If you’re like most homeowners, you probably have a cordless drill stacked somewhere in your garage or tool organizer for carrying out simple DIY or home improvement projects.
Apart from drilling holes, there are so many things you can do with a power drill. You can use it to drive screws, loosen nuts/bolts, mix up fluids, and even use it for cleaning. And all this you can do by simply getting the right attachment for it.
In this article however, we’re going to focus on how you can get the best results when drilling holes with your power drill. So, here are 12 tips and tricks you should know to achieve that.
1. Use the right power drill
First of all, you need to use the right type of power drill depending on what type of material you’re trying to drill into. There are power drills designed for different types of materials. Some are designed for wood, for concrete and for metal.
2. Use a drill press or drill press stand
Drill presses and drill press stands are designed to increase your accuracy significantly when drilling through materials.
If you really need a lot of precision when drilling a hole, then you don’t need to free-hand it. You can simply get a drill press or a drill press stand like the Milescraft Drillmate or something similar.
3. Choose the right drill bits and attachments
For you to drill through any material you need to choose the right type of drill bits for that material. There are different types of bits for drilling different types and sizes of holes. There are also different types of bits for drilling through different types of materials like wood concrete and metal.
Your bit can snap in two or even bend and can cause an accident if you’re not using the right one.
So, make sure you do your research and find out the type of bit you need to drill through that material you’re working with.
Like I mentioned already, power drills are not just meant for drilling holes. You can get several attachment and accessories that will enable you use them for other projects at home.
Check out this list of attachments and accessories to help you get more uses out of your power drill.
4. Clamp the material to keep it steady
It is better and safer to clamp your work piece to keep it steady before attempting to drill through it, especially if it’s a small work piece. Even the most skilled craftsman will look like an amateur if he/she tries to drill through a small work piece that has not been clamped.
Clamping it prevents the piece from moving while you drill through it and allows you to use both of your hands to handle the power drill safely and do a better job. The clamp is like an extra pair of hands helping you handle the material safely.
5. Use of sharp bits
You want to keep your drill bits sharp to make your job easier and safer. If your bits are blunt, you can either sharpen them using a bench grinder or buy a new set of bits.
6. Find your center and indent or create a pilot hole
Don’t just start drilling on your workpiece. If you want to drill a hole first find the center of the hole then, then use a punch or nail to make a tiny hole in the center.
This will help guide your bit into the material once you start drilling.
If you’re trying to make a large hole, first make a pilot hole with a small bit, before using a hole saw or larger bit to make your large hole.
7. Reinforce your drilling point with painter’s tape
If you’re drilling through wood or a board that may possibly crack once you start drilling, use painters tape to make an X on the spot before you drill your pilot hole.
The painters tape will reinforce the wood and prevent any possible cracking.
8. Start slow
If you’re too aggressive when you start drill, you might end up missing your mark. The drill bit may wander from the spot you’re drilling and mark or damage your work piece.
You need to start slow to ensure you drill into the right spot first before increasing your speed.
9. Don’t apply excessive pressure to the back of the drill
Sometimes while drilling through a material, you may be tempted to apply a lot of pressure to the back of the drill to force the drill through the material.
If you find yourself doing that, it’s very likely that either you’re using the wrong type of power drill for that material, or your drill bit is dull.
It’s okay to apply some pressure to the back of a drill while drilling through a material, but it should be moderate. Applying too much pressure might even break the drill bit you’re using.
So, ensure you’re using the right drill, the right bits, and don’t apply too much pressure while using it.
10. Vary your speed according to the material you’re drilling
If you’re drilling through wood, you can use fast speeds, but if you’re drilling through metal, slow to medium speed is better to avoid breaking the bit.
11. Blow off chips of the material from the drill bit as you drill
If you’re drilling a deep hole, it’s advisable to pull out the bit every inch or so that you can blow off the wood chips or flakes from the bit.
This prevents the bit from getting too hot and getting blunt. Drilling with so much chips on the bit will also make it harder to continue drill through the hole.
12. Keep two or more sets of drill bits
Using only one set of drill bits will make them get dull quickly. But with two or more sets of bits available, you can switch between bits even between a single task.
You can start with your newer set of sharp bits to start, then switch over midway through to the older bits to finish drilling the board or material you’re working on. Doing that will keep your new bit set sharp, and prevent your older ones from getting too blunt.
