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Think of a specific metal from the periodic table which is used in various fields from orthopedic surgery to building the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Aircraft. I know it’s a little “sciency” stuff, but can you guess?
It’s Titanium. This strong and lightweight metal is used in many everyday products from medical devices to bicycle frames. But what happens if we use Titanium coating on drill bits? And add one more crazy yet useful question as a bonus: can Titanium drill bits be used on concrete?
Sorry to disappoint you but the simple, straightforward answer is “No, you can’t use Titanium drill bits to drill concrete. But why? Let’s find out with some brief expert theories. So, keep reading.
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Table of Contents
What Are Titanium Drill Bits Best For?
Before we get to our crazy question, first let’s look at what a Titanium drill bit actually is and the uses of this tough guy.
A Titanium drill bit is nothing but an HSS drill bit, which contains a special type of coating of Titanium oxide. And for your information: HSS stands for high-speed steel. These things are really tough and they are corrosion resistant too, that’s why they drill like monsters.
These strong bits are capable of drilling various metals such as aluminum, steel, iron; more like you name it, they drill it! They work great on woods too. Plus if you are looking for something to accomplish general drilling tasks in the production environments, these Titanium drill bits are just the thing for your tasks.
Another amazing thing about Titanium bits is that they are comparatively longer-lasting; they last approximately 6 times longer than regular high-speed bits. They even drill 3 times faster while using a speed helix. And they decrease the friction between the work surface and the drill bit.
Which Drill Bits Are Best for Concrete?
We have some pretty much clear ideas about Titanium drill bits. Now it’s time to gather some knowledge about concrete and the bits that work well on it.
Concrete is a hard substance that is formed due to a bond between coarse materials. Cement paste is used to make that bond. The bond gets cured over time. It’s a very useful man-made material. From buildings to dams, you can see them everywhere.
As concrete is extensively used, drilling is a very common thing on concrete. So, which drill bits are for concrete? Well, the bits used on concrete are widely known as masonry bits.
Masonry bits are useful for not only concrete but they work pretty well on stones and bricks too. For drilling a solid surface like concrete, the sharper the drill the better the results. Plus working with a lower speed is very effective on concrete; it also prevents overheating of the drill bit.
To penetrate hard and solid surfaces better, Durium or carbide-tipped masonry bits are used. And they are used with hammer drills to smoothly finish rough and tough jobs.
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Can Titanium Drill Bits Be Used on Concrete?
We said before that you can’t use Titanium bits on concrete. Yes, there is a reason behind this. Now check the expert opinion regarding this.
Generally speaking, you can use any standard drill bits to perform drilling on concrete or masonry works. But don’t use the regular ones; avoid them because you don’t want to waste money or mess up the whole project.
Coming back to our opinion, the bits that we call Titanium drill bits are not actually made of Titanium rather they are coated with Titanium. They are tough but not tough enough to drill on concrete. That’s why you can’t use a Titanium coated drill bit to drill a concrete surface; you will end up messing up the whole thing.
You might think why not sharpen the bit again if it breaks while drilling on a concrete surface? Yes, it’s a good idea but not that useful for Titanium coated drill bits. Because when you will start to sharpen the bit you will lose the advantages of the Titanium coating. Then it will turn into just a regular High-Speed Steel drill bit!
After seeing all those discussions you might start to think that Titanium bits are useless. No, don’t underestimate the overall performance of the Titanium coating; their position is still higher on the leaderboard of drilling solid metals. Plus the Titanium coating helps the bit last longer if it is used properly.
Final Words
As Titanium is a strong and corrosion-resistant metal with high tensile strength, some people might think it will work great on concrete. But the reality is the opposite. Not every strong bit is made for all types of jobs and Titanium coated drill bit is no exception.
So, avoid Titanium or Cobalt coated drill bits for drilling through concrete. Use masonry bits with carbide tips for achieving good quality drilling results on concrete.