Borrspets

Borrspets is the term used for the tip of a drill bit, the cutting edge that engages the material to be drilled. In Swedish, borrspets combines borr (drill) and spets (tip), and it is commonly translated as drill point. The spets determines how a drill bit enters a workpiece, affecting start accuracy, wandering, and cutting efficiency.

Design and geometries of the borrspets vary to suit different materials and applications. The most common geometries are the standard twist drill point, typically around 118 to 120 degrees, which is widely used for metal and general purpose drilling. A 135-degree point is favored in some metalworking applications to reduce thrust and improve centering. The split-point design, often at about 135 degrees with a center split, helps prevent wandering when starting a hole. For woodworking, brad-point bits have a sharp center point and outward-spreading spurs to create clean entry holes and precise pilot alignment. Some specialized bits use carbide-tipped or diamond-edged tips for hard materials or precision work.

Materials and manufacturing affect borrspets performance. Drill points can be made from high-speed steel (HSS), carbon steel, cobalt-alloy HSS, or carbide-tipped variants, each offering different hardness, wear resistance, and heat tolerance. Tip grinding and sharpening are common maintenance tasks; keeping the spets sharp and properly re-pointed helps maintain hole quality and prolongs bit life. To reduce heat and snaring, cutting fluids or light lubrication are often used during drilling.

See also: drill bit, twist drill, brad-point, split-point.