If any part of the broken drill bit is sticking out above the wood surface, you can almost always grip it and twist it free. If it’s snapped off flush or below the surface, you’ll need a different approach, but the bit is still removable. The right method depends on how much of the bit is exposed and how deep it’s buried.
When the Bit Is Still Sticking Out
This is the easiest scenario. If even a few millimeters of the broken shank are visible above the wood, you have something to grab onto.
Your best tool here is a pair of locking pliers (Vise-Grips). Clamp them firmly onto the exposed portion of the bit and turn counterclockwise. Drill bits have spiral flutes that act like screw threads in wood, so they’ll unscrew with steady, slow rotation. Regular pliers or needle-nose pliers can also work, but locking pliers give you a much stronger grip on hardened steel, and you won’t have to squeeze the handles while also trying to twist.
If enough shank is exposed, you can also try rechucking the bit into your drill. Tighten the chuck as firmly as possible around whatever length remains, set the drill to reverse, and back the bit out at low speed. This only works if there’s enough material for the chuck to bite onto.
When the Bit Is Flush or Below the Surface
A bit that snapped off at or below the wood surface is trickier because there’s nothing to grip. You have a few options depending on the diameter of the broken piece and how deep it went.
Tap It With a Punch
If you can see the broken end, place the tip of a small center punch against one of the spiral flutes and tap it with a hammer in the counterclockwise direction. You’re using the flutes like tiny ledges to rotate the bit backward. Alternate between flutes as you go. With patience, the bit will gradually thread itself back out of the hole. This works especially well on larger diameter bits where the flutes are big enough to catch the punch tip.
For very shallow breaks, you can sometimes shatter a small drill bit by striking it directly with a sharp punch. High-speed steel bits are hard but brittle. Break it into small pieces and pick them out. This is a last-resort approach since it can damage the surrounding wood.
Use a Hollow Extractor
Hollow screw extractors are purpose-built for this problem. They’re essentially small tube-shaped saws with teeth on the end that bore a clean hole around the broken piece without damaging the surrounding wood. You center the extractor over the broken bit, run it with a drill press or a handheld drill with a guide block to keep it straight, and it cuts a cylinder of wood out along with the stuck metal.
These come in specific diameters. A 1/4-inch extractor, for example, handles screws up to a #8 and works on similarly sized drill bits. You’ll want to match the extractor diameter to something slightly larger than the broken bit. The hole left behind is clean and can be filled with a dowel and wood glue if appearance matters.
Drill Around It
If you don’t have a hollow extractor, you can achieve a similar result manually. Use a drill bit slightly larger in diameter than the broken one and carefully drill a new hole centered over the stuck piece. This sacrifices some surrounding wood, but it frees the broken bit and leaves you with a clean hole you can plug with a dowel. The challenge is keeping your new bit centered, since it will want to wander off the hardened steel. Drilling slowly and using a drill press helps significantly.
When the Bit Is Deep in the Hole
Sometimes a bit snaps well below the surface, deep inside a hole you were boring. If you can still see the broken end down the hole, try inserting needle-nose pliers into the flutes and rotating counterclockwise. The flutes on most twist bits provide just enough of a grip point for the plier tips to catch.
If the break is too deep for pliers, a long punch and hammer can still work. Lower the punch into the hole, angle it against a flute, and tap. This takes more patience than a surface-level extraction, but the same principle applies: you’re using the spiral geometry of the bit against itself to back it out.
In cases where the broken piece is truly inaccessible, and the hole doesn’t need to be in a precise location, the simplest solution is to fill the hole with a glued dowel and drill a new one nearby. Epoxy works better than wood glue here since it bonds well to both wood and metal.
Why Bits Break in Wood
Understanding what went wrong helps you avoid it next time. Drill bits break in wood for a handful of predictable reasons.
The most common is overheating from friction. When a bit gets too hot, it loses its temper (the hardness built into the steel during manufacturing) and becomes more prone to snapping. This happens most often in hardwoods and when drilling deep holes where chips can’t clear the flutes. The packed chips create enormous friction, the bit binds, and the torque from your drill snaps it.
Side pressure is another frequent cause. If the drill isn’t aligned straight with the hole, the bit flexes with every rotation. Small bits, especially anything under 1/8 inch, can only handle minimal flex before they fracture.
Preventing Future Breaks
When drilling deep holes, pull the bit out periodically to clear wood chips from the flutes. This “pecking” technique, where you drill an inch or so, retract, clear, and re-enter, keeps friction manageable and lets the bit cool between plunges.
Lubricant makes a noticeable difference in hardwoods. Dipping the bit into a wax-based drilling paste before you start reduces friction, lowers heat, and extends the life of the bit. For deep holes where you’d have to stop and re-lubricate, liquid versions let you drip oil into the hole without removing the bit.
Use sharp bits. A dull bit requires more pressure to cut, generates more heat, and is far more likely to bind. If you’re drilling into dense hardwood like oak or maple and the bit is producing fine dust instead of curly shavings, it’s too dull. Replace it or sharpen it before pushing harder, because pushing harder is exactly how bits snap.
Finally, let the drill do the work. Moderate, steady pressure with the drill set to an appropriate speed keeps the bit cutting cleanly. High speed generates heat. Excessive pressure creates binding forces. The combination of both is what turns a routine hole into a broken bit stuck in your workpiece.