How do I use a drill properly?

A drill has three controls most people never touch: the speed selector, the torque clutch and the hammer setting. Using them correctly is the difference between a clean hole and a cratered wall, and between a driven screw and a stripped one.

Safety

What you'll need

• Cordless drill/driver
• Bit set (masonry, wood, HSS)
• Safety glasses
• Cable and pipe detector
• Clamps (optional)

Step by step

1. Choose the bit for the material: masonry bit for brick and block, brad-point or twist for wood, HSS for metal.A masonry bit in wood tears a ragged hole; a wood bit in masonry blunts instantly.
2. Set hammer action on for masonry, off for everything else.Hammer action in plasterboard, wood or tile is destructive.
3. Set the gear: low gear (1) for driving screws and large holes, high gear (2) for small holes in wood.Low gear gives torque; high gear gives speed. Using the wrong one makes both jobs harder.
4. Set the torque clutch low when driving screws and increase until it just drives them flush.The clutch is what stops you stripping screw heads and burying screws through plasterboard.
5. Mark the hole, and start the drill slowly with the bit exactly on the mark.Starting fast makes the bit skate across the surface and score the wall.
6. Once the bit bites, increase speed and keep the drill perpendicular to the surface.Sight from two directions, or have someone check from the side. Angled holes make loose fixings.
7. Use steady moderate pressure and let the bit cut — withdraw periodically to clear dust.Leaning on it overheats the bit and doesn't drill faster. Clearing the dust does.
8. Use tape on the bit as a depth marker where depth matters.Simple, free, and prevents drilling through into whatever is on the other side.

Tips

• Drill tile with the hammer action off, starting through a piece of masking tape to stop the bit skating. Switch to hammer only once you're through the tile into the wall behind.
• A blunt bit is dangerous as well as slow — it needs more pressure, generates heat and is likelier to grab.
• Drill a small pilot hole first for large holes in wood, and use a pilot for any screw near the end of a board so it doesn't split.
• Keep the battery charged rather than pushing a dying one — low power means low torque and stripped screws.

Common mistakes

• Using hammer action on plasterboard or tile — It cracks tile and blows craters in plasterboard.
• Starting at full speed — The bit wanders off the mark and scores the surface.
• Ignoring the torque clutch — Stripped screw heads, split timber and screws driven straight through plasterboard.
• Not clamping small work — If the bit grabs, the workpiece spins — a common cause of hand injuries.

Questions people ask