Use Your Electric Drill as a Power Screwdriver Too
By: The Working Man
If you want to be able to use your electric drill as an
electric screwdriver also, make sure that the one you choose
can run at a slow speed for extended periods. A slow speed
allows for the use of a screwdriver bit in the chuck to
drive screws without stripping the screw head slot or
sinking the screw too far below the surface of the material.
When an electric drill is needed to act as a screwdriver it
is preferred that it have a variable speed, plus reverse
drive and torque control. Here's why:
The reverse drive allows the electric drill to function
fully as a screwdriver would. The reverse facility will
allow screws to be removed from a surface. The direction of
the drive is usually selected using a switch on the electric
drill.
If you intend to use an electric drill as a screwdriver a
fairly low speed is essential when drilling screws,
therefore you will need a drill that has variable speed
control. This will allow you to sink the screw at various
speeds on your drill depending on the pliability or density of the
material that you are driving the screw into.
Controls for the torque are usually found near the chuck of
an electric drill with a screw driving function and will
generally appear as numbered settings. This can usually be
up to sixteen positions. Adjustment to the torque can be
made by turning the numbered dial and setting the torque to
the desired setting.
The torque control will shut off the drill when the turning
force is reached. The screw size, together with the type of
material being screwed into, will determine the torque
setting required for the job. The lower the number set, the
less torque that is applied to the screw. This makes sure
that you do not drive the screw in too far or strip out the
slots in the screw head.
A drill that has all these features will make your job much
easier when using your drill for a screwdriver, whether you
are drilling in wood, metal, gypsum board or any other
material.
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