Versatility Made Better

When you think about great oscillating tools, chances are, you think immediately of a Fein or Bosch tool – of that orange MultiMaster or the deep-blue Multi-X. This response is not necessarily by chance, though, it’s by the rigorous performance standards of Fein and Bosch and by the seriously high-performance their oscillating tools.

Until recently, Fein has lorded over the oscillating industry with exceptional products and, well, with a patent. Over this period of non-competition, manufacturers like Bosch were working-up oscillating tools of their own and since that patent expired, Bosch has very quickly become a leader in oscillating tool technology and has fast become the tool of choice for a huge population of crafters. As the years roll on, Bosch has continued improving their oscillating technology and the result of all that hard work is their new MX30EK-35 Multi-X, an oscillating tool that takes high-performance versatility to a whole new level.

For starters the tool is incredibly well built. It’s ergonomic for more comfortable use and because the handle offers both a soft grip and a small circumference, the tool is easier to use, too. The MX30EK-35 is particularly compact for better access to tight-spaces and, while lightweight, the tool offers both more power and greater durability. The tool’s stacked construction ensures low vibration and better resistance to wear-and-tear and with reinforced gearing and a metal gear housing, the tool offers smooth, powerful operation and optimal force transmission.

Bosch’s MX30EK-35 also boasts 3.0 Amps allowing users to beat even the most heavy-duty tasks and thanks to an ever-handy variable speed dial, users can match cutting speeds to each application. This, of course, ensures greater productivity and superior results. Also featuring Bosch’s constant response circuitry, the tool maintains speed under load and, because you’ll use the tool for everything from plunge cutting and flush cutting to grinding, sanding and scraping, constant high-speeds are imperative.

Ensuring users can change attachments quickly and easily, this new Multi-X offers a toolless accessory change lever, and to ensure you get the best possible results from your attachments, the tool uses Bosch’s OIS oscillating tool accessories. The tool also offers easy access to its brushes for quick repairs and features a ball-joint cord swivel for easier tool handling and greater cord durability. Altogether, the Multi-X is compact, comfortable, powerful and durable. You can’t really argue with that, and because the tool also includes a slew of accessories to get you right on the job, Bosch’s MX30EK-35 Multi-X is also considerate and forward-thinking. You don’t get that from too many power tools and this one just keeps on giving.

If you’re interested in specifics, specifically, the MX30EK-35 includes two Japanese-tooth wood saw blades, two wood saw blades, a wood/metal plunge-cut blade, a hammerhead wood/metal plunge-cut blade, metal saw blade, wood/metal saw blade, a rigid scraper blade, a sanding pad and twenty-five wood-and-paint sanding sheets. The kit also includes an accessory box to help you keep all that stuff organized and a hard carrying case for the tool.

Here are the Many Benefits of the MX30EK-35 in a Nutshell:

• Versatility – Designed for many applications and materials, including flush-cutting, plunge cutting, sanding, grinding, grout removal and scraping
• Toolless Accessory Change Lever – Durable accessory holder allows quick change of OIS oscillating tool accessories without need for wrench or screwdriver.
• 3.0 Amp Tool – Ample power for heavier applications
• Variable-Speed Dial – For matching speed to application and material
• Constant Response™ Circuitry – Maintains speed under load
• Ball-Joint Cord Swivel – For enhanced ease of positioning tool and for cord durability
• Ergonomic – Small grip circumference and softgrip areas for comfort and control
• Compact – Small enough to reach into corners and other tight spaces
• Reinforced Gearing & Metal Gear Housing – For optimal force transmission, durability, low vibration
• Stacked Construction – Robustness, professional design and low vibration
• Easy brush access
• No-Mar Plastic Ribs – Protects vertical surface in front of tool
• Uses OIS oscillating tool accessories.
• Easy-to-use on/off switch

Better Performance, Longer Life

As of this minute, lithium ion batteries offer the best cordless tool power in the biz. Period. While better than the alternatives, though, lithium ion batteries can also be finicky. They can be frustrating and unforgiving, but despite that touchy temperament, there are a few things you can do to keep on the good-side of your lithium ion batteries. – Employ the following few tips to keep your lithium ion batteries working for longer.

1. Use Your Batteries Often

All power tool batteries degrade over time. It’s also true, though, that lithium ion batteries degrade more rapidly during periods of un-use. Accordingly, use your batteries often and be sure to use them at least once every month or so.

2. Don’t Completely Discharge the Battery

As a rule of thumb, you should charge your lithium ion batteries (A.) before they fall under 20% fullness or (B.) immediately after feel a decrease in performance. Do not allow your lithium ion batteries to fully deplete or they’ll be good for nothing but holding paper down in a breeze.

3. Charge Your Batteries Often

Frequent charging is good for your lithium ion batteries. Accordingly, feel free to charge them even when they are only slightly depleted. You may also “top-off” you batteries by plopping them on (or turning on) the charger for a few minutes each month.

4. Keep Your Batteries Cool and Dry

Store and charge your batteries in a cool, dry, temperate environment. While batteries prefer to be cool, they definitely don’t want to be cold (or hot). Extreme temperatures will damage or destroy the chemical structure of lithium ion batteries; so, keep them cool and always between 40 and 85-degrees Fahrenheit.

