Getting a drill bit stuck is exasperating – I know, I’ve been there many times. But before you throw your drill at the wall in frustration, let me show you how easy it is to remove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first step to removing a stuck drill bit is to loosen the chuck. Spraying the chuck with lubricating oil loosens any dust that’s causing it to bind. Depending on your drill, it might be necessary to use a small hammer or wrench to help loosen it. Once the chuck is loose, you can remove the drill bit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Step-by-step, I’ll now show you how to remove your stuck drill bit from a range of different drills and materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a common issue to get a drill bit stuck in a hammer drill – more so in older models with a chuck, as these clog up easier. Even with all the muscle in the world, releasing the bit with a chuck grip can be a major challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do you pull the bit out? You can try these methods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hammer drills should have full metal chucks with teeth that you loosen or tighten with a chuck key. These chuck keys are often short and do not give you much room to apply a lot of pressure too – and if you try, you can damage the teeth on the chuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern drills often have plastic chuck protectors and no key, so you need to be careful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are still having trouble, you can try alternating the direction of spin to loosen up the chuck.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Most drill bits have a pull direction that means the more they spin clockwise, the more they pull into the material. Wood bits also have an extra screw at the tip to help guide them in a true line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can mean that if you are drilling fast and hit a knot, the bit can become stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Battery drills may not have enough power to reverse the drilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drilling into drywall should be incident-free unless you hit a stud. Continuing can mean blunting or snapping off your drill bit. If you can, it is better to remove the stud before trying to get the bit out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using the drill in reverse with the stud in the way may also result in snapping the drill bit. The best thing to do is to release the bit from the chuck. Then try to pull the bit back out with a pair of pliers or a vice grip while twisting the bit counterclockwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With an impact drill that does not have a traditional chuck, you will need to release the bit. Then you can attempt to use the method above with vice grips to pull the bit out from the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drills are like any other tool as they can rust, bind, and break when using too much force. The jaws of a drill clamp down on the bit to prevent it from twisting in the chuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The jaws also prevent the material from pulling the bit out of or pushing the bit too far into the chuck while you are drilling. As you tighten or loosen the chuck, the jaws compress or release and also move in or out of the head of the chuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some pointers to avoid the bit getting stuck in an older-style chuck key drill:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oil the inside of the chuck. This is a good general maintenance procedure and will make it easier to tighten and loosen the chuck. You should do this if you have been drilling dusty materials like concrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overtightening is difficult to do, but it is possible. As the drill heats up, it will expand the metal of the drill bit and the jaws – wedging the bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use a universal bit, but it is better to use the right bit for a specific material. Metal drill bits, wood bits, and masonry bits all have small variations in design to help them extract material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using the wrong bit will mean material building up around the bit, causing it to heat up and stick. Masonry bits drill wider channels at the tip to allow for large chunks of material to be pulled out by the bit’s spiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood and metal drill bits have sharp sides to scrape away material. Mixing up the two may result in the bit snapping off in the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Remove a Drill Bit Stuck in a Drill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lubricate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Light Tap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Hammer Drills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Modern Drills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to Remove a Drill Bit Stuck in Wood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Remove a Drill Bit Stuck in Drywall (With Studs)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Avoid Getting Drill Bits Stuck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tight, but Not Too Tight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use the Correct Bit for the Material<\/h3>\n\n\n\n