choose your chuck

Key Techniques

If you buy a new drill, it probably will have a keyless chuck. Keyless chucks allow you to change bits by simply turning the chuck with your hand. While they spare you the trouble of fumbling around with the key, they often don't hold the bit as tightly as needed. Keyed chucks are still available and offer the tightest grip. You can buy an adapter that turns your keyed chuck into a keyless chuck.

guide for holes

Usually, you'll want to drill holes perpendicular to the board. Check the bit for square as it enters the material by clamping a piece of square-cut scrap lumber in place, as shown. With some drills you can hold a square on the material and against the body of the drill. The ability to drill straight holes is vital to good carpentry, so practice your technique.

guide for angled holes

Make a guide for angled holes by cutting the edge of a piece of scrap lumber to the desired angle. Clamp the guide so it aligns with the tip of the bit exactly on your hole mark. Begin the hole by drilling perpendicular, then shift the drill to the correct angle.

mark the bit

When you want to drill one or more holes to a certain depth, wrap tape around the drill bit so the bottom edge of the tape contacts the material at the desired depth. Drill with gentle pressure. Back the bit out when the tape touches the surface of the material.

drilling bolt holes

A spade bit tends to tear the wood as it drills through the other side. For clean bores, use this two-step technique. Choose a bit slightly larger than the bolt diameter. Drill through one side until the tip breaks through. Then move to the other side and finish drilling.