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The Differences Between Reaming, Drilling, and Boring
When it comes to creating holes or enlarging them, there are three key processes to consider—reaming, drilling, and boring. Each process is unique and requires specific tools and equipment to achieve the desired results. Knowing the differences between reaming, drilling, and boring will help you create the right cut in every project. Take a closer look at these three processes and explore the differences between them.
Drilling Creates a Hole
Drilling is the most common metalworking process of the three. It involves using a drill bit to create a hole in a piece of metal. The drill bit rotates at a high speed and presses into the workpiece, creating a circular hole. While a drill bit can create holes of various depths, it can’t create a hole wider than the drill bit itself. Drilling also creates a rough surface, which is why it’s often only the first stage of hole cutting.
Boring Enlarges a Hole
The biggest difference between reaming, drilling, and boring is that drilling creates a hole, while boring and reaming alter it. Once you drill a hole, you can then enlarge it by boring. Unlike drilling, boring uses a single-point cutting tool and requires an existing hole. A metalworker slowly feeds the boring bar into the workpiece, shaving off small amounts of metal with each pass. This increases the diameter of the hole and helps improve surface quality after drilling.
Reaming Creates a Smooth Finish
Reaming is a machining process that involves smoothing out a hole that you have already drilled or bored. Metalworkers use reamers to create holes with a high degree of accuracy and a smooth finish. Reaming also helps improve tolerance. Because the reaming process revolves around creating a high-quality finish, it involves minimal material removal and can’t substantially change the dimensions of the hole. However, you can use a reamer to change the shape of a hole, such as creating a tapered hole.
At TMT Toolbox, we have a vast selection of reamer drill bits for metal and other crucial metal-cutting tools. Explore our online inventory or talk to our team today to find the equipment you need to keep your workshop running smoothly.