The Brad Point Boring Bit

The uniqueness of a Brad Point Boring Bit lies in the sharp pin at the tip of the bit which bites into the wood to ensure a straight and even hole.

When you’re building a cabinet or a bookshelf, the holes for the pins can just as easily be made with your hand drill and a basic wood bit. This is a shortcut that may or may not give you great results. What I mean by great results is that when your pins are placed into these bored holes, are they snug? If not, the strength of the shelf is compromised.

Drilling with the common wood drill bit can result in the hole being cut a bit larger than the diameter of the bit being used, due to wandering. In order to minimize wandering, use a Brad Point bit.

Brad point drill bits are specially designed to drill and bore clean holes in hard and soft woods without wandering. These drill bits have been designed with a center pin as seen below.

A brad point drill provides a clean, straight, and accurately sized hole in wood. Not all boring is performed at a 90 degree angle and when one needs to bore at a slight angle the pin acts as the guide to the required position.

A clean cut is also not to be taken for granted. When one is boring holes for pins, with ordinary bits one may end up with edges which are jagged and have slight tear outs, leaving a rough surface. With the brad point bit, the outlining spurs of the bit shear the wood grain as it’s cutting and leaves a nice clean edge around the opening of the hole, eliminating the need for finish sanding.

Amana Tool® Industrial Brad Point Boring Bits are Coated with a Non-Stick Coating for Longer Lasting Cutting Edge and Tool Life.

They come in Right-Hand (RH) and Left-Hand (LH) versions. Right hand tools rotate clockwise. Left hand tools rotate counter-clockwise.

All are coated with a special Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a non-stick color coating. In cases where the carbide tip cutting edges are coated, there is no need to sand the coating off before use. Once the tool starts drilling, the coating is cleared off the needed cutting edge right away. 

Amana's coating is applied onto the bit at a temperature of 570° F. The coating reduces the friction between the chip and the body inside the flute and it helps to clear the chips out of the hole during the drilling creating a cooler drilling area, no burning and longer lasting cutting edge.

Always, a good rule of thumb when it comes to operating a shop is to only purchase tools and accessories which will bring value to your shop.

Ask yourself:

• Will I use this tool in the long term?
• Does the size of it hinder movement in the shop?
• Are the costs excessive?
• If I purchase X will it save time and how does that equate to money saved?

If you work in the industry of cabinet and kitchen making there is no question that such a bit is valuable on all accounts. First, carbide-tipped brad point bits  have a long life and keep sharp longer than most on the market.  Second, there is no question regarding size, these bits fit in the palm of one’s hand.  Third, the costs are very reasonable and are not a variable in your decision to buy. Fourth, the fact that these bits do not allow wandering and leave clean edges will save much time in not only machining the holes but sanding the edges. 

In conclusion, we all would like to take shortcuts when necessary but when boring pin holes, there is no shortcut in using standard drill bits. Like my 8th grade woodshop teacher taught me, work smart, slow and you will finish correct and fast.