Archive for the ‘Drill Bits’ Category
Drilling Pilot Holes Using Two Cordless Drills
If you’re familiar with using power tools to tighten fasteners such as wood screws, then you’re familiar with the fact that some types of wood can split or damage easily when a screw is driven in. If you are familiar with this, then you may also be familiar with drilling pilot holes for the screws. This removes most of the wood where the screw is inserted so it isn’t displaced outward. If you are not familiar with this process, this next section will take you through some easy steps.
To drill a pilot hole, locate where your screw will be inserted, and then choose a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screw you will be using. Using a cordless drill, drill the hole. To insert the screw, you may use the same cordless drill to drive the screw, except you now have to change the bit for every screw, or drill all of the pilot holes first before driving the screws. What I like to do to get all of the work done at once is use another cordless drill. I keep the dill bit for the pilot hole in one cordless drill, and and screwdriver bit in the other. This saves a lot of time switching back and forth between bits.
You may use two corded drills for this project, but most people don’t prefer all of the extension cords and tangling issues that come with using corded power tools.
Wood Working Is More than Just a Hobby
I always looked up to my grandfather, a self-made man who only spent a year or so in college but had somehow managed to learn four languages. While he enjoyed the finer things in life – French wines, sailing on Lake Huron, etc. – he was also one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met. Long after he retired as the president of a paper company, he continued puttering around the house doing home improvement tasks and working on little projects in the garage.
To be more precise, the garage was really more of a workshop. He had built a separate car port years ago and reserved the garage for his wood working. Wood working tools could be seen strewn all about the place on shelves and lining the walls on hangers. Whether he was fixing an old dining room chair or building a table to give away as a wedding present, grandpa always managed to stay busy.
The electric drill is just one of those power tools out there that gets used day in and day out, especially if you are a contractor or tradesman. The constant use and and repeated changing of drill bits, and also the transport of those drill bits, if not properly stored will cause them to dull over time, guaranteed. Not only are the best cordless drill users in all the land effected by this, the every-day handy man can go through quite a lot of bits in one lifetime as well.
A convenient solution to this inevitable dilemma, is to invest in a drill bit sharpener. Instead of having to throw away an old set of drill bits that are worn out, I just sharpen them up and they’re as good as new! This saves me a lot of money over time. Not only that, I don’t need to wait until the bits are worn out to have a like-new drill bit, I can sharpen it up anytime I want so I know that when it comes time, I’ll have the confidence I need in my hardware to get the job done.