Drill bit shank from 0 to 7. The Morse taper allows the bit to be mounted directly into the spindle of a drill, lathe tailstock, or (with the use of adapters) into the spindle of milling machines. It is a self-locking (or "self holding") taper of approximately 5/8" per foot that allows the torque to be transferred to the drill bit by the friction between the taper shank and the socket. The tang at the end of the taper is only for ejecting the drill bit from the spindle, with the aid of a drift. The arbor of a drill chuck is often
Drill bit to wander when presented to a flat workpiece. For metalwork, this is countered by drilling a pilot hole with a spotting drill bit. In wood, the lip and spur drill bit is another solution: The centre of the drill bit is given not the straight chisel of the twist drill bit, but a spur with a sharp point and four sharp corners to cut the wood. The sharp point of the spur simply pushes into the soft wood to keep the drill bit in line. Metals are typically isotropic, and an ordinary twist drill bit shears the edges of the