Some tips on how to drill safely and easily

Hold it right:
To drill a straighter hole and avoid breaking a bit, hold the drill so that the force you exert helps push the bit straight into the wall. Place the palm of your hand in line with the chuck, extending your index finger along the drill body. Pull the trigger with your second finger.

Keep it level:
Newer power drills often have one or two built-in levels to help you drill straight perpendicular holes. To upgrade an older drill, cut the hooks off a bricklayer’s line level and attach it to the top of the drill with tape.

Hole starters:
To keep the bit from skating around when you are starting a hole in wood and most materials (except masonry and tile), draw cross marks where you want to drill, Then use a centre punch to dimple the cross marks. Use a star drill for masonry. For ceramic tile, scratch an X with a carbide masonry bit.

How deep?:
When drilling to a precise depth, mark the depth on the bit with a piece of masking tape. Cut the piece a little long and stick the overlapping ends together to make a flag. When the right depth is reached, the flag will brush away the debris.

The right-sized bit:
Suppose you need to drill a clearance hole for a bolt or screw but you don’t have a drill gauge at hand. Use the fastener itself and the drill’s chuck to gauge the right bit diameter. Chuck the fastener lightly into the drill: then remove it without changing the chuck setting. Try shanks of various bits until one fits snugly.

Replacing a drill chuck:
If you find the chuck jaws of your trusty old electric drill don’t hold bits tightly enough, replace the old chuck with a new one. You can buy one that requires a key or one that needs no key. in either case, you’ll have to remove the old chuck first. Apply some penetrating oil inside the chuck, place the drill on your workbench, and insert the key so that it is parallel with the bench top. Use a ball-pein hammer to strike the key with a solid blow so that the key will turn in an anticlockwise direction. Next, unscrew the old chuck, using pliers (vice grip or multigrip) if necessary. Screw the new chuck on. To lock a new keyed chuck in place, insert the chuck key and tap the key lightly in a clockwise direction.

To mount a keyless chuck, follow the directions on the package. Finally, lightly lubricate the new chuck’s jaws and work it back and forth until it operates smoothly.