Drilling a Hole

[Don H]

I'm not a handyman, and have no interest in dismembering and carving up our arboreal relatives. However, I do now have occasion to drill a hole in a piece of wood, and went to buy an appropriate gadget at local hardware shop. All I wanted was a gimlet, but settled for a bradawl instead. My father's old brace-and-bit seems defunct, as is the gimlet, but a hand-drill is available, at cheap price (made in China), or an electric, cordless, drill. Trouble is, the bits have a rounded shank, unlike the old squared shank, and tend to slip. You can buy a power drill with a keyed chuck, which, I assume is a way of tightening the device so a bit is less inclined to slip. Is a gimlet still available, and can you get them with varied size screw, or insertable screws? Meanwhile, I'll make do with hammer and nail. bradawl, chisel, or whatever.

[FrozenNorth]

order only, since you live down under.

[SonomaProducts.com]

Dear Noah,

I h> I'm not a handyman, and have no interest in dismembering and carving up o= ur

[Just Wondering]

[Just Wondering]

[Len]

carving up our

wood, and

electric,

Try Garrett-Wade:

Gimlets:

?pn=47B01ddd01&bhcd2=1243479200Len

[RicodJour]

Well, a cordless drill is incredibly useful, and the keyless chucks have no problem holding a regular drill bit. Do not get a cordless drill with a keyed chuck. Keyless is vastly superior in use. You can tighten them by hand and won't have to worry about diddling around with the key or losing it. The cordless drill with some driver bits will let you drive the screws as well as drill the pilot holes.

If you want to stick with a hand tool, a Stanley 41 push drill is very useful as well. Here's an auction in Australia where a guy is selling a couple of push drills and a Yankee screwdriver - one of the best ways to drive screws if you're not going the cordless route. The Stanley 41 is at the top of the picture.

[DanG]

You might be quite happy with a Stanley Push drill. The bits have a shaped end that do not require tightening. Simple operation.

[RicodJour]

better as it's much more comfortable to use and it's easier to open up. I recommended the 41 to the OP because that's a lot easier to find.

R

[David Merrill]

Sounds like you may be looking for what is called an auger bit in the USA, made for use with a hand brace:

so widely available these days.

You might find an inexpensive set of spade bits for use in your electric drill more suited to your needs if that need is for larger, not too precise holes:

in most hardware stores.

or, if you're drilling more precise holes or larger holes in some of those harder Australian hardwoods, then brad-point wood bits:

self-feeding power auger bits for electric drills: be a good (but more expensive) choice.

or, if you have smaller holes in mind, a set of inexpensive twist drills:

in many stores with a hardware department. Cheap imports are probable OK for casual, non-precision use in wood. Better quality HSS (high speed steel) drills are a better choice if to be used in metal as well.

Not necessarily endorsing Irwin bit, just happened to be the first site with illustrations of a variety of drill bits that my Google search turned up.

David Merrill

PS I must say I'm embarrassed by the 'ugly American' insensitivity of some of my country's respondents to your query (unless of course you're just 'trolling').

[cwo4cno7325]

Don, One way to drill a hole, esp where there is no electricity, is to use the correct size gun. Probably of more use outside, than for inside projects, but I have had excellent results on camping trips in remote areas.

Any 22 cal plinking gun will make 0.22 inch holes in 1 inch boards or smaller, suitable to pass fence (barbless) wire thru. 30.06 or AK-47's make clean 0.30 inch holes thru a lot of things. I find the AK is suitable for either wood, or metal up to 1/4 inch. A 44 Mag makes a fine drill in wood that will take a 1/4-3/8 inch rope, and can usually be punched thru a 4x4 if a rifle is used. And finally, if you need 3/4 inch holes in a wall, floor, or ceiling nothing beats the 12 gage shotgun. But unless you are shooting slugs, keep in mind that the hole size is determined by distance between the barrel and the hole. In any case, most any 12 gage ammo will poke a nice shower drain in the floor of an abandoned cabin.

Hope this helps.....

[RicodJour]

available in many stores with a hardware department. =A0Cheap imports are

You're recommending bits and the guy doesn't own a drill.

Maybe you're reading another thread somewhere - there's been nothing abusive in this thread at all. Actually that's not true, your comment is the most abusive. The "harshest" comment other than yours was Mike's and it wasn't harsh _at all_!

R

[Joe AutoDrill]

Maybe he's Amish and snuck on the PC of a neighbor for advice?

Seriously though, thanks for the mini-lesson on gimlets, bradawls, brace-and-bits and other stuff I'll probably never use personally. Still good CUBI for me.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. [phone]

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: Spindle Drills: Site:

[Lee Michaels]

"Joe AutoDrill" wrote

What, no market for multiple gimlet heads?

[guillemd]

The definition of =93bradawl=94 shown here suggests that they should be used under supervision:

probably should have medical help standing by while you are attempting to use sharp tools or blunt instruments.

[Stuart]

I wish I could!

Rowing things the oars fit in spelt with a 'B'

I have yet to come across a keyless chuck that you can get as tight as a proper keyed chuck and avoid the drill slipping round in the chuck and causing damage.

[RicodJour]

Oarlock begins with an O, and rowlock begins with an R, unless you're talking about the f=F2rcola - the post that the oar is levered against in a gondola - that begins with an F.

Not sure what sort of drills you have, or if there is any issue with hand strength, but my bits don't slip in any of the four different brands of cordless drills I own.

BTW, it's really easy to swap out a chuck. Open it wide up and look inside and you'll see a screw head. Back that out, and install the keyless one.

R

[Don H]

# Thanks for comments, facetious, and helpful. My problem may derive partly from trying to drill holes using a 2.5mm bit for insertion of 3mm screws. Which is where hammer and nail might suffice; then lubricate the screw, and use muscle. (Trouble is, hammers tend to smash things, where a drill is less violent.) I assume that electric drills might be in danger of burn-out if a bit didn't have some give in it, and struck a knot, or just jammed? But a hand-drill needn't have such problem, and a squared shank seems desirable. However, I've a friend who IS a handyman, and he might correct my technique, or otherwise put me right. Everything tends to be electric nowadays, and as complicated as possible. While the carpentry professional might like electric, as it makes work quicker and easier, the amateur may prefer a kit of simple tools, for occasional use. I'll follow up on advice given.