Metallics HSD116E High-Speed Twist Drill Bit 11/16" 9-1/4" Bright (1pc)

The HSD116E is an 11/16 inch high-speed twist drill bit with an overall length of 9-1/4 inches. That overall figure covers the shank as well as the flutes, so usable drilling depth is less than 9-1/4 inches, but it is long enough to pass through doubled framing, nailing plates, or stacked studs that a standard jobber-length bit cannot reach.

It is a high-speed steel twist bit with a bright (uncoated) finish, which is the general-purpose grind electricians use for wood framing and for mild steel such as strut, enclosures, and panel knockouts. Bright finish bits run best with a lower speed and cutting oil in steel; in wood they cut dry. For masonry or concrete you need a carbide-tipped hammer bit instead, not this one.

An 11/16 inch hole is the common clearance size for pulling cable and for 1/2 inch trade size fittings and locknuts, which measure larger than their trade designation. If you are boring framing for a 1/2 inch EMT run, 11/16 inch gives you room without oversizing the member. For larger trade sizes you want a correspondingly larger bit from the same Metallics HSD high-speed series.

One bit per pack, supplied in a pouch. If you are stocking a van or a shop crib and want spares of the 11/16 inch size, order multiple pieces; there is no multi-bit set in this item.

For repetitive boring through wood framing, a self-feeding auger pulls itself through faster and clears chips better. The reason to reach for the HSD116E instead is that it is high-speed steel and will cut metal as well as wood, so one bit handles a stud, a steel stud track, or a strut channel on the same run. On a mixed-material job that is the deciding difference.