July 1, 2021 Diversitech Mfg

4 Awesome Cordless Drill Driver Hacks You Need to Know!

The cordless drill has become the handyperson’s most frequently used power tool and many people have their favorite drill close at hand when they’re working on a project. Anyone can learn to use this tool safely: even kids.

Before you can get into these drill hacks, you’ll need a good cordless drill. There are many on the market to choose from and Hi-Spec offers some excellent models for very competitive prices.

Have your drill ready?

Hi-Spec drill

Here are 4 awesome hacks you can do with your drill driver:

1. Power Cleaning and Buffing

A cordless drill and driver is great for cleaning and abrasive tasks. Afterall, it is a cordless and handheld powerful motor that can be used with a variety of accessories.

Cleaning

Turn your cordless drill into your favorite cleaning tool by using various cleaning accessories that will be accepted by the drill’s chuck.

Many common household cleaning brushes with straight handles can, with a little creativity, be altered so that your drill’s chuck can close around them. Think about a toilet brush, for example. If the handle can be modified, it can be used with your drill for a variety of cleaning tasks.

Any circular brush with a straight handle can potentially be modified for a drill. And trust us, cleaning with a drill gets the job done faster and is a lot more fun.

Buffing

Many surfaces in a person’s life require some buffing from time to time. For example, leather shoes, decorative items, and vehicles all benefit from buffing with the right brush and chemicals.

Many buffer brushes are available for cordless drills and a drill can make quick work out of a buffing job that would otherwise require considerable effort and time. Just be sure to use the right brush and cleaning solutions for your job.

Rust Removal

Many different types of wire wheel brushes can be purchased for cordless drills. If you are working to prepare a metal surface for painting or need to remove rust for maintenance reasons, a wire brush attached to your drill will dramatically speed up the job.

Related Article: How to Clean and Maintain Your DIY Tools

2. Mixing

Did you know your drill can be useful when you have some painting to do? Or even in the kitchen?

There are mixing attachments that can be used with a cordless drill that make quick work out of stirring jobs. While these may not replace a cement mixer, jobs like stirring paint, preparing drywall mud, and even mixing pancake batter can be completed quickly with your cordless drill.

3. Sanding

If you are experienced with rotary tools and sanders, you may already own a variety of bits and tools for finishing work. However, your cordless drill can be used for many of these jobs if you invest in the right bits.

There are many rotary tools that will work well with a cordless drill. The drill will struggle in some instances due to its shape and size, but if you can make it work you can double-purpose your drill.

If you have some sanding to do, take a look at different sanding bits that can be used with your drill. You will be surprised with your drill’s versatility.

Related Article: How to Choose the Best Belt Sander

4. Drilling Holes - All Sizes, All Ways

It won’t be surprising for us to say that your cordless drill is good at drilling holes. However, there are a lot of ways in which it can be used for drilling tasks, so we’ll explain some tricks you can use to get the most out of your drill when there’s drilling to be done.

Improvised Drill Bits

If you are doing some woodwork and need a pilot hole to be drilled, your cordless drill can be used for this task. However, what if you don’t have a variety of drill bits at your disposal?

A quick trick for drilling a pilot hole is to use a nail as a drill bit. Simply take one of the nails you are using and insert it into the drill’s chuck with the pointy side facing out. This nail can now be used as an improvised drill bit.

Hole Saws

Sometimes you need a large-diameter hole to be drilled. While traditional drill bits come in many different sizes, at a certain point it is better to use a hole saw.

A hole saw is a drill bit that looks like a circle where the rim of the circle is a saw blade. These bits allow your drill to create holes in a variety of surfaces up to very large diameters. Hole saws are commonly available in kits with multiple sizes, so pick up one of these kits to add to your drill’s list of duties.

Measuring Depth

It is tricky to control the depth of your drilling, especially if you need to be very precise with your material. Furthermore, it is very frustrating to drill through material where you did not want a hole on the other side.

Here’s a great trick for controlling the depth of your drilling: mark the depth on the bit. To do this, you first decide how deep you want to drill. Then, measure from the end of the bit and make a mark with a marker at the appropriate length along your drill bit.

Once this is done, you will be able to watch the mark on the bit while the drill is turning. All you have to do at this point is watch the mark as you drill and stop drilling forward once the bit has reached the depth of the mark.

Summary

The cordless drill is one of the most useful and common tools for the modern DIYer and professional alike. If you have a good cordless drill, there are many uses for this tool. Our list above certainly doesn’t represent all of the different hacks for your drill, but we hope it started you thinking about all of the different ways you can put your drill to work.