Not so hard, right? Although lithium ion batteries might keep us on our toes, utilizing these few simple practices will help you keep your batteries performing at their peak for a whole lot longer. Respect your stuff and in return you’ll enjoy really great results.

Want to ask us a question? Or maybe we can help you  find the right lithium ion battery for your cordless tool? Follow me for more information.

A lot of us have an oscillating tool and those of us who don’t have one, well, we definitely want one. These tools make so many of our jobs easier – they help us work faster and keep us totally efficient on the job. Because they perform so many applications, though, how do you know you’re really using them to their fullest potential? Fortunately, these tools are born and engineered to be super-efficient and, accordingly, it only takes keeping a few tips in mind to ensure you’re getting the most out of your multi-tool.

Oscillating Tool Blades and Attachments

Just like any other machine, the results you’ll get out of your oscillating tool will be only as great (or as mediocre) as the accessories you use with it. Accordingly, using the right blade or attachment for each application is one of the most important considerations before engaging your multi-tool. It’s also one of the first factors you’ll have to consider before getting to work and, perhaps more than any other component, the accessories you choose will affect your ability to perform a job properly. For that reason, your attachments are probably the biggest contributor to multi-tool success.

To ensure your attachments can meet each task with the proper angle and force, oscillating tool accessories come in a comprehensive variety of shapes, sizes and materials. To quickly sum up your options, here is a brief rundown of the most popular accessories for your multi-tool.

Know Your Accessories

Sawing | Cutting Blades

To put it succinctly, there a lot of cutting attachments for your multi-tool. Because there are a lot of different things you’ll need to cut, there are a lot of different blades to cut them with. Accordingly, its super important to your results and to the life of your tool and your accessories that you use the right blade for each cutting job. For example, attempting to cut metal with a blade designed to cut softer materials will literally destroy your blade. Don’t do this. Cut metal with a blade designed to cut metal; use blades labeled bi-metal, metal or titanium. Similarly, although a metal blade will cut wood, it will do it much less efficiently than a wood cutting blade. For faster, smoother cuts, better results and longer lasting accessories, use the blade designed for the task being performed.

There are oscillating blades designed to cut just about everything. You can find them built specifically for cutting wood, plastic, drywall, fiberglass, metal, floor coverings, coatings, residues, silicone, caulk, putty, cardboard, foam, insulation, rubber, grout, leather, felt, styrene, concrete, masonry, plaster, ceramics, stone tile, epoxy, backer-board, etc. As you might assume, then, these blades also come in many various shapes and sizes. Depending upon the task at hand, you may choose from plunge cut and flush cut blades, straight blades, wide-base straight blades, circular and half-circle blades, triangular and finger blades, tapered blades, scraper blades, concave and convex blades, hooked blades, and wavy and segmented blades. That’s a lot, right? So although many blades also offer multipurpose cutting, please choose your attachments carefully to ensure you are using your blades and your power tool to its fullest potential.

Scraping Blades

Scraping blades do pretty much exactly what you’d expect them to – they scrape. They are ideal for removing adhesives, silicone, paint, undercoating and etc. Scraping blades are available in both flexible and rigid designs and with a variety of blade shapes from straight to curved to ensure no residue (or etc) is beyond scraping up.

Rasping Blade

Also available in a variety of shapes and sizes, a rasping blade is typically used for grinding and sanding applications like grinding filler, tile adhesives, stone, concrete and wood. Some rasping blades are shaped to produce terrific accuracy allowing users to work with these blades for more creative purposes.

                        Grout Removing

Grout removing blades are great for getting tough materials out of touch to reach places. These round or half-round blades are most typically used on materials like plaster, concrete, sealant and, yes, grout. As with all applications, it is vital to the performance (and lifespan) of your multi-tool to use the right attachment with particularly hard materials.

Sanding

Available in both round and triangular shapes and with a variety of sanding materials, a sanding attachment allows your multi-tool to work as a surface sander. Hook-and-loop style abrasives allow you to sand and smooth virtually every surface and because the tool itself is compact, you have great access into tight spaces.

                        Polishing

With a multi-tool and a hook-and-loop polishing attachment you can produce high-quality finishes on most every surface. Fabricated with a variety of polishing materials (i.e. felt, fleece, etc), these attachments help you create an ideal finish to metals and natural surfaces (like aluminum, chrome, stainless, and stone materials). The polishing attachment is also handy for removing blemishes or heat discolorations from surfaces.

Cutting Tips

Flush Cutting

Because its arbor sits atop the blade, a flush cut blade allows you to cut flush against a surface. For this reason, flush cutting blades are useful for a lot of different applications like flooring, wall trim, windowsills, door jambs and etc. Without a flush cutting blade, you’d typically need to make flush cuts by hand, it goes without saying, then, that they save a lot of time and a lot of energy.

Super Straight Cuts

Carefully using a good straightedge as a saw guide can help you produce really straight cuts really quickly.

Carbide Vs Diamond Blades

While a carbide blade is perfectly sufficient for smaller, softer cutting jobs, a diamond blade is really, truly worth the few extra dollars. In fact, for larger cutting jobs, investing in diamond blades is a must; they cut faster, last longer and will deliver better cutting results.

