How to use an electric drill?

[REL-B]

Hi everyone,

Before I begin please be aware that I’m a complete NEWBIE in regards to home improvements so please be patient with my very basic questions and inquiries. 

I would like to know the best way to learn how to use an electric drill as I want to mount security cameras to the outside of my house. I have a drill and all screws ets needed but just want to learn how to use it first before I get up on the ladder and try it.

Thank you for your help and again please be patient with me !!! 🤓

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @REL-B 

Every single person in the forum started  with zero skills so it is really good you want to learn @REL-B  The more people you learn off the broarder  your skills will be. As your skills grow  you will learn similar skills more faster like a snow ball down hill

We can help you naterally but typing  responses isnt as good as as  watching plenty of  you tubes and bunning how to videos on the side to fast  track your knowlegde.

Do you own a drill yet please share you drill type  as different drills work best with certain techniques we  can mention.

So I will talk you through the first steps I am hoping you wont understand everything which is a great opertunity to ask more questions along the way.

Now  about you planned job  Camera job make sure you have  a comfortable safe non wobbly ladder  as  you will need to be close to ceiling to drill comfortably with cameras. It would be  best to practice screwing into a scrape bit of wood at waist height with good support and comfortable foot spacing to get the hang of this.  First learn to screw downwards into wood. 

Lets put a few dots on your practice  wood as  screw targets, (note the smaller the wood you will need to  clamp it to you work bench so it dosnt spin.  Larger pieces of wood will sit and not spin as they are bigger and heavier you will learn this in time.

Now  at Bunning  ask the bunnings guys in your tool shop you need to match  your screw driver tip with the screws you have  as there are several  screw types if they dont match  they wont engage to screw properly and  the bit and screw will just  sit  there grinding each other. Tell the Bunnings people what you are planning and  ask them  if you need any thing else to help you. Now your knowledge is building. While your at it get a magnetic screw driver tips they greatly help beginners and pros  alike as they hold your screw while you position  for screwing   upwards and down wards. 

So now you have your screws and matching magnetic driver tip your practice timber  hope full  pine  for starters

These rules apply to any powertool use as a guide.

Walk up the the timber try not have people to close to you especially children or distractions as you are learning power tools now.  make  sure your work area is free of clutter and obsticals  Position your feet comfortly and evenly spaced  Have your timber infront of you in easy reach  load a screw into the screw driver make sure it is set for drilling or screwing via the selector usually near the chuck of the drill.  the magnetic tip will stop screw falling out  point the screw and driver downwards and move screw tip to  first target screw point . Gently rest the screw point onto the timber at the same time pull the trigger on the drill 1/4 way to spin the drill in slowly to start screw. (note if the drill  falls over you are pushing too hard in the very begining to start the  screw off. Hold the wieght of the drill and try again)  Once the screw has started to go in push down harder on the drill with you drill hand and place  yuor other hand on the back of the drill to help put pressure  on the drill and  help  push and screw it in..

If the screw dosnt go in fully first time or crooked reverse the drill and reverse the screw a few turns then forwrds again pushing the drill and driver it hard and fast  with both hands on drill untill the screws in properly

While you are  learning  you should be standing over you screw point and drill and looking down  vertically (you wont see the screw  now )  The idea is  to open your eyes and seen all 4 top sides of the drill at  the same time  to know your drill is vertical .

(to visualize this concept stand a pen  pencil on a desk and stand over it, if you are seeing the side of the pencil it isnt straight. move the pencil until only the top edges are visable.)    

see I told you learning of visual  off vidoes will be  easier.  Screwing is not easy please  make lots of mistakes like we diid because they all will teach you Ultimatly when you have it right.

Well I will  let you  ask more questions  now 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @REL-B. It's amazing to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about learning to use a drill.

As @Jewelleryrescue mentioned, if you can post a picture of your drill, it will help us provide tailored advice. Also, will you be drilling into timber or masonry?

Practice is really the key. Grab that board @Jewelleryrescue was recommending and put 20 screws into it from different angles. By the end, you'll be a pro. When you do go to install your video camera, please ensure that there are no power cables or water pipes in the area you'll be drilling into.

Here's a great guide on How to use a power drill. Also, I've included a few videos below, which you'll find useful.

Please let us know if you have any questions, as we're here to help.

Mitchell

[REL-B]

Hi everyone 

ok firstly let me apologise for the late reply - life bit me on the butt over the last week or so!!!

Secondly, thank you so very much for the detailed reply and the tutorials. I’m on a break for the next 4 days so will take myself off to Bunnings tomorrow and get what I need to experiment and practise. Will let you know how I go!!! 

Love that this is a welcoming and supportive space to ask questions and learn. 

Thank you once again

Narelle. 

[MikeTNZ]

Hi @Jewelleryrescue,

You should be really proud of that advice you just gave.

We all started somewhere, often at the bottom, it is the people we ask for advice from when needed that make the difference.

Thank you.

Mike T.

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @MikeTNZ 

Well  thanks for saying so. 

