These drilling accessories fall into the category of ‘miscellaneous.’ They are all designed for various drilling power tools, and each has their own specialised application that they are designed to perform.
Mixing Paddles For Drills
Mixing paddles have big round flutes for mixing and stirring substances such as plaster, paint, adhesives and mortar. They generally have a hexagonal shank for a high torque drill to securely grip onto. The length and diameter of these bits will vary hugely between manufacturers. For specialised mixing drills, mixing bits are specially made with a threaded shank.
Mixing paddles should generally be used on a very slow speed to avoid splashing, and should be kept immersed in the substance to avoid aerating it.
Chiselling Drill Bits
Chiselling bits are used on rotary hammer drills (available in both SDS-Plus and SDS-Max) and are commonly used for breaking through brick walls, knocking off plaster, and for ripping up tiles. Styles and sizes vary across manufacturers, but the most common ones are pointed chisels, flat chisels, spade chisels, tile chisels, gouging chisels and chasing chisels.
For more information on speciality bits and combo kits, check out the Tool Cobber Guide to Drill Bit Sets.
Chisels that have a slightly worn tip can be re-sharpened with the use of a bench grinder.
Drill Pump
Drill pumps allow any drill to be converted into an electric pump. The chuck of the drill is securely fastened onto the pump’s shaft, and when the drill is activated the pump proceeds to siphon the chosen liquid from one side to the other (hoses to fit onto barbed fittings sold separately). These pumps are ideal for draining garden ponds, tanks and the like.
Right-Angle Drill Attachments
Right-angle drill attachments change the drive-shaft direction of the drill. The have a 10mm (3/8”) shank on one end, a 90° elbow with a handle, and either a keyed or keyless 10mm (3/8”) chuck on the end. They are designed for circumstances where there is very little clearance available, or the desired surface is in a particularly hard-to-reach place. This attachment is a great alternative to an angle drill, but is only designed to reach speeds no greater than 500rpm.
Flexible Shaft
Flexible shafts for electric drills are another alternative for accessing hard-to-reach places. Your electric drill simply attaches to the one end, and when activated, turns the small capacity chuck (usually a maximum of 6mm) on the other end. All usually have quite a large bending radius, and in most some cases just can’t take the place of a right-angle attachment.
Shear Attachments
A shear attachment is designed for cutting sheet metal, and works very much like a pair of tin snips. It has a 10mm (3/8”) shank on one end, a 90° elbow with a handle, and a pair of shears on the end. It’s great for long straight cuts, but can also navigate tight patterns (both left and right) with ease.
Nibbler Attachments
A nibbler attachment for an electric drill is designed to cut curves and shapes in sheet metal and plastics without bending or warping the material. It works by utilising a punch-and-die system, and actually punches out the metal instead of cutting it. This means that the width of cut is usually about 3mm. They are not designed for very thick materials.
Apply plenty of oil to the cutting edges. This is very important for cutting aluminium, and essential for cutting stainless steel.
If cutting a straight line, it is recommended that you clamp a straight edge to the material.
Dust Collectors
Dust collectors are designed to fit over drilling accessories (typically drill bits or hole saws) to contain dust and debris created by drilling applications, particularly on walls and ceilings. There are a few different styles around, with each serving the same purpose but using a different method. Some suck the dust into a small canister via a battery-operated vacuum, and others simply act like an accordion, creating a seal between the work and the drill and trapping any dust in their folds. Most dust collectors are capable of being fitted to both electric drills and cordless drills.
Dowelling Jigs
Dowelling jigs are used for drilling accurate 90° holes into wood for dowelling work. They generally have guides for 6, 8, and 10mm drill bits and dowels, and make lining up jointing work very easy. They are available in a variety of complexities and qualities, but are an indispensable accessory when performing precise woodworking.
Drill Guide
Drill guides allow you to drill perfect 90° holes into any material on the move. The guide is made of a flat base plate and a spring-loaded clamp which the drill sits into. Simply press the base plate onto the work and commence drilling at a perfect right angle. Most will also allow you to adjust the drilling angle by tilting the base plate.
Drill Stand
A drill stand is used to convert a portable electric drill into a light-duty drill press. This means you are able to drill holes at a 90° angle to the surface of your work at a predetermined depth. The work is placed on the stand’s base, and the handle is then brought down to perform the drilling action.
Only drill’s with locking buttons should be used on drill stands. This allows you to preselect a consistent and correct drilling speed and frees your hands up to pull the handle and hold the work. Also, some drills stands do not accept drill’s with keyless chucks.
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