Straight Vs Round Blades

While straight blades which allow you to plunge directly into a material are best suited for plunge cutting applications, long, straight cuts are best delivered with a round blade. If you need to make a particularly precise cut (or if you want to reduce the heat generated during a cut (and you should want to do this)), a shallow scoring along the cut line, which you will gradually deepen until the cut is complete, will produce cleaner results.

Wide-Base Blades

To avoid blade slippage on curved surfaces (like pipes), blades with wide bases are particularly helpful. The wide bottom prevents the blade from sliding off the piece you’re cutting resulting in a faster, cleaner cut. Though these blades are great for cutting curves, don’t use them for plunge cutting. The wider base requires more force to plunge and puts excess stress on the tool’s motor.

Use the Right Blade

This sounds self explanatory, but many a blade has died too young for being used improperly. Use the right blade (and the right attachment) for each application.

Protect Finished Surfaces

When cutting against a finished wall or surface, place a scrap of sheet metal in between the blade and the finished surface. This allows you to make the necessary cuts without marring previously finished surfaces.

Protect the Life of Your Blades

Heat and pressure are the enemies of every blade. Accordingly, poor cutting technique can lead to premature wear and poor blade performance. While you should never force your blades, don’t allow them to stay in one place for too long; broad motions will reduce heat build-up. Because debris created during a cut isn’t completely forced out by the action of the blade, it’s important to keep your cut-path free of dust and chips. To do this, slightly rock the blade as the cut progresses. The motion should push debris out while keeping the blade cooler, too. When making long cuts, use long strokes and gradually deepen your cut-depth. This will distribute the heat and help decrease chip build-up. – The lesser heat and pressure your blades endure, the longer your blades will stay sharp. Applying a safe lubricant (like soap or beeswax) to the blade’s teeth will also reduce friction/heat during use.

Blade Wear and Tear

Symptoms of a blade that needs to be replaced include discoloration, bent or dull teeth, slower/sloppier cuts, smoking or sparking while cutting, and extra high-heat during use. Don’t attempt to cut with a worn out blade; this is bad for your cutting results and bad for the tool’s motor.

Protect Your Sandpaper

Using lower speed settings as you sand will minimize the amount of heat generated during use; this will protect the grit on your paper. Additionally, keeping even pressure on your tool while working (or, keeping the attachment flat against the workpiece) will do a few things for you: (a.) even pressure will keep your sandpaper from wearing prematurely or unevenly, (b.) it will similarly ensure better performing, longer lasting sandpaper and (c.) it will contribute to better, more consistent results.

Buying Attachments

Invest in an adapter! Having the ability to use blades from different manufactures can be hugely helpful on the job. Because there are so many specific attachments available for your multi-tool and so many different jobs you’ll want to tackle with it, adapters help ensure you can use the right attachment at the right time. – It can be also helpful to shop for accessories online. Typically you will find a much larger selection of accessories online than you will in-stores. Although you may not be able to do this all the time, having more options at your disposal ensures you have the right accessory each time you fire up your tool.

Letting Your Multi-Tool Work for You

While it’s true that your multi-tool can’t do everything for you and and it’s similarly true that a multi-tool isn’t built to take the place of every tool in your arsenal, these tools are incredibly versatile. That versatility coupled with their streamlined, compact design is a great recipe for a really helpful tool. Use them where your other tools won’t fit or aren’t portable enough to reach. Use them around the house and at the jobsite; use them for that list of grinding, sanding, scraping and cutting projects that never seems to get smaller. Use them for everything you can and be more efficient for it.

WOODWORKING: How to Ensure Your Table Saw’s Miter Gauge is Square (or, Cutting Accurately)

Our table saws are one of the most integral pieces of our workshops, of our woodworking habits, and, really, of our relationships with the act and art of woodworking itself. Accordingly, it’s important that this irreplaceable and indispensable piece of equipment be constantly up to snuff. In other words, you want to ensure your table saw is always capable of delivering the best, most accurate and exact results. This, in turn, means you must be able to ensure your miter gauge is square and consistently producing accurate cuts. 

Fortunately, ascertaining and maintaining the accuracy of a table saw’s miter gauge is simpler than you might think. Depending upon the degree of inaccuracy, the process may require a moment more of your time, but, altogether, squaring a miter gauge requires little more than a scrap of wood and few measured cuts.

To begin testing your gauge, you must first place it as close to the front of the table saw as is physically possible. Next, you simply need to select a piece of sheet-stock or plywood (this of course can and should be scrap material) that is at least as long as the distance between the saw’s blade and the miter gauge. Of course, the longer the stock, the more evidence you’ll have to defend or deny the accuracy of the mechanism. Additionally, this test stock should be wide enough to hold easily and tightly to the miter gauge fence, or, somewhere around a width of one-foot.

HINT: To ensure your stock stays firmly where you need it, you might utilize a thin abrasive or non-slip surface on the fence of the miter gauge. This keeps your stock in place without disrupting the cut. 

