Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 16 minutes ago
Drilling a hole should feel smooth…almost mechanical. The bit should dig on its own without needing too much pressure with the feed wheel. You should see chips breaking free and coming up out of the hole, and hear a steady, even hum from the motor while you work.
This is where small twist bits and brad points struggle. Forstner bits, just by the way they hog material out, are even easier to get into trouble with.
In metalworking, chips can smear or weld themselves to the bit. Wood doesn’t weld…but the moment cutting turns into rubbing, that’s when you have a problem.
So what actually happens when you rub instead of cut? Instead of slicing fibers, you’re grinding them. That creates heat, and that heat dulls the bit faster than it should.
With a cheap set of bits it’s easy to say, “I’ll just toss the bit when I’m done.”
But you’re also damaging the hole itself. That kind of rubbing creates glazing, which polishes the walls, and packed flutes can push the bit around enough to leave the hole slightly oversized.
There are two simple ways to fight this.
With bits that have a center guiding point, drill from one side and flip the work to finish. That alone dumps a surprising amount of heat.
The other comes straight from metalworking. Peck drilling. If your chips are packing instead of clearing, back out, clear the bit, and repeat.
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Tutor the Barbarian
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Richard B.
Ben. KBill Patterson
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
Drilling a hole should feel smooth…almost mechanical. The bit should dig on its own without needing too much pressure with the feed wheel. You should see chips breaking free and coming up out of the hole, and hear a steady, even hum from the motor while you work.
This is where small twist bits and brad points struggle. Forstner bits, just by the way they hog material out, are even easier to get into trouble with.
In metalworking, chips can smear or weld themselves to the bit. Wood doesn’t weld…but the moment cutting turns into rubbing, that’s when you have a problem.
So what actually happens when you rub instead of cut? Instead of slicing fibers, you’re grinding them. That creates heat, and that heat dulls the bit faster than it should.
With a cheap set of bits it’s easy to say, “I’ll just toss the bit when I’m done.”
But you’re also damaging the hole itself. That kind of rubbing creates glazing, which polishes the walls, and packed flutes can push the bit around enough to leave the hole slightly oversized.
There are two simple ways to fight this.
With bits that have a center guiding point, drill from one side and flip the work to finish. That alone dumps a surprising amount of heat.
The other comes straight from metalworking. Peck drilling. If your chips are packing instead of clearing, back out, clear the bit, and repeat.
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Ben. KBill Patterson
Make Things
#MakeThings #mtbitesize
