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My intuition on how a twist drill bit operates is that the cutting is done by the end of the drill bit and that the fluted section carries away material as it's cut.

When I look at twist drill bits, though, it appears that the edge of one of the flutes is sharpened. What purpose does this serve? Does this edge actually cut material?

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The edge is sharp to make sure the side of the hole is left smooth minimizing the cutting marks and to make sure that the resulting diameter is correct.

However, if a precise diameter is required then a reamer is usually used to finish the hole.

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