In addition to the above length and width requirements, the sheet-stock must also have one perfectly straight and true edge (you might rip this edge yourself to ensure the its “truth”). This edge should be marked as the true edge to ensure accuracy later on in the process. Next, hold the true edge firmly against the fence of the miter gauge and make a thin cut along one side of the stock (removing, at most, a 1/4” strip). Flip the board ensuring the same true edge remains butted to the gauge and cut a similarly thin strip from the opposite end of the stock.

After cutting each side, measure both ends of the board (from one newly cut edge to the other on both the top and bottom of the stock). Ideally, both ends of the sheet will be equal. This equality indicates the accuracy of the miter gauge. Accordingly, if the gauge is not square, your measurements will be different. Remember, even a minute difference of, perhaps, 1/32-in, makes a considerable difference in the overall quality of your results. It is crucial that you adjust the gauge until both measurements are equal. So, if your measurements are not equal, you will need to adjust the miter gauge, re-cut and remeasure until those length are exactly equal. 

HINT: If the shorter of your measurements is on the outside of the board (or, facing away from the fence), adjust the gauge counter-clockwise. If the shorter edge is on the inside of the board (or, facing the fence), adjust your gauge clockwise.

Continue adjusting until the length from one cut side to the other cut side is exactly equal at both the top and bottom of the boars. Once these length match, you know your table saw’s miter gauge is square, that your saw is producing accurate cuts, and that your results will be always precise.

Bandsaw Blade Removal and Replacement

Despite the relative simplicity of changing the blades on our miter and circ saws, not all upkeep procedures for our woodworking equipment are created equally. As it turns out, removing and replacing the blade on a bandsaw requires a significant bit more effort and patience from the operator. Don’t let this fact dissuade you, though, with the right bit of know-how, replacing the blade on your bandsaw can be as easy as pie – and just as satisfying.

Safety Measures:

The first step, of course, is ensuring you are safe and prepared for the impending procedure. This means, you must disengage the bandsaw and unplug it from its power source. This also means that you should be wearing goggles and preferably long-pants. Bandsaw blades have a tendency to fly off the handle, so to speak.

Removing Your Former Blade:

Removing the old bandsaw blade is the next step. First, you will usually need to remove the blade insert and the table pin from the saw table. Next, to release the blade, loosen each set of the bandsaw’s blade guides. Making enough space to allow for the simplest reinstallation of your new blade, loosen the upper ball bearing guide and the upper block guides. Block guides must be loosened at all four directions – left-right and forward-back. Following this, additionally loosen the lower blade guides beneath the saw table. Each blade guide has an adjustment knob to make this step a bit simpler. 

Next, using the tension wheel (knob), release the tension on the blade. Once tension is adequately released, you should be able to slide the blade safely from the blade-wheel through the slot in the saw table. Carefully recoil the blade and tie it off to prevent the thing from becoming an explosive blade disaster. 

Making Friends With Your New Blade:

Opening your new bandsaw blade can also become an explosive blade disaster. This is why there is a time-tested and woodworker-specialized method for safely uncoiling your bandsaw blades. Said method is as follows: throw the blade on the ground. Well, more specifically, if your blade is packaged or tied, carefully unpackage or untie it while maintaining its coil. With a firm grip on the blade, throw it away from your body and into an open space. The blade will violently uncoil and fall to the floor from where you can peacefully collect it. You may also wear gloves during this process – they will eliminate the possibility of cut hands and fingers. 

Installing Your New Blade:

Thread the new blade back through the slots on the saw table and situate the blade around, and running through the center of, the upper and lower blade-wheels. Again using the tension wheel (knob), apply tension to the new blade. You may need to hold the blade in place until the tension itself becomes enough to maintain the blade’s position. Just exactly how much tension you apply to the blade is dependent upon the type, more specifically the width, of blade you’ve installed. There should be a tension-indicator on the back of your bandsaw to help you find the proper tension for your blade.

Tracking:

Once you’ve applied proper tension to the blade, it needs to be tracked, or, centered. Using the tracking knob on the side of the band saw you can perfectly center the blade on the blade-wheels. Turn this knob while using your other hand to spin the blade wheel. This will allow you to see all of the blade and to track it accordingly.

Adjusting:

Next, finalize the adjustments to your upper ball bearing guide which should sit just exactly behind, though not touching, the blade. There should be only a hair’s breadth of space between the guide and the blade. Similarly, you must adjust the upper block guides in their forward-back positions centering them to the center of the blade’s width. In their left-right positions, adjust the guide blocks to only faintly touch the blade. Adjust the lower blade guides in the same manner.

Testing:

And at that your bandsaw blade removal and reinstallation is almost complete. The last step of the procedure is simply testing the sucker out. Plug-in and engage your bandsaw. Observe the blade – ensure it doesn’t vibrate or fall out of center. In the event the blade does vibrate or fall out of center, simply re-tension and re-track the blade until it spins properly.

Finally, you’re done. You have championed your bandsaw blade removal and replacement, and now, though you haven’t yet really eaten a piece of pie, you feel a sense of warm and fulfilling satisfaction. You know, like the kind you might get from actually eating a piece of pie.

