Laptops For Less Blog

Power Drill Tips and Tricks

Ask any experienced do-it-yourself type person, or serious professional, and they’ll tell you that power tools take the hard work out of most DIY activities. Power tools are awesome because they can help even the most unskilled people achieve a professional looking job.

One of the most important power tools that no home should be without is the power drill. Power drills come in all shapes and sizes including cordless drills, pneumatic hammer drills, and hammer drills.

Using a Power Drill

Drill Bit Fitting

Start by selecting the drill bit you want to use, then spin the chuck open to insert the bit in the drill’s jaws. Next, you’ll tighten it up by hand. [Be sure that the bit is central, and securely held between the jaws].

If the drill has a keyed chuck, make sure to use the key to tighten up the bit. Rather than just using one key position, use all three key positions to ensure the bit is secure and in proper place.

If you have a keyless chuck drill just tighten it by hand. Next, simply run the drill for a bit. You can check by eye if the bit is centered squarely in the jaws.

Wood and Metal Hole Drilling

Grab a twist drill bit for metal, and for drilling small wooden holes. Use a flat wood bit for larger wooden holes. Ensure that the drill’s body is at a right angle to the surface before you start drilling. When drilling metal use a slow speed.

Make sure you always clamp your work to a bench before you start drilling holes. If not, it may spin around uncontrollably once you attempt to drill. When drilling through holes clamp some scrap wood pieces underneath the work piece and drill into it. This ensures that the drill bit leaves a clean exit hole.

When working with sheet metal, mark your starting point with a punch. This prevents the bit from dancing across the sheet metal when you start drilling.

Drilling Masonry Holes

If you’re making holes in brickwork, concrete, or blockwork make sure to use a sharp masonry drill bit. Use a slow drilling speed and hammer action setting on the drill. Make sure you wear safety goggles. Wearing safety goggles keeps drill dust out of your eyes.

Keep the drill body at right angles to the masonry surface and start drilling. Never force the drill. This makes the drill overheat, and blunts the drill bit. Make sure to withdraw the bit from the hole at intervals. This helps clear the drill dust from the hole.

When drilling into ceramic tiles use masking tape. Stick the masking tape on the tile and mark the position you want the hole. The tape ensures that the drill bit won’t dance across the glazed surface and scratch the tile.

If you’re looking for a replacement cordless drill battery or a spare cordless drill battery you should buy them from a reputable online merchant who sells power tool batteries which are fully compatible with the manufacturers’ own brand replacements. LaptopsForLess.com has a huge selection of cordless drill batteries in stock, at very reasonable prices [often a fraction of the cost of manufacturers’ own brand replacements]. Brands stocked include: Black & Decker, Bosch, Craftsman, DeWalt, Ryobi, Makita, Milwaukee and more…