HAND DRILLS

I've always enjoyed using a hand drill — the cranking motion reminds me of my Mom's egg beater. The hand drill (sometimes called a wheel brace) is designed to accept twist bits, so it's used to drill small holes compared to the larger holes possible with a brace. One of the things I like best about a hand drill is that it's very easy to vary the speed to match the material you're drilling. Inexpensive drills have only a single pinion to engage the larger drive gear. Better-quality drills have two pinions to provide more reliable torque (my little single-pinion gear will often skip a tooth or two when its pushed too hard, though that's not bad for a 30-year-old drill).

You insert or remove bits much the same way as with a brace. The only difference is, you need to prevent the drive gear from turning as you try to loosen or tighten the chuck. The best way I've found to do this is to wrap the index finger of the hand with which I'm holding the handle around the drive gear knob. This does a pretty good job of freezing the drive gear so the chuck can be rotated. When using a hand drill, it's important to use a really sharp bit and to clear the waste frequently.

There are two basic types of bits that work well with hand drills: auger bits for braces, and twist bits for hand drills.

Auger bits

There's quite a variety of auger bits still available. They can have the classic square tang or a round shank. The square tang variety will provide the better nonslip torque of the two. Auger bits also come in a couple of different twists: single and double. Double-twist bits have two flutes that run the length of the shaft and quickly clear out waste. A single-twist bit usually has a solid center. Although it doesn't clear waste as efficiently as the double-twist does, its solid core is much stronger —that's why you'll often see this style used on longer bits. A special type of auger bit called the expansive bit can be adjusted to drill a variety of diameters. It comes with an adjustable cutter that slides in and out to change diameter.

Twist bits

Twist bits (or twist drills) are straight bits with two helix-type flutes running about two- thirds the length of the bit. This allows for excellent chip removal and leaves the end plain to fit in the drill chuck. The ends are typically ground to around a 60-degree bevel. This works fine for general-purpose work; but if you're intending to use a set just for wood­working, you may want to consider having them ground to a slightly steeper angle.

The rules for effective drilling are the same for a brace and a hand drill as they are for an electric drill. The bit needs to be guided in straight, and you need to take precautions to prevent tear-out. The big difference is, you need to do both of these while twirling the drill frame or knob. It takes a bit of practice, but it's quite enjoyable.

Drilling straight

There are a couple of simple, effective ways to ensure that the holes you drill end up straight. One method is to use a sight aid. A sight aid is nothing more than a try square or square block of wood that you position near the workpiece so that you can sight along it to keep the bit straight.

Another method for drilling straight involves using a block of wood to support the bit and keep it running true. This is especially use­ful on long auger bits. Just start the hole and then stop and clamp a square scrap directly under the bot­tom of the hole. Then use the block to guide the bit.

Preventing tear-out

If you drill completely through an unsupported workpiece, the bit will "blow out" the opposite face as it exits the wood. With twist bits, the best way to avoid this is to clamp a scrap block behind the workpiece to support the wood. You can use this same technique with auger bits, or stop drilling once the lead screw pokes out the back of the wood. Pull the drill out and continue drilling from the opposite face.