How to Remove and Replace Your Drill Press Chuck 

Needless to say, changing the chuck on your drill press it quite a bit different than changing the chuck on, say, your drill-driver. With the right tools and just a few more steps, though, the procedure is no more complicated.

To begin, drill press chucks, mostly due to their specialized taper, are a little bit different than your average drill chuck. The specifically tapered shaft of a drill press chuck is designed to fit firmly into the drill press spindle, which, of course, has an identical taper. This taper, one shared by almost all drill presses and their chuck counterparts, is known as Morse taper which, despite its simplicity, is incredibly efficient maintaining an always firm grip and allowing fast drill bit removal and fitting in a huge array of sizes.

NOTE: Generally, a drill press without Morse taper is a good indication of a bad drill press. 

HINT: Remove drill bits from your chuck before attempting to remove it.

CHUCK REMOVAL:

If your drill press chuck wobbles, won’t firmly grip a bit at a perfect vertical, has a bent shaft, or is in some other fashion defective, it needs to be replaced. Using the chuck key or drill chuck removal tool is the simplest and safest way to remove the chuck from your drill press. If, though, for one reason or another, fate has separated you from your chuck key, you can usually purchase one separately, or you can simply cotton to a different, slightly more cave-mannish but equally effective method of removal. This more rudimentary method consists, essentially, of carefully striking the chuck with a piece of scrap wood (or other such soft-ish material that won’t damage the chuck or spindle) and a mallet.

But first – to the chuck key! Lower the quill, or the piece of the drill press that the chuck attaches to, until you have revealed the entirety of a length-wise access window. This window, in effect, is a key-hole in the spindle of the drill press. Insert the chuck key into the window and carefully give it a few whacks with a mallet. This will force the chuck to fall out of the press. 

NOTE: Before forcing the chuck out, ensure the height of your drill press table. The table should be raised high enough to catch the chuck before it falls completely out of your spindle while still being low enough to allow the chuck to completely release.

Now, if you don’t have access to your chuck key – let’s get a little cave-man. Place a strong section of scrap wood above the chuck and position it, the wood, at sharp, downward angle. Using a mallet or hammer, simply whack that wood-scrap with a swift downward strike.

NOTE: The wood-scrap need only be thick and wide enough to handle the blow, and long enough to give you sufficient space to whack it – something like ten-inches should be adequate. Additionally, the downward force of the whack ensures you don’t bend or damage the chuck shaft or spindle. As such, it is important your angle is as downward as possible.

The blow should release the chuck on contact. If not, simply ensure the angle and position of your wood-scrap and strike again. 

CLEANING:

If a drill press chuck becomes excessively dirty with sawdust, grease, or etc, is not uncommon for it to simply fall right out of your drill press. In this event, and assuming the chuck hasn’t been significantly damaged in the fall, you need to clean your chuck before reinserting it. In fact, any time you install a chuck into your drill press, new or old, the chuck and press spindle should be thoroughly cleaned.

Using a clean, dry shop-rag, rub a degreasing solution such as acetone or paint thinner around the spindle, or shaft, of the drill chuck. Also clean the inside of the spindle of the drill press to ensure optimal grip and performance.

NOTE: After cleaning, it is important to allow the chuck and spindle to dry before installing.

HINT: After the chuck is clean and dry, you may also want to apply a small amount talcum powder to the chuck’s spindle. Especially if the chuck to be reinstalled is older, this will provide a bit of extra gripping power.

CHUCK INSTALLATION:

After cleaning your chuck and the drill press spindle, the time has now come to install that sparkling chuck. So, with as much concentrated thrust as you can muster, insert the chuck shaft into the spindle. The chuck should remain in the spindle without your help. Retract the chuck’s jaws and lower the press’ table to allow space for some mallet-swinging action. Using your trustee wood (or rubber) mallet, swiftly and forcefully pound the bottom of the chuck deeper into the spindle. Two good whacks should be sufficient force to keep you chuck stuck tight. 

If you happen to be a pacifist and find whacking the drill chuck distasteful or otherwise can not complete this step, you may also stack a few pieces of scrap-wood on the drill press table and forcefully, though not aggressively, raise it into the chuck. The upward force of the raised table should push the chuck into place.

HINT: Retracting the chuck’s jaws before pounding or jamming ensures you apply pressure only to the stronger body of the chuck rather than to the more delicate and damageable jaws of the chuck. Of course, this also contributes to the overall longevity and performance of your chuck.

Clean-Up Your Act With a HEPA Vac!

Always use a dust extractor – not only because it improves your results and working environment, but because wood dust can make you sick. In fact, OSHA associates wood dust with many negative health issues from dermatitis and respiratory effects to cancer. So, use a HEPA extractor to keep your air clear, your clients happy, and your body well.

Click here to read more about HEPA Filters.

In the production industry it seems there is a lot of just about everything. Certainly, any of us that has bumped into the industry more than a time or two knows there are quite a bit more than a lot of drill bits to choose from. Contrary to some opinion, though, the numerousness of these accessories is not meant to confound us, but rather to compliment our applications and improve our results.

