In the field of repair, the ability to drill correctly is one of the basic. In addition to the general rules, it is important to consider all the nuances when working with a specific material: concrete, tile, metal, etc. All issues related to drilling will be covered in this article.
General principles of drilling (Video)
As already mentioned, drilling is the most common activity for a repairman, and therefore it is important to immediately learn a few basic rules related to this activity.
- Use suitable tools. There are many drills, each of which is designed for a certain kind of material. Therefore, do not try to drill concrete with a drill on wood and vice versa. It is also important to consider the conditions in which the tool will be used. For example, industrial drills cannot be used for repairs in indoor premises (this is simply unsafe). It is important to take into account moisture resistance: for outdoor work, an instrument of class IP34 will be necessary if the climate in the area is humid and IP32 if you have to work in good weather. Indoor use of IPX2 /
- Competent markup. Before starting any work, it is important to accurately and accurately mark the drilling points with a marker. You can also stick paper tape under the marker so that the drill does not slip over the material.
- Selection of the required drilling speed. Here everything depends equally on the material and on the diameter of the blade. If we are talking about very thin drills (with a diameter of less than 3 mm), then you need to work at low speeds, less than four hundred per minute. For the rest of the drills, the following rule exists: the thinner the drill, the higher the drilling speed is required.
In addition, it is important to ensure that the handle is firmly attached to the shaft of the hand drill. The drill must not be skewed.
Subtleties of drilling for various materials
How to drill metal (Video)
The first thing to start with is the selection of drills. They are distinguished by a sharp edge, designed for easy entry of the drill into the metal. Conventional metal drills are good for not too hard metals like copper or aluminum, but for something harder (for example, for stainless steel) you need to take products from titanium carbide or a chromium-vanadium alloy.
We should also talk about optimal speeds. A common mistake of novice masters is to use too many revolutions. In fact, medium speeds are used for solid metals: for example, brass centimeter thick will optimally be drilled at speeds of 2000-2500 revolutions.
There are a few more points to be highlighted. So:
- If a thin iron plate needs to be drilled, it must be secured between two pieces of wood. This is done so that the sheet of metal does not break.
- It is necessary to use lubricating oil from time to time, which provides cooling of the drill and facilitates the drilling process.
- If you want to make a hole in the pipe, then it must be securely fastened. In order for the pipe not to flatten under the influence of a drill, a piece of solid wood should be placed inside.
If you follow these simple rules, then even a novice will be able to perform high-quality drilling.
How to drill concrete walls (Video)
In everyday life, it is necessary to drill walls most often, because without this it is impossible to hang a shelf, a cabinet, you cannot install a cornice. Of course, it is better to use a hammer or hammer drill for this purpose. These tools are powerful enough to handle hard materials like concrete or brick. However, if the wall thickness does not exceed 10-12 cm, then you can do with a conventional drill. But you should not take risks if you have only a low-power tool at your disposal. when it comes into contact with concrete, it can simply break. If the drill is selected correctly, then these tips will be useful:
Video: How to Drill a Perpendicular Drill Hole
- Before starting work, make sure that no pipes or other communication systems are located at the drilling site.
- Drills that are taken for such work should be made of hard metals or alloys. The best option would be a diamond-coated drill.
- If in the course of drilling too dense sections of concrete come across, they need to be punched with a small hammer and a pin (punch).
Although drilling a concrete wall with a drill is generally realistic, you should still do this with caution. Otherwise, damage can be quite serious. It is better to use specialized tools for this.
How to work with tiles using a drill (Video)
Often people who do not have rich experience in the field of repair are afraid to drill such fragile material as tiles. However, this can become an urgent need, because you need to fasten something to a variety of cabinets and shelves in the kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Alas, in many respects the state of the tile after drilling is determined not by the master who is taking up the drill, but by the one who laid this tile. A competent tiler lays tiles so that voids do not form between the tile and the wall. In this case, careful drilling will not harm the tile in any way. If there are “air pockets” between the wall and the tile, then most likely the tile will crack.
In order to properly drill the tile, you need to take a drill, masking tape, punch (or a powerful drill with drill bits for concrete). Next, you will need to perform the following steps:
- The drilling site is marked with a piece of masking tape and a marker. Scotch tape is here so that the nail does not slide on the surface of the tile.
- Drilling is carried out strictly perpendicular to the material. The number of revolutions should increase gradually: from the minimum possible to 150-200 revolutions per minute. In this way, damage to both the material and the tool can be avoided.
- It is important to ensure that the drill does not overheat. If smoke began to flow, then the drill needs to be urgently cooled.
When the holes are made, you can insert dowels into them. This is done with a hammer.
Cast Iron Drilling. How to Do It Wisely (Video)
Cast iron is a fairly hard material, so drilling it is very, very difficult. In addition, cast iron products are fragile, so it is important not to crush them. Like other materials, cast iron has its own subtleties in drilling matters.
- No rush. This is perhaps the most important rule when working with cast iron. Everything needs to be done slowly, with extreme accuracy and attention.
- The drill must be of a very hard and durable alloy, in addition, it must be perfectly sharpened. In order for cast iron not to crumble, it is necessary to take drills with an angle of 114-119 degrees.
- The drill must not overheat. Sometimes the fact that the tool is overheated does not pay attention. And this can lead to poor-quality work or even breakdown.
How to accurately drill wood (Video)
Wood is one of the most “simple” materials when working with a drill. However, there are subtleties.
- Drilling speed directly depends on the type of wood. Loose, not too hard grades of wood will be possible even for a low-power apparatus. Of course, the expected diameter of the hole also plays a role. the larger it is, the more powerful the drill is needed.
- In order to make large holes, it is necessary to use special drill bits. Their diameter can exceed 120 mm. As for depth, on average, crowns are suitable for materials up to 20-22 mm thick, but there are also special models that can cope with a thickness of more than 60 mm.
- If you need to make a blind hole, not a through hole, then Forstner drills, which are available in diameter from 1 to 5 cm, are perfect for this.
We should also talk about drilling timber. Although it is convenient to fix it for further drilling, the large thickness of the material creates certain difficulties. Drilling a beam for further fastening in the dowel holes. For a standard beam 18 cm thick it is best to take a drill with a diameter of 25 mm and a length of 36 cm. It will be necessary to drill slowly, at low speeds. In terms of capacity, a drill for 1300-1500 watts is perfect. If the beam is not very long, then two holes on each side are enough. If the length of the beam under the dowels is large enough, it will be necessary to make an additional hole in the center. After the holes are made, you can hammer dowels in them with a hammer or small sledgehammer.
At what speed do you need to drill
One of the important parameters when drilling is the number of revolutions per minute. The speed with which you need to drill depends on the type of material and the type of drill. There is a general rule: the harder the material and the thicker it is brought together, the smaller the number of revolutions per minute should be. As for the specific numbers, they can be seen in the table below.