popular and demanded cutting attachments:

• cricket - used when cutting flat sheets;
• steel beaver - for profiled sheets of metal, polycarbonate or plastic;
• nozzles for creating curved cuts of complex configuration.

Cricket nozzle is a nibbler. It got this name because of the reproduction of a characteristic noise during the operation of the instrument. For clarity, the principle of its operation can be compared with a mechanical hole punch - due to the oscillatory movements of the impact striker, holes of the corresponding size are knocked out in the material.

Smooth cut provides precise forward movement of the drill chuck... The attachment is lightweight, therefore it does not particularly increase the total mass of the tool, which allows it to be rigidly fixed in the hands and to guide the striker clearly along the marked line.

Steel beaver nozzle performs its actions thanks to a shaft freely rotating in the bearing with a fixed eccentric. Actions are performed on the principle of a crank mechanism, only in this case the energy is directed to create rotation. The outer working part of the nozzle is similar to ordinary metal scissors - its teeth bend the material, and then break off its edges against the matrix.

The advantage of the "Steel Beaver" attachment in comparison with the grinder is the absence of sparks, flying scales, and obtaining an even cut without melted deformed edges.

The curved cutters work in the same way as the Cricket, thanks to the reciprocating movement of the punch. They produce more accurate cuts in any shape or configuration, but are not designed to cut thicker material.

These types of nozzles include imported brands EDMA Nibbek, Sparky NP.

This type of nozzle is made in the form of a block with cylindrical outlets, inside which an abrasive material is applied or a hollow oblong grindstone is embedded. One nozzle accommodates up to 15 holes with different diameters for a certain type of drill.

There is also another type of similar attachments. They represent a plastic or metal drum, inside of which, due to the drill chuck, an abrasive stone or emery wheel rotates. At the end of the drum there is a cover with holes for drills of different sizes. When the drill is inserted into the drum, it mates with the emery element at a certain angle, as a result of which sharpening is performed.

Unlike profile single-purpose tools, these nozzles have a lower cost, but they can perform much more types of work - to give almost any surface an even and smooth look.

Grinding and polishing attachments are used for the following actions:

• polishing surfaces made of metal, wood, plastic, glass or stone;
• grinding metal coatings, various parts and metal elements;
• cleaning surfaces from corrosion, chipping, removing old paint;
• processing of various elements from natural stone.

All attachments of this type have the same design. They are based on a metal rod that is inserted and clamped in the drill chuck. At the other end of the rod, the processing element itself is fixed directly. It can be a rounded flat base on which removable emery cloths cling to with the help of special velcro.

There are nozzles made in the form of grinding blocks - cylindrical drums assembled from emery petals.

For polishing work, similar blocks are made, only from felt drums, or special felt Velcro like emery cloths.

For rough work on cleaning metal or wood surfaces, cup nozzles are used. They consist of a rod, one end of which is clamped in a chuck, and a special cup is attached to the other. In this cup, metal bristles or stiff wire are pressed and crimped.

In them, the working stripping elements are also fixed at the end of the rod, but unlike the cup, they are directed not upward, but away from the center. It is more difficult to work with them, since even the slightest wrong movement can lead to damage to the material. That's why they are recommended to work only with a tool rigidly fixed on a stand or stop.

Such products are a metal pin with a processing abrasive material fixed at one end - a cutter, a burr. Depending on the purpose, it can have a different shape - a ball, a cone, a cylinder.

By the principle of operation, these attachments are similar to a file, but significantly surpass it in productivity and efficiency. With their help, they clean up small parts, remove dents, polish the edges and surfaces of metal or wooden elements.

When choosing a set of drill bits, you need to focus only on official manufacturers. You should not buy them off-hand at construction markets or in dubious stores. There is a risk of acquiring a defective product and thereby throwing yourself into waste. You can also seriously harm your health if a poor-quality nozzle scatters during operation, and its parts damage the skin of the face, hands, eyes.

When buying, you should make sure that the structure of the nozzle is intact, for example, in the case of a drill sharpener. It is necessary to check that there are no traces of corrosion, oxidation on its surface - a new nozzle is usually factory painted.

Each nozzle implies different actions during operation, but in general, the rules for using these devices are similar. The main thing is to securely fix and fix the metal rod of the nozzle in the drill chuck. To do this, it is imperative to use the profile clamping wrench, which must be included with the drill.

You should always remember and follow the safety rules.

• It is recommended to always hold and guide the drill with both hands. This rule should be given special attention when working with powerful percussion models of the instrument.
• Constantly monitor the force of pressure of the working element of the nozzle on the treated surface.
• After completing the work, allow the cutting element to cool down. Do not touch it immediately with your bare hands, otherwise you can get serious burns.

When working with devices, it is necessary to use additional protective equipment - plastic glasses, gloves. Otherwise, small elements of the material flying off during processing can get into the eyes, damage the skin.

An overview of the nozzle for cutting metal with a drill is in the video below.