In fact, there is a drill bit specifically designed for just about every hole-type and every working material under the sun – this means that for each project or each application you endeavor, you might feasibly require a different drill bit. From metal and ceramics to glass, plastic, marble, wood, and many et ceteras, there’s a drill bit for that. So, let me provide for you the most basic of drill bit basics.

A BIT ABOUT BITS:

First, although there are hundreds of different bits and different ways to use them, virtually all drill bits are talked about with the same vocabulary. In other words, they’re mostly made up of the same parts:

The Tip:

Moving from front to back, most all drill bits begin with a tip. This is exactly what it sounds like, a tip, usually with a sharp edge or point that begins the working half of the bit. The tip is, more or less, the spearhead of a drill bit and will often act as a self-centering characteristic.

The Lip:

Next down the line are the lips of the bit which are the usually spiraling cutting edge(s). The bit’s lip angle usually determines the temperament or overall aggressiveness of the drilling action. 

The Flute:

The grooves spiraling beneath the lips are the flutes of the bit which act as channels for material ejection. As the bit penetrates deeper into a material excess material is forced out through the flutes as the hole is drilled. The bigger the flute, the faster a bit can expel material and therefore drill.

The Spiral:

The spiral of the bit is made up of its lips and flutes and refers to the rate of twist within the working half of the bit. This, as aforementioned, controls the rate of material removal while drilling, and the quality of the subsequent hole.

The Shank:

Lastly, is the bit shank. This is the piece of the bit that fits into your drill chuck. The shank is probably the most boring (as in uninteresting, not to be confused with actually boring a hole) part of a drill bit. It is, however, no less important to your drilling performance. The shank is mostly smooth and roundish and may also contain design features meant to more snugly keep it in your chuck.

Each pieces of any given drill bit contributes to the general behavior of the bit. In other words, bits designed for precision work will have a different tip and lip angle than bits designed for more aggressive drilling. Similarly, bits designed for ceramics will structurally differ from those designed for wood or metal.

MEASUREMENT:

The above vocabulary gives us another way to discuss and identify our drill bits – measurement. If you’ll remember from geometry, the diameter is the length (through the middle) of one end of a circle to the other. In other words, if you were to cut a hamburger in half, the length of the flat side of your now halfed hamburger would be its diameter. 

Shank Diameter and Bit Diameter:

So, the shank diameter is simply the measurement of the end of the shank. Your bit diameter, then, is the measurement of the opposite end of the drill bit – the less boring part, the tip.

Flute Length and Overall Length:

The flute length is the length of the working half of the bit which excludes the shank. The overall length, then, refers to the length of the entire piece – shank and flute included. 

Rate of Spiral:

The rate of spiral refers to width of the lips and flutes, or, the amount of vertical space the flute takes up between each lip and the lip takes up between each flute. This may also include the depth of a bit’s lips and flutes.

Of course, there are many more types of measurement that are specific to the design of more complicated bits – but, for the sake of basics, this provides a general groundwork that can be built upon as your experience grows. 

COMMON TYPES OF DRILL BIT:

Now that we know a bit about how to talk about bits, let me provide some info about the most commonly used types of drill bit.

Twist or Morse Bit:

A twist or Morse bit is probably the most common type of drill bit. Accordingly, it is very likely the image that materializes in your brain when you think of a drill bit. Although best suited for metal drilling applications, the design of a twist bit allows it to be used in virtually every different industrial materials. The drilling speed generated by this type of bit, however, renders it less appropriate for precision or delicate applications. 

Step Drill Bits and Unibits:

Though not always practical, due to their overall awesomeness, step drill bits and unibits are perhaps my personal favorite type. Like twist bits, they can be used in any number of industrial materials, and due to their unique shape, usually conical in nature, these bits are designed with the capacity to, at once, drill multiple hole sizes. The bit diameter of these bit types increases from the tip in specific increments following a stair-step profile – like a pyramid, each tier of the bit drills a hole with a different, larger diameter. 

Split Point Bit:

A split point bit varies only slightly from its twist bit brothers. Designed most specifically for metal cutting, the points and angles of this bit are sharper and more narrow. The literally “split” split point design of the bit is intended to prevent it from losing center despite intense drilling torque or difficult materials.   

Brad Point Bit:

The brad point bit or, also known as a doweling bit or lip and spur bit, is primarily a woodworking accessory. These bits are generally designed with a sharp central point at their tip with brads or spurs protruding around the outside of the bit’s cutting edges. This design is meant to self-center and maintain center while drilling. The unique profile of the bit additionally allows it to drill holes from the outside in leaving a far smoother, cleaner hole with decidedly more smoothness at the bits exit point. For this reason, the brad point bit is usually a favorite for sensitive projects and applications. 

Countersink Bit:

As the name would imply, these specialty bits are designed for producing a countersink hole into a working material. A countersink hole is a preliminary indent, if you will, which allows the head of a screw to sit flush with, if not beneath, the level of your working material. A countersink bit is began with a twist bit tip designed to start the screw-hole, the tip is then followed by a cylinder with a generally conical shape atop it, similar to a more robust arrowhead, that carves out a pocket for the screw-head.

