Diamond Drill Bit Tips

Cutting

• A diamond drill bit cuts by boring particles out of the glass or other surface. The diamond drill bit is covered with many sharp diamond shards that scrape away material, unlike a metal drill bit, which cuts and slices material using cutting edges along the bottom of the bit. Because the diamond drill bit does not have a corkscrew design that lifts and removes shavings, you must tap and clear the bit of debris and and dust to allow the diamond particles to do their job. Simply tap the drill bit on a solid object to free it of dust. Another option is to use lubrication on the drill bit. This will help reduce dust buildup, but it is also messy, because the lubrication needs to be applied often and sometimes in large quantities.

Handling

• Handling a diamond drill bit is different from handling a metal bit. Because they bore instead of scrape and cut, they can be angled at almost any orientation and still perform just as well. The diamond drill bit will be more likely to slip across the hard surface until a bore hole is established. That means it takes a steady hand to steer the bit straight. Use braces, and apply consistent pressure while operating the bit at a very high speed. This improves your chances of drilling a straight hole. It also means you may want to drill a small pilot hole with a smaller-diameter bit first, on every project. In materials like concrete and metal, when you can use a large pilot hole, drilling at slow speeds can reduce heat and friction.

Sharpening

• Diamond drill bits are never sharpened like a metal bit. They are made with layers of diamond shards that are naturally sharp and therefore cut as they spin around. The only way to sharpen a diamond drill bit is to use it. The bits are made to wear away in layers. When the outer layer shards become worn and rounded, they are designed to break free. This reveals the secondary layer of unused and sharp shards underneath, which cut faster. By grinding into a hard object like a steel bar, you can actually improve the performance of the bit.