How to remove a broken drill bit (5 ways)

No one is immune from such an unfortunate failure as a broken drill during work. And the drill is not as bad as the part that was being processed at the time. If a piece of a drill breaks with its tail sticking out, then removing it is not so difficult. But if the tip of the fragment sank into the metal, then everything is much more complicated.

There may be several reasons for the breakdown:

• high speed;
  
• radial runout of the cartridge;
  
• overheat;
  
• dull cutting edges;
  
• deviation of the drill from the axis.

If the parts are large, and the unit where the drilling takes place is critical and there is nothing to replace it with, you have to think about how to pull the piece out of the hole.

Methods for removing drill bits:

Using pliers

This is the simplest option when the drill did not penetrate deeply and broke close to the surface. Use pliers with long straight or curved jaws. This tool is used by electricians in their work. To remove the drill, insert the pliers into the hole and grab it by the screw groove. First, with light movements to the left, move the drill bit out of place.As soon as you feel that it is not tightly seated in the hole, pull it out.


Remember: all drills have a right-hand helical sharpening. To pull them out, you need to turn the working tools to the left in order to disengage it from the metal.

Using tweezers

Use tweezers. Here, the main thing is that its lips enter the hole and grab the drill. Turn the tweezers to the left and make oscillatory movements from side to side. Use household tweezers with a corrugated working surface for soldering radio components.

Take two screwdrivers

Use two thin screwdrivers. Insert them into the screw grooves of the drill all the way and squeeze tightly with your fingers. Turn the drill bit to the left and pull it out of the hole. If the squeezing force of your fingers is not enough, squeeze the screwdrivers with round nose pliers, pliers or pliers.


If it is possible to tilt the part, try to knock the piece out of the hole with blows of a heavy hammer from all sides.

Using Weld Stick

Use a welding machine and a thin electrode. Weld the electrode to the stuck drill so that it is stuck from the first impulse. Wait a while and try to pull it out. However, it is necessary to remember here that if the electrode is welded to the walls of the hole, the problem will only worsen. You will have to drill out the metal deposit and the rest of the electrode with another drill to get the remaining one. To avoid the electrode touching the part, wrap the tip of the electrode with insulating tape.

Breaking the wreckage

If the drill is firmly stuck in the hole and cannot be moved, use a metal rod and a heavy hammer to force it out of place. Remember that the drill is made of alloy steel and can crumble from strong impacts.
The fragments are easily pulled out using pliers with long jaws. Do not hold the rod with your hands, but use pliers or round nose pliers for this. This is necessary in order to avoid hitting your fingers in case of a miss.

Safety precautions and a couple of tips

To make it easier to remove a stuck drill, drop a few drops of oil into the hole. Wear gloves and eye protection while working. When a hammer hits a metal object, shards of metal may fly off. It is necessary to hit the metal rod with a hammer at an angle of 90 degrees or with a slight slope from the axis of the hole to avoid hitting your hands.

Watch the video