| Drill, Bits, Drivers and Screws. | | | | Reversible in order to remove a bound bit and |
| The home repair tool kit has undergone a | | | | hammer to make drilling concrete easier, a lot easier. |
| transformation over the years. When I was a boy, | | | | Pro Tip: when drilling a hole for a screw, measure the |
| there were no power tools in my father's vast array | | | | depth you need to go on the bit and wrap a piece of |
| of tools. The brace-and-bit and folding wooden rule | | | | sticky tape around the bit to mark it off. Drill until the |
| have gone these days. Now, everything needs to be | | | | tape touches the surface. |
| plugged in or recharged. Not a bad thing at all, but not | | | | Drilling for Screws: when pre-drilling for a screw, you |
| being a carpenter, like my father before me and his | | | | can need up to three different size bits for a perfect |
| before him, I wonder how mobile power tools make | | | | job. Drill the first (pilot) hole with a bit a little thinner than |
| the professional carpenter. | | | | the thread of the screw; the second bit needs to be |
| My father's tool bag was a tarpaulin bag that opened | | | | the width of the shank and only go down as deep as |
| with a very wide mouth so that all the tools could be | | | | the shank is long and the third bit must be the size of |
| displayed without removing them from the bag, making | | | | the head of the screw. This is called countersinking. |
| selection easy. He could take everything he needed up | | | | Pro Tip: if you are to drill a large number of exact |
| onto a roof with him. I imagine that his father's tool bag | | | | same holes, buy a bit that will drill all three jobs in one |
| looked very similar, probably indistinguishable. Now, you | | | | operation. |
| need a van to carry everything and leads and a | | | | Screwdrivers: it is important to choose the correct size |
| generator or rechargeable tools. | | | | and shape head of the screwdriver for each screw, |
| However, the jobs to be done remain the same and | | | | otherwise, you could strip the screw head or slip and |
| the rule for buying tools remains the same, buy the | | | | scratch the surface that you are working on. The |
| best you can afford. So, let's take a look at a few | | | | three main types are: flat head, Phillips and |
| modern tools that would make up a very | | | | square-drive. They also come in different sizes to |
| well-equipped set of tools. | | | | match the size of the head of the screw, which in turn |
| Power Drills: this is a good example of what I was | | | | reflects the amount of force necessary to drive the |
| saying above. The power drill comes in two forms: the | | | | screw home. |
| plug-in variety and the cordless, rechargeable type. | | | | Pro Tip: you can get quite robust screwdrivers that |
| The plug-in drill is usually more powerful and so needs | | | | have interchangeable heads. This is handy when you |
| to be used for larger jobs, big holes in hardwood or | | | | are working up a ladder or in a confined space without |
| concrete, that sort of thing. The cordless is fine for | | | | a mate. |
| everyday jobs like putting u a picture or a shelf. It is | | | | Screws: there are two basic types: the traditional |
| safer too as there are leads for animals to chew | | | | wood screw with a shank and the modern drywall |
| through or people to trip over. Choose a model that | | | | and deck screws without. The first type requires |
| has variable speeds, is reversible and with a hammer. | | | | pre-drilling but the second type is self-tapping all the |
| Variable speeds is useful for drilling different materials: | | | | way - even self countersinking. |
| slow for hardwood or concrete, faster for pine etc. | | | | |