If you are renovating your home, getting into glassware creation, or just taking on a large DIY project, it can be hard to accept you need some pointing in the right direction. Yet, listening to the advice of others, especially when it comes to hardware can be really important.
Buying the right hardware, rather than just guessing, can help keep you, and those around you, safe. Moreover, without the right tools, you may end up ruining the project all together due to a hasty decision based on pride.
We are here today to provide you with some options for the best drill bit for drilling into glass and similar materials. We will create a buying guide to help you know what to look for, rather than just telling you, as well as some useful questions you may have.
A good selection of these drill bits means that you can still make the final decision about which piece of hardware can solve your own unique DIY problem.
With this new information, you can tackle your project in a sensible and informed way, with information that will prevent you from running into a roadblock with drilling into glass in the future. Here’s our guide to the best drill bits for drilling into glass.
Best Drill Bits For Glass Drilling
BOSCH GT2000 4-Piece Carbide Tipped Drill Bit Set
This is a worthy contender purely as it is a set, which means you can have more access to wider drill bits – this can really save your hind if you manage to get the diameter of the drill you need wrong.
A reinforced head with a carbide tip means it can be pretty durable and long-lasting. A three flat shank is also ideal for grip from the drill itself.
The ultra-sharp tips are diamond ground making them ideal for preventing walking on the glass, which also means you could use them on a whole bunch of other hard materials.
While they may be ideal for use here and there, and even though they swear by their durability, many reviews suggest they may not be ideal for consistent professional use, but are better for a DIY project that you don’t want to break the bank on.
Pros
- Unique tip design prevents walking
- Sharp tips
- Can be used on materials other than glass
- Large bundle contains multiple sizes
Cons
- Could break with consistent use
- Not ideal for professional usage
Amoolo Carbide Tip Drill Bit Set
This is another carbide-tipped drill bit set that is a little more affordable than other sets, ideal for a one-off job.
The tungsten carbide tip is another great tool for drilling small holes in glass with precision. They use a pyramid tip point in order to maximize the contact surface with the glass, increasing penetrating power greatly.
Another three flat shank means the drill bit remains securely shanked and won’t come out easily. Again, another great thing about these drills is that they can be used for multiple applications.
Luckily there is a 90-day warranty on these, which can be useful as some reviews suggest they could break over prolonged usage, making them not ideal for professional usage. This is another reason why a set is good.
Overall they are a good value option that you can keep in your shed for when you need them, ideally for short usage, as prolonged use could damage them.
Pros
- Pyramid tip design prevents walking
- Tungsten carbide coating
- Good for small holes
Cons
- Not ideal for prolonged usage
- Not good for professionals
NEIKO 008923A Diamond Hole Saw Drill Bit Set
This is a great all-round choice that can tick all your boxes while remaining pretty good value for money.
The set contains 5 pieces, all of the same design but with different sizes from 5/32 of an inch to one and ½ inches. This is great as you can drill a wide array of hole diameters with this hole saw, meaning they may outlast the single-use you have for them.
These diamond drill bits are ideal for precision hole cutting into the glass, thanks to their diamond-coated tips which leave very smooth holes that won’t catch and cause cracks or shatter.
This diamond coat will last longer than the tungsten carbide coating but even underneath this a nickel coating can ensure durability and also prevent rust.
Perhaps the most unique and practical feature is the side hole in each bit. This means you can remove the slug super easily after you have drilled which saves so much time.
These tips can heat up quite a lot which means that lubrication is super important with this drill bit. The shank length means that you can actually fit it to most drill machines, although some may suggest this isn’t as grippy a design as it should be.
Pros
- Diamond coated for precision cutting
- Nickel undercoat can prevent rust and increase durability
- Shank length allows it to fit into many drills
- 5-piece set with various sizes
Cons
- Gets quite hot and needs constant lubrication
BLENDX Hollow Core Diamond Drill Bits Bundle
If you want something that is really durable, then these are the drill bits to look at. The bits are made from super-high-strength carbon steel which has a diamond coating on the tip for precision cuts.
What’s more, is that they also have a nickel coating which is ideal for preventing rust and other corrosive elements. These are another drill design that is ideal for a bunch of materials, but also for glass.
The drill bits come as a set which is another plus for us, they are all of varying sizes and measure around 2 inches in length, being suitable for most drills.
The drill bits have holes in the side which actually creates a smoother finish as the debris has more room to eject and escape.
BLENDX highly recommends that you use the angle method as we described in order to get a proper purchase when boring.
One issue is that while they are durable drill bits over time the diamond coating can become unbonded which is a potential issue for those who want drill bits for professional use, but can still be ideal for DIY projects
Pros
- Very Durable
- Diamond coated tip for precision
- Carbon Steel is high strength
- Cna drill into many materials
- Varying sizes in the bundle
Cons
- Bonding agent used for diamond coating can wear over extended periods
- Requires lubrication for cooling
Buyer’s Guide
Of course, when it comes to glass, you don’t want to use your generic drill. The idea of drilling directly into glass can give you the willies, and not any drill bit will do. But if you can find the drill bits that are made for this purpose this process becomes much easier.
Professional Or DIY
A quick note here most commercially available drill bits to the public are mainly for DIY usage.
If you are a tradesman and are looking for something that will last a long time that is super durable and accurate, with the knowledge that you might use it everyday, there can be better places to look.
Many of these drill bits are not made for everyday use but for specific use in a DIY project where they aren’t going to be used literally everyday.
