If you’re looking for a high-quality drill bit that offers excellent precision, you should consider a double-margin drill bit. Like most drill bits, they use flutes to remove material from the objects in which they are driven. Flutes are ridge-like channels that act as conveyors for waste material. Along the edges of these flutes are a pair of protruding helical strips. Known as a margin, they help to stabilize and guide the drill bit.
What Are Double-Margin Drill Bits?
Double-margin drill bits are characterized by the use of two margins. Margins act as contact points. When you drive a drill bit into an object, such as a wall, the raised margin strips will touch the wall while simultaneously guiding the drill bit.
Most drill bits only feature a single pair of margin strips. As previously mentioned, they are found along the outer edges of the flutes. Double-margin drill bits, however, feature two pairs of margin strips. The second pair of margin strips is directly behind the first pair.
Double-margin drill bits are available in different materials, including the following:
- High speed steel (HSS)
- Cobalt steel
- Tungsten carbide
How Double-Margin Drill Bits Work
Double-margin drill bits use several features to cut holes in objects. They have a cutting point, flutes and two pairs of margin strips.
The cutting point is the tip that begins the cutting process. The flutes are the ridges that move material from inside the hole to outside the hole. The margin strips stabilize the bit and guide it through the object. Together, these features allow drill bits to efficiently and effectively cut holes.
Reasons to Use a Double-Margin Drill Bit
A double-margin drill bit can help you drill straighter holes. It’s frustrating when you align a drill bit perfectly with an object, only for the bit to slip or “drift” as it turns. When this occurs, you’ll have a crooked hole that’s difficult to fix. Using a double-margin drill bit will lower the risk of problems such as this. Thanks to its use of two pairs of margin strips, it will stabilize the drill bit, resulting in straighter holes.
You’ll have more consistent hole sizes when using a double-margin drill bit. Allowing a drill bit to drift can result in the hole being larger in diameter in some areas and smaller in other areas. A double-margin drill offers superior stabilization so that holes are straighter and more consistent in diameter.