Article Name: Drilling vs Driving Wood Screws -- What's the Difference?
Word Count: 1091
Author: Andy Duframe
Link Reference: https://www.ezwoodshop.com
Article Summary: A combination drill & driver packs a punch in both power and features, which makes it an extremely handy tool for building wood projects. Combining features in one tool, however, can make the controls seem a little confusing. But once you get familiar with the drill, they’re fairly easy to manage.
When I bought my first cordless drill, I didn't bother reading the instructions (just like most people). Never mind all the numbers, knobs, and switches. I’d get those figured out eventually (I reasoned). Instead I quickly twisted the drill chuck open, slipped in a drill bit, and assumed I was ready to go. But halfway into my first project I knew something wasn’t quite right. The drill bit stopped turning, and the motor spit out a weird clacking sound.
So I did what I usually do when things go wrong. I started fiddling with the controls, hoping to resolve the problem by trial and error. I was able to stop the clacking sound by twisting a a large ring just behind the chuck. That worked, but it didn’t help me understand what the setting was really for. And that meant I obviously wasn’t making use of the full potential of the tool. Going back to the instruction manual (like I should have done from the start), I finally learned the difference between drilling holes and driving screws, which curiously enough, are two very different tasks for a drill.
Drilling Holes
Most of the trouble people have with drilling has nothing to do with screws or fasteners, but everything to do with the pilot hole – or in most cases, the complete lack of a pilot hole. I know this is a step that’s tempting to skip, but just remember that most wood screws are too large to be forced into a board without some type of path to lead the way. Drilling a properly-sized pilot hole first can mean the difference between your wood project being a success—or a disaster.
Setting the Right Speed. Somewhere on the top of the drill should be a small switch for setting the drill speed. You have two choices here…low-speed or hi-speed. Okay, the drill will sort of work at either setting, but keep in mind that drill bits clog up fast with wood. That’s why the hi-speed setting works best for drilling holes. At low-speed, the bit will fill up with wood and make the work slow and clunky.
Driving Screws
Let me start by saying that a drill is probably not the best choice of tool for driving screws. This is especially true when building large, outdoor projects, where it’s probably best to use both a drill and an impact driver to get the job done. That said, the drill/driver combo can be extremely handy tool for building smaller wood projects, which explains it’s huge popularity among DIY builders. Keep in mind that combining features in one tool can make the controls seem a little crowded. However, once you get familiar with the drill, they’re fairly easy to manage.
Torque Adjustment Ring. The most misunderstood feature in a drill / driver is the torque adjustment ring. The best way to understand what this control does is to think of how you use handheld screwdrivers. You let the feel of the screwdriver tell you how much (or how little) force to put on the screw, without stripping the head or driving it too deep into the wood. However, when an 18-volt motor is controlling things instead, you can easily strip the head of a wood screw in a matter of seconds, or drive a wood screw so far into a board that comes out the other side (yikes).
Enter the adjustable torque clutch! This is a great feature that lets you control just how much power you’ll unleash on a wood screw Look for an adjustable ring located behind the chuck that starts at 0 and goes up to something like 20 or 25. Zero is the softest setting…and 25 totally unleashed. Start out at zero and slowly move up in numbers until you have just right amount of torque to drive the screw just below the surface of the board—but no farther.
Speed Switch. When driving screws, set the drill speed switch to low. This will give you more control of the wood screw, and with some drill/drivers, more muscle to drive the fastener.
Top 3 Mistakes Using a Drill / Driver
Using Dull Bits. We’re all guilty—using the same bit over and over until we’re doing nothing but stirring up a lot of heat Dull bits not only waste time—they wear out the motor. When buying cheap bits, accept the fact that these will be “disposable” bits. Keep a set of cheap twist bits for down-and dirty jobs, and a nicer set of pilot-point bits for wood projects.
Overworking the Tool. Combination drill / drivers work fine for driving screws in bookcases and tables. However, be careful with larger projects. For example, building a deck or shed can quickly overheat smaller drills and shorten the life of the battery -- and the tool itself. For the big jobs, consider using a special impact driver to fasten hardware like lag screws and carriage bolts.
Wrong Speed. When switching between drill bits and drill drivers, it’s easy to forget the change the drill speed setting accordingly. Use low-speed for driving screws and bolts. This offers more control and more torque for driving stubborn wood screws. Use high speed for drilling holes. This helps clear out sticky wood debris from the pilot hole while you drill.
A Note About Safety
When I talk about the dangers of using tools, it’s hard to put a combination drill / driver in the same category as say, a power saw. However, that doesn’t mean the drill is completely harmless. An 18v motor has enough muscle to twist your elbow out of joint if you’re not careful. The most likely time for this to happen is when the bit breaks through the backside of a board – which can cause the bit to bind up in the wood. There’s not much you can do to prevent this. Just be prepared with some extra gripping power as your bit breaks through to the other side of the board.
Author: Andy Duframe
Website: www.ezwoodshop.com
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