That said, having a bundle of these drills in your shed or garage for whenever you need to drill into something particularly hard and durable is a really helpful thing to have in your toolbox.
Types Of Drill Bits For Glass
In most hardware shops you can commonly find two types of drill bit which are made for drilling into glass.
Arrowhead Drill Bits
As the name suggests, an arrowhead drill bit has a pointed end that is often threaded. They are created to specifically drill into things that break easily, such as glass.
Often the tips can be in a huge variety of shapes but will nearly always come to some point. Moreover, they are also great for drilling into things that will also break the drill such as concrete.
The arrow-shaped tip basically stops the drill from moving and walking. Glass is very smooth so your average drill bit will slide all over the place prompting undue pressure and eventually a break in the glass.
The threaded arrowhead drill bit helps to create the initial incision necessary to create a clean hole.
As the point of the drill is smaller than the rest of the drill bit which allows you to create small holes that are smaller than the largest diameter of the drill bit. Creating this careful hole requires a steady hand and a patient mind, slow and steady wins the race with this drill bit.
They will generally come in a range of sizes usually from 1/8th of an inch to 1 and ¼ inch in diameter, with the point coming to an end.
Hole Saw Drill Bits
A hole saw can solve the issue of undue pressure as it is a much wider drill bit, made for drilling large precise holes into glass and other materials.
As the diameter is much wider the pressure is spread more, allowing more wide and precise holes to be drilled. The hole saw is a drill mount that is connected via an arbor onto your power drill.
They generally come in larger sizes than your average drill it due to the nature of it, you can usually get them in ¼ inch up to 3 and ⅜ of an inch, as they are designed for these larger holes.
Best Materials For Glass Drilling
When you think about glass, it does seem pretty fragile, and it is, but when it comes to hardness glass is one of the hardest. If you consider that glass is extremely compacted and refined sand, it can make more sense.
In any case, this means that a drill bit can easily break when used on glass, which is something we want to avoid. In order to prevent this it can be worthwhile to be privy to what materials these drills are made from and which are best.
Tungsten Carbide Coating
Tungsten carbide is a chemical compound which in its natural form is powder. This powder can be used to coat the drill itself and increases hardness greatly by creating a layer of tungsten.
Diamond Dust Coating
You read right, literal diamond dust. As you may know, diamond is one of the hardest materials in the world, the only thing that can cut through a diamond is diamond itself, so we can rest assured this is harder than glass.
Like Tungsten, the diamond is made into a dust that coats the drill. This coating can create an incredibly fine and sharp tip that is very good for boring.
Durability Of Coat
Another thing to consider is that even though we are talking about extremely hard materials here, tungsten and diamond, they can actually wear a lot quicker than you think. Especially with drills that are made for home use rather than long-term professional use.
This isn’t really to do with the coating material itself, rather, it has more to do with the bonding agent used to bond it to the drill bit. This bonding agent can wear somewhat quickly. It can be worth consulting reviews about how long-lasting the drill bits’ hardness and sharpness are.
Final Thoughts
As you can see there are lots of drill bits out there for drilling into glass. Many of them come in large bundles meaning you don’t have to be so sure of your hole diameter as you will have room to work with. While drilling into glass is hard and dangerous, these drill bits can make the whole experience much easier.
Many of these drill bits are for personal DIY usage at home, so many of them aren’t ideal for a professional glass worker. That said, many of them are durable and for home usage are more than enough.
One thing to remember is to always use safety equipment when handling any drill, but particularly when working with glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
How To Use A Glass Drill Bit?
Importantly, no matter how good your drill bit is, if you approach it the wrong way you can still end up with shattered glass as well as a potential injury. Here are some quick tips to remind you of.
1. Safety Measures
We don’t need to tell you that broken glass is a safety hazard, it can cut, get lodged in your skin, and even sever limbs or impale people in the worst situations.
Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from potential shards of glass, and gloves to protect your hands, keep bare skin to a minimum too. Moreover, drilling into glass is sometimes loud and can make horrible noises as you may imagine, so ear protection can be advised.
2. Steady Wins The Race
When boring into glass, the most breaks occur as a result of drilling too fast. In order to not break the glass you need to let the saw or thread cut into the glass slowly to create the necessary hole. Start slow and build up speed but remain steady, especially at the start.
3. Go At An Angle
Specifically with a hole saw drill bit you want to start with the thin drill bit point at an angle, this helps bore it into the glass without your drill bit walking around. Then straighten up the drill once the initial incision is made.
4. Under Pressure
Obviously when drilling into the glass, the rule of putting your whole body weight into it, as you might do with wood, really needs to go out the window and will be really dangerous with glass.
You don’t want to put much weight or pressure on the drill at all, only really apply pressure once the initial bore hole is created, but still remain steady. Use the previous tip to create a hole rather than using pressure.
5. Don’t Forget To Lubricate
Trying to drill dry is never a good idea and is another common issue that can cause breaks due to friction, and even cause your drill to overheat which you don’t want.
The harder or thicker the glass is the more lubrication you will want to use. Always be careful using water around your electric power tool though.
Can You Drill Glass With A Regular Drill?
Well, yeah you can drill into glass with your regular power drill, but you need to have one of these drill bits used specifically for drilling into glass. Using a normal drill bit will not work and you will damage and likely break the glass as well as potentially harming yourself.
Jake is a tool guy – think Tim Allen from Home Improvement but with a much drier sense of humor. He lives in the great state of Ohio and plays the guitar on his downtime. He also spends his time writing on all things tools and DIY-related as this is his passion.
