Aluminum is a moderately soft metal that can be easily drilled by standard metal drill bits. Occasionally holes need to be drilled into places that are hard to reach so sometimes we use long, 12-inch drill bits.

Large diameter drill bits will snag sheet metal so a Unibit is used to drill holes up to about a half-inch in diameter. Larger unibits are also available.

When very large holes need to be cut into sheel metal we sometimes use a hole saw. Hole saws are perfect for cutting the holes in an instrument panel for the instruments.

Forstner bits are used to drill very clean, large holes in wood and plastic. They have the ability to cut across the edge of the material, leaving a scalloped cut instead of a hole, making them perfect for building plastic bearings.