Auger Bits:

An auger bit is a self feeding bit used to bore long holes into wood. They are designed with a small point on their tip which accounts for its self-feeding capacity and contributes to fast drilling and more accurate centering. The flutes in an auger bit are especially deep and wide for faster material clearing. This design, however, also renders the holes quite rough around the edges. Because they are frequently used for drilling through framing studs, it is not uncommon for auger bits to be very long.

Spade Bits:

You might also know this little sucker as a paddle bit. Whatever you call it though, this bit, similar to an auger bit, has a pointed tip and is used to bore fast, rough cuts into wood. Unlike an auger bit, though, a spade bit is shaped, well, like a spade (or paddle), with cutting edges on its sides to aggressively bore into wood.

Hole Saw Bits:

A hole saw bit acts quite a bit like the name implies, a saw. Coming together in two parts, a hole saw bit is made up of a mandrel (first pic on the left), which fits into your drill chuck and a twist bit which fits into the mandrel and sits in the center of the bit’s second part – the hole saw or bit ring (second pic on the left). This is a perfectly circular attachment with serrated saw teeth designed to cut very smooth holes from your working material. Cutting only the edges of the hole, the hole saw bit cuts very smooth holes and uses its energy efficiently making it appropriate for use with a hand-drill.

Forstner Bits:

Forstner bits are perhaps the most aggressive of the woodworking bits. They look, to me, quite a bit like and open bear trap with a central point surrounded by a generally cylindrical formation of saw teeth or boring shears with planing blades running through its diameter. Using the force of these planing blades and their cylindrical shear design, the bit bores precise flat-bottom holes. Unlike hole saw bits, because these accessories require a significant amount of force and energy to penetrate and bore into a material, they are usually used in machines (drill presses and lathes) rather than standard hand-drills. Additionally, forstner bits don’t have any flutes or other mechanism to remove material during drilling, consequently, the bit must be periodically removed to clear debris from the hole. 

WHAT YOUR BITS ARE MADE OF:

In addition the the clearly numerous types and styles of drill bit, there are just as many materials that any given bit can be forged of. Depending on the material your drill bit is made of, it will, obviously, be better or worse with any given application or material. Different bit fabrication materials contribute to everything from overall bit longevity, to sharpness, resistance, and strength. As it turns out, as your bit material gets harder, the bit itself not only becomes more expensive, but more brittle as well. Likewise, the softer the bit material, the sooner you will loose the sharp edge of your bit. Knowing the right drill bit material for each drilling material is a vital part of ensuring the best results and a more efficient and economic project. Just because a bit can perform a specific application, doesn’t mean it should.

Beginning with softer, simpler bits and advancing to stronger and more complex materials and designs, there are several steel types, steel alloys, carbides and other coatings that typically make-up a drill bit.

Low carbon steel:

Low carbon steel bits are soft and designed for working specifically with wood and soft plastics. They don’t retain their cutting edges well and require frequent sharpening, as such, they are generally inexpensive and provide an accessory that is practical and economical for many crafters. 

High Carbon Steel:

Although these a still a generally soft bit, high carbon steel bits are harder and more durable than their low carbon counterparts. They can be used in either wood or metal but do lose temper and their sharp cutting edges if overheated. 

High Speed Steel:

Next on the totem pole is high speed steel, or HSS. Because they’ve been additionally hardened and tempered, these bits are much more resistant to high temperatures and perform well in wood, metal, and most ceramic materials. As the name suggests, these bits perform at very high speeds. They have, more or less, eliminated the demand for carbon steel bits among professional production workers. 

Cobalt Steel Alloy:

Like HSS bits, cobalt steel alloy bits perform well in high temperatures and in a variety of materials. Although cobalt bits maintain temper in higher temperatures, and are hard enough to work in stainless steel and other like materials, their higher concentration of cobalt renders the bits more brittle as well. Despite this, these bits generally offer higher performance and greater longevity.

Titanium and Other Coatings:

Ceramic titanium coatings are used to cover or coat a softer bit and render the resulting bit significantly stronger, longer lasting, and sharper than other, non-tipped or non-coated bits. Coated bits, however, can not be sharpened without losing the strength and general effectiveness of their coating. Black oxide, titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, and titanium carbon nitride are among other ceramic coatings that can dramatically enhance the quality and performance of a drill bit. 

Tungsten Carbide (Tipped):

Carbide bits are extraordinarily hard and strong, in fact, they are among the most durable and high-performance bits in the present industry. They can drill into virtually any material and they will maintain their sharp edges for significantly longer than bits made of or coated with other materials. Consequently, these bits are quite expensive, so, although some industries use entirely carbide bits, due to their cost and their general brittleness, softer bits are often coated or “tipped” with carbide materials. The “tipped” quality of these bits renders them, essentially, unbeatable for most applications.

In summary, knowing what projects you have before you is probably the most effective way to determine which bits and of which materials you’ll need to have on hand. Harder materials require harder, sharper, and usually self-centering bits whereas softer materials require a less intense bit and bit material. Additionally, the strongest bits are usually the most brittle and definitely the most expensive – and – although perhaps more boring, sometimes even the least flashy or fancy drill bit is the most appropriate for the job.