I think its my nature to do so  why because some one showed me once as they showed us all .

What a waste of accumilated  knowledge if  we dont share it

Sounds  like you  done some @MikeTNZ  training too because you value the gift it is.   Bloody hard to do across a keyboard though. lol 

[EricL]

Hi @REL-B

It's wonderful to hear that you've received excellent advice from our members. Since you are going to the store tomorrow, I suggest maximizing your shopping trip. Would it be possible to post a photo of the camera you are planning to mount and the wall you're going to drill into? This will give our members a chance to assess the area. We can then make recommendations on what type of wall fixings to use. Because sometimes using a screw is not enough to keep items anchored to your wall.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Evening @vgautam 

I can remember the first time I started using power tools and it terrified me! Not because I was concerned about using the drill/grinder but what would happen if I managed to break it. Looking back I shake my head at myself. So I do understand where you could be coming from.

I had a watch of this video just now and it describes a bunch of different drill types and what they are used for. I think it would be an excellent place to go through and watch and then scroll down and have a read of the extended answers underneath.  Tools 101: how to use power drills 

Its actually a Bunnings how to video and think it gives a broad understanding of drills.

Is there anything you want to drill or are you thinking just in general?

As a first drill to buy especially starting out Id suggest a torqued drill by ozito, Cheap, and man it keeps on going. Its a battery powered drill but I have built my deck with it. Plus framing up a room. Here is the link- Ozito PXC 18V Cordless Drill Driver Kit PXDDK-250C 

If you keep an eye out at your local Bunnings they have deals every now and then where you can buy the torqued drill and impact driver for an overall cheaper price. The only thing Id suggest is to buy an extra battery, I bought a larger capacity battery as I figured I would use it. 

The best thing about Ozito is they are not going to change there models for several years. (I bought the pair I have 3ish years ago and have had no issues) so there is no concern about the model changing, also there is a year warranty (could be longer but I will let the Bunnings guys say)

For a Hammer drill I like Makita, purely because I had to repair drills when I was an apprentice, not that you can repair them when the plastic casings fracture but because Makita was the least amount of drills that were returned for repair. (My makita hammer drill only stopped hammering 3 years ago so thats 30 years of use and it still drills great!)

So now down to actual drilling, If you go into your local Bunnings there are a whole range of drills that you get to pick up and have a feel of. Id suggest to head towards the ones that feel comfortable to you (start with a cheaper brand because as you gain skill you gain knowledge and you will end up buying a secondary drill/tool I am sure)

Drilling holes.... Yeah I am known for drilling D's  (think elongated hole) when I was an apprentice. As when I was drilling a hole I didnt necessarily hold the drill vertical but held the drill a little off center. Practice makes perfect So first lesson/practice would be to mark an off cut of timber where you want a hole and then have a go with your new drill. Keep the drill vertical or horizontal to the plane that you are drilling and remember not to push hard (it may be tempting and thinking it can go faster) but in reality letting the drill move through the material is far easier on you and the drill as well.

Took me a fair amount of time to get it to a reasonable stage so dont stress if its not as easy as it reads.

Drill bits..... There are timber drills, steel drills and masonry drill bits. Depends on what you are drilling into. If its a large hole you want then always drill a smaller pilot hole first (think 1/3 smaller in size) For someone starting out id suggest these drill bits to have handy 1/8". 1/4", 1/2" or 3mm, 6mm, 12mm as they are the ones I have used most. 

Safety... Please use safety goggles/specs, I thought "Yeah Im am cutting some timber and its nowhere near my face" fast forward trip to the docs because of a splinter of wood was grinding around in my eye "ugh" and in relation to drilling, I have snapped a drill bit because I didnt keep the drill vertical.. and yep glad I was wearing safety specs!

Well this has become a very long answer and it only scratches the surface I really hope we get to see some pics of the first thing you drill when you are practicing, even if you dont think it is great just remember someone out there has the same questions as you! We all make mistakes and it makes no difference to the amount of time you are doing something for. 

Looking forward to seeing how you go.

Dave

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @vgautam. It's exciting to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about learning how to use a drill.

It's wonderful to see that the knowledgeable @Dave-1 has provided great information there. I can also recommend checking out these articles on How to choose the right drill for the job and How to choose the right drill bit for the job. 

To operate a power drill, begin by selecting the appropriate drill for your material. You can opt for corded drills, ensuring consistent power but limited mobility due to the cord, or choose cordless drills for increased mobility powered by rechargeable batteries. Hammer drills are suitable for masonry and concrete, combining drilling with a hammering action for more effective penetration. For driving screws and bolts, consider an impact driver that applies high rotational torque while preventing wrist twisting. 

Ensure the workpiece is secure by clamping it down to a solid surface. This allows you to hold the drill with both hands. Position the bit on the marked spot and initiate drilling with a gradual, even pressure. Adjust the pressure as necessary until you achieve the desired depth. Release the trigger to stop. Utilise safety gear such as goggles and ear protection. It's advisable to practice on scrap material before tackling your main project.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell