The Drill Press is a great tool for woodworking, and metal working. It is a common machine found in Technology, Engineering, Industrial Arts and Shop Classes. Several different bits can be attached to the Drill Press for different operations. The most common use is drilling a hole, but it can be used to sand wood, and mortise square holes in wood. This video will go over how the machine works and how to use it safely. Be sure to follow all safety guide lines found in the users manual for your particular machine.
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Common Bits used with a Drill Press
The twist bit is one of the most widely used drill bit. They come in many sizes and harnesses. This size of the bit is determined by it's diameter. Typically twist bits range from 1/32 of an inch which is about the size of the lead in a mechanical pencil to over an inch wide. It is important to know the hardness of the bit because soft bits will be ruined if used to drill hard materials
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The Brad Point Bit is used for drilling wood. It is much like the twist bit as far as sizes go. It can only be used to drill wood or other soft materials because of the point at the end of the bit. The advantage of the Brad Point bit is it has much less tear out and leaves a much cleaner hole in the material. It is also easier to drill a hole in a precise location using the point at the end.
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The Forstener Bit is strictly a wood working drill bit. It can range in sizes from a 1/4" to over 4" in diameter. It can drill flat bottom holes, through holes, and holes on the edge of the material as long as center of the bit is still on the material. Forstener Bits leave a clean hole in the material making it a favorite for woodworkers, however they can tear out the bottom or exit point of a through hole if not properly set up with a scrap board underneath the piece being drilled.
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The Spade Bit also called a Paddle bit typically ranges in size from 1/4" to 1 1/2" in diameter. It again is only used for drilling wood or soft material. This is a rather crude bit when it come to tear out. However it is relatively cheap compared to other bits. The spade bit is more difficult to use when in a screw gun as it can get stuck in the material twisting the drill in the users hands.
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