You’ll make most of your cuts in high torque mode. Only with the smallest diameters will you be able to drill in high-speed mode with self-feed bits. You’ll also want a spare battery nearby if you’re using a cordless model. You’ll need a 1/2″ drill to accommodate the larger diameter shaft. Like hole saws, self-feed bits require a lot of torque to chew out a hole. Just switch them out when they wear down instead of sharpening them. The removable blades, like those from Milwaukee, use hardened steel. By adding a removable blade edge, the bits offer just as fine a finish while saving you time. Milwaukee Switchblade Self Feed Bits take it one step further. Most self-feed bits are constructed in a way that lets you sharpen the radial blade. Once you need to drill holes over an inch (and no longer in high speed with a spade bit), it’s time to look at hole saws. If you’re going to be leaving one side as the finished surface, drill into that side and let the breakthrough happen on the side you can’t see.

The breakthrough with a spade bit can be rather unsightly though. Spade bits like Milwaukee Flat Boring Bits are a great option for cutting holes up to 1″ in wood that doesn’t require a fine finish. Some spade bits have a 1/4″ hex shank that you can attach to your impact driver. Spade bits are less expensive than other wood-boring choices. Today’s drills deliver a lot of torque and the bit can bind up causing the drill to twist your wrist or elbow painfully. Particularly with larger bits, you’ll want to use your drill’s side handle if it has one. You can put additional pressure on it to drill faster, but it isn’t necessary. The largest spade bits typically require low-speed mode to deliver the required torque to the bit.Ī good, sharp spade bit lets you apply minimal downforce on your drill to make the cut. Use spade bits in high-speed mode up to 1″ in diameter and sometimes larger, depending on the design. The sharpened edges of the bit take small slices of wood out and eject them out of the hole. A brad point or threaded tip guides the bit into the wood and through the cut. Spade bits like Milwaukee Flat Boring Bits have a shape that resembles a paddle. Often called flat boring bits (or variations on that), spade bits come in diameters between 1/4″ and 1-1/2″ Characteristics In fact, the smallest spade bits can be in the same range as a standard wood drill bit. Spade bits are going to cover the smallest of your wood boring needs. Wood Boring with Spade Bits Hole Diameter Range I’m here to pass on that wisdom along with some help from Milwaukee Tool and their accessories. Fortunately, I’m wiser now, both in my use of tools and the English language. Had I known what to look for with spade bits, hole saws, and self-feed bits, I might have spent the afternoon fishing instead of cussing and sweating. I did eventually get it in there, but it took a heck of a lot longer than it needed to and man, was it UGLY! When that didn’t work, I tried drilling holes in a circle and connecting the dots with that same dull hand saw. Looking back at trying to cut that hole… what was I thinking? I started with the largest drill bit I had in the center, then tried to work outward with a hand saw. It was secured by bolts but also sat several inches down through a 2-1/2 inch hole. The problem came when I needed to reinstall the pedestal seat. Cutting the new board and installing it wasn’t too much of a challenge. Being relatively ignorant in the ways of tools and working on getting my junior man card, I went to work ripping out the carpet and unscrewing the now very rusty fasteners. As a teenager, I decided that I would replace the soft, rotted plywood back deck of our old bass boat.

Hole drill bits