HEPA: The Most Sophisticated Filtration System Ever

In any variety of wood construction, fabrication, demolition or etc, the presence, or rather, the nuisance, of wood dust is inevitable. Wood dust is nothing short of despicable. It is the ultra tiny, generally microscopic wood debris that floats elegantly into the air with every cut, sand, plunge or etc, and, like a malicious smoke monster, alights on everything within the wind’s radius from your tool, your tool’s innards, your materials and working environment, to your own physical body.

This fine wood debris might make you cough and sneeze, it might make your eyes water and your mouth dry, and it will assuredly fatigue your tools and continue accumulating inside them until the tool itself ceases to properly function. As such, once these little suckers begin to mingle with the air around us, they can become the truest kind of disaster and are all but impossible to remove or eliminate from your environment. 

Wood dust has also been associated with a lot more than the sniffles or clogging-up your power tools. In fact, it can make you sick. Exposure to wood dust can lead to a handful of detrimental health effects from respiratory complications to dermatitis and even cancer.

The best way to deal with dust is to minimize your, and your power tools’, exposure to it. The best way to do that is to catch the debris at its source – to eliminate it at its point of generation using a HEPA filter dust extractor and, thus, preventing it from socializing with your atmosphere and, double thus, compromising your comfort, your cleanliness, and the integrity of your power tools. Using a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter eliminates nearly every single particle produced capturing 99.997% of wood dust (as small as 0.3 microns) before the rascals can even consider dissipating into your environment. Ultimately, the HEPA filter captures virtually everything that passes through it without any reduction to airflow ensuring suction remains always optimal. 

To provide a better idea of just how small a micron is, it is literally one millionth of a meter. It is the microscopic length you end-up with when you divide a meter into one million pieces. The width of the eye of a needle is about 1,200 of them, a strand of human hair has a width of approximately 100 microns, and the human eye can’t see objects smaller than thirty microns. So, I’ll reiterate now for emphasis that the HEPA filter captures 99.997% of all debris as small as 0.3 microns, captures 99.997% percent of debris smaller than a fraction of one millionth of a meter. 

So, where would such a tremendous filter come from? Let me tell you: during the development of the first nuclear weapons, the HEPA filter was evolved by the Atomic Energy Commission to filter radioactive dust particles from the ensuing exhaust. A perfect conglomeration of randomly arranged and usually fiberglass fibers comprise the filter, and using a suction, dust particles are forced to enter the filter where they unfailingly adhere to said fibers. Since then, and despite their seemingly rudimentary design, HEPA filters have remained the most effective, most trusted filtration system commercially available. Used in the most sensitive environments from medical care to specialized manufacturing, there is, literally, no better filtration system presently available. In other words, in the form of the most optimized filtration device ever developed, there was, at least, one good thing that resulted from the production of the atomic bomb.

In the end, for your personal health and safety, for the longevity and continued high-performance of your power tools, for the best results and cleanest environments, and because the filter was trusted to capture the radioactive waste produced during the construction of nuclear weapons, you need a HEPA filter dust extractor. As the most sophisticated, specialized filtration system ever developed, you need a HEPA filter dust extractor, and because regulations against our exposure to dust particles will only become more and more rigid, you really do need a HEPA filter dust extractor.

There are many rumors circulating within the tool industry about the performance of power tool batteries in extreme hot and cold temperatures. Let me take a moment to dispel a few of these rumors with some cold, hard facts.

In actuality, your batteries will always underperform in extreme temperatures. Hot and cold environments confuse and disorganize the cells inside your battery that allow it to generate the energy and power you require from your tools. In extreme temperatures, those cells literally can not perform and consequently, your battery can not perform either. The battery can not properly deliver power to your power tools, and can’t re-begin working at full capacity until its internal equilibrium is restored.

Not only do these extreme temperatures and conditions temporarily discombobulate your battery, but overtime, they will actually permanently destroy the battery’s cells rendering the battery all but absolutely useless – at that point your once brilliant power tool battery may serve only as a paperweight or perhaps the stone-cold living memory of a once vivacious, power-housing accessory. In other words, dramatic hot and cold temperatures will cause your batteries to work improperly, and given a little extra time or wiggle room, will cause your batteries to flat-out die.

Any unexpected and extreme temperature fluctuations are very unhealthy for your batteries, they are a super-shock to the system that is painfully difficult to bounce back from. Interior energy cells will begin to deplete and die until eventually, and usually prematurely, your battery is totally and entirely exhausted. In the end, and contrary to some circulating rumors, cold temperatures do not, in any way whatsoever, conserve nor improve battery life or performance; in fact, they will annihilate your battery from the inside out. Similarly, hot temperatures will generally broil your batteries and their power cells into a sad state of drooling oblivion. Extreme conditions and hot and cold temperatures will effectively kill your power tool batteries. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Ultimately, your batteries want to be warm, dry, and temperate – I repeat, warm (as in room temperature), dry, and temperate – just like you. Don’t put them in the freezer, don’t leave them in the heat, don’t leave them in your trunk or truck bed, and don’t overcharge them. Simply love them and honor their needs, and they will work hard for you until their end of days. Keep them in the garage, or better yet, bring them in the house for dinner and a movie to ensure they maintain optimal temperature and an always optimal performance.