11 Must-Know Tips for Drills

Drills come in different types, shapes, and serve varied purposes. Finding the best drill bit for concrete, for example, will help make boring holes on concrete. Others make drilling holes on different surfaces like wood, concrete, and glass easier. However, once you underestimate the insights and tips provided by experts about the use and safety handling of drills, the consequences can be dire.

If you have any type of drill such as an impact, core, cordless, magnetic, hammer, or rotary hammer drill, here are must-know tips to use the drill effectively and efficiently. The tips and tricks include critical information about selecting suitable drills and drill bits for specific applications.

1.    Match the Correct Drill and Bits with the Application

The quickest way to ruin a very expensive and powerful drill is matching it with the wrong drill bit and using it on the incorrect surface.

Each drill bit is built to make holes on respective materials such as wood, concrete, or metal. A mismatch would either break the drill bit, make it blunt, or in the worst-case, the drill bit would snap and stab you.

To match a drill with the correct drill bits, check the packaging box for instructions or consult with an expert. No matter the type of drill you are using, each manufacturer has recommended drill bits to match the drills. Check the manufacturer’s site for more information.

2.    Secure Your Eyes Before Drilling

While drilling, there are chances of the chips or small materials getting into your eyes. If they do, they might partially or permanently damage your eyes, costing you more in terms of hospital bills and the time spent going for check-ups.

Avoid any sort of extra spending and time wastage by putting on protective glasses or protective face shields. The two cover your eyes or entire face respectively to ensure no chip or small metal, wood, or concrete particle gets into your eyes.

3.    Keep Drill Bits Sharp

Sharp bits save you time and make drilling easier.They also improve accuracy and do not force you to use too much pressure to get the work done.

Get a bench grinder to sharpen your drill bits and keep them pointy. Also, you can opt for an extra set of bits to reduce the rate at which one set gets blunt. While working, you can switch between the tip sets without worrying about sharpening them that much.

If you decide to purchase another set of drill bits to complement the old ones, work with the new ones first and then switch to the old ones to complete the task. Doing so prevents the old ones from becoming blunter and allows you to keep using the new ones for a while before sharpening them again.

4.    Always Drill a Pilot Hole First

Before you start drilling on any material, always punch a pilot hole first for guidance and for a clean, exact-sized, and smooth hole. 

A pilot hole is a small hole demarking the center of the hole you desire to drill.

Get a center punch or nail to create the pilot hole. Whenever you want to drill a huge whole, use a smaller drill bit to create the pilot hole. For example, you can use a ¼ inch drill bit to make a pilot hole before using a 1-inch drill bit.

5.    Steady the Material You are Drilling

When drilling a smaller work piece, it may fidget about causing errors while drilling. Also, if you are drilling through a metal piece, it is likely to spin and injure you if you do not hold on to it steadily.

Accidents occur mostly because you are using one hand to hold on to the working piece and the other to drill. This tactic reduces efficiency and easily tiers your hands increasing the possibilities of accidents occurring.

To avoid accidents or poor drilling outcomes, use two clamps to hold on to the working piece. The two clamps serve as extra hands, allowing you to use your hands to drill comfortably and securely.

 

6.    Consider the Following when Finding the Drill

Different brands claim to have the best drills, but you can only find the best DeWalt drill at MTNshop. Avoid relying on brand information purely to select the best drill for home use or for other purposes. You must equip yourself with more information to make an informed decision on the best cordless drill or even corded.

Factors to consider when finding the best drill include speed, size, chuck size, power, purpose, price, brand, and whether it's a cordless drill or not.

Despite the many factors to consider, the main factors are if the drill is corded or cordless, its chuck size, power, speed, and purpose.

Match a drill with its purpose, ensure it has a huge chuck size to allow you fit in numerous bit sizes, has more power despite being corded or cordless, and allows you to control the speed.

7.    Avoid Applying Pressure While Drilling

With drills, the more pressure you apply, the more energy you waste and the higher the chances of the drill bit breaking or getting blunt. Some drill bits might slip off and injure you due to the high pressure applied.

Avoid applying pressure while drilling because drills create a natural pressing force while boring holes. The same applies to manual drills, if you have one.

Note that drilling concrete with too much pressure might damage the whole surface or create cracks. That is an extra cost of repair incurred.

8.    Find the Best Drill Bits by Assessing the Following

Not only must you be in the position to match a drill with its correct drill bit sizes and types, you must also be equipped with the right knowledge when selecting drill bits to include in your set.

Assess drill bits based on the material, their size, the shank type, the point angle, and coating. Also, compare the brands and pricing.

A great drill bit should be coated with tough material such as cobalt or titanium for durability, be of the correct size, and be able to effectively drill the desired material. 

Get a 135-degree angle drill bit to drill easily through hard materials, and a 118-degree angle drill bit for materials such as wood.

 

9.    Monitor Your Drilling Speed and the Tightness of the Chuck

Do you want to drill a crooked hole and to make your drill bit blunt? Then, start drilling at a fast pace.

Even when you are in a hurry to get the job done, start drilling slowly and increase the speeds progressively. Doing so decreases the chances of the tip slipping off the accurate position or the bit getting hotter and eventually blunt.

When drilling wood, start slow and increase the speed gradually, but avoid doing the same when drilling through metal. Drill slowly through metals and maintain the same speed. When the metal is thick, decrease the drilling speed to avoid breaking the bit.

10.           Get Rid of the Chips of Material While Drilling

When drilling, the drill spits out the small chunks of the material you are boring. If you do not get rid of the small chunks while drilling, the drill bit might get hotter and become blunt.

At times, the more the chips on the drill surface, the greater the possibility of you making a mistake due to poor visibility.

11.           Avoid Having Baggy Clothes On while Drilling

In case a drill bit gets to entangle with any of your baggy clothing, you are likely to get cut badly. Incidents as such are likely when using power drills while in baggy clothes.

Develop a habit to wear tighter fitting clothes when using drills, no matter the size of the drill and the drill bits.

Let Us Help You Find Your Way Around Drills

Having the knowledge, tips, and tricks comes in handy whenever you are using your drill or instructing someone on its use. However, it may sound daunting when selecting drills or drill bits and filtering through brands. That is where the MTN shop comes in.

MTN shop has put together a support team to help you find your way around drills. Also, to give you a welcome to the experts group, you have the chance to get 5% off your first order once you subscribe to the newsletter.

Take the least minutes possible to subscribe and be a part of the team receiving early intel on the exclusive offers available to them and the latest updates.