Masonry drills are quite different than conventional drills that are used to drill in other materials such as wood and metal. Although these bits appear to be a standard bit, they are not. Because drilling through brick, stone, concrete, etc demands special materials because these materials are quite hard. When drilling holes into masonry the worker usually uses a hammer drill which not only rotates the bit but pounds it into the masonry as well.
Masonry drills are manufactured from extremely hard and tough material, not the common carbon steel used for metal or wood. In many cases, the tip of the drill bit has a tungsten or carbide tip fused to the cutting surface. The tip is a little larger than the following shank as this allows the rapid accumulation of cutting debris to leave the hole. For some applications the entire bit may be made from tungsten carbide and in others, just the tip. Drilling holes in concrete generates a tremendous amount of heat so the bits must be able to withstand this, often without the aid of a coolant.
Rarely is a masonry bit used in a simple rotary drill, when drilling into concrete additional force is required so a hammer drill is employed. A hammer drill has a weight in it that taps on the bit, a combination of the tapping and rotating is enough to drive the bit straight into the masonry. Due to the abuse that a hammer drill is given, when purchasing one it is recommended that at least 1 one-half inch chuck model be purchased. The chuck is the device on the front end of the drill that clamps the bit securely, stopping it from rotating within the chuck teeth. There are different types of hammer drills depending on the configuration of the bit, some designs are proprietary and can only work in cooperation with the manufacturers bits.
When drilling into concrete, expect a lot of dust and debris, this build up of dust, if left in the hole while drilling can easily overheat the bit. Although the bit design is self cleaning, it is recommended that the bit be withdrawn from the hole periodically. When the bit is pulled from the hole, the drill is left spinning so it draws the dust with it.
The masonry drills available from Drills n Supplies are all crafted with wide flutes which means quick and easy removal of the dust.
