Pillar Drill

The pillar drill is often under-appreciated by those who who haven't got one, but this handy tool, also known as a bench drill or drill press,is one of those things that, once you have one, you will wonder how you ever did without.

The ability of a pillar drill to drill fast, precisely-positioned holes,in a specific place or to a specific depth, means that you will find yourself visiting the machine during a wide range of DIY projects. It will pay for its keep like few other tools.

Isuppose you could divide the pillar drill into two main types – the larger floor-standing models, and the smaller bench-mounted ones. These bench-mounted ones are often called bench drills, for obvious reasons, or drill presses. The floor-standing models are usually larger, with prices to match. They're able to cope with the more heavy-duty end of the scale, and are often preferred by professionals or serious amateur enthusiasts. Bench-top drills are smaller and designed for smaller work, so are often suited to the home DIYcraftsman.

Hereare a few of the key features to look our for when choosing a pillar drill:

• Speed settings – the drill bit needs to turn at a speed suitable for the material being drilled, and also the size of the desired hole. Most smaller drill models have a correspondingly smaller choice of speeds,say five, but this is perfectly adequate for 90% of general jobs around the home. If you are likely to find yourself using the machine for more specialist work on a regular basis, you would be well-advised to look for more speeds than five – there is a good choice of 16-speed models and with this amount of flexibility you should be able to drill anything that can fit on the table.
• Depth stops – these allow you to drill part-way through a piece of work,an essential requirement for any bench drill. Using a depth stop,you can drill a large number of holes, all identical, in a surprisingly short time compared to using a hand drill.
• Swing– this is also known simply as the "capacity" of the drill. It's the diameter of the largest disc that the drill can make a hole in the middle of! To put it another way, HALF of the swing measurement is the maximum distance you can drill a hole from the edge of a straight-edged work piece.
• Accessories– one of the most useful is the sanding drum, which adds a whole extra function to your pillar drill and takes the hard work out of sanding, especially when accuracy is important.
• Bits– whether your drill is a Sealey or a Draper, and however much you pay, the quality of the drilled hole is only ever going to be as good as the quality of the bit you use in the drill. A very important tip is to use the correct type of bit for the material being drilled. I know it's obvious, but it can be tempting to "make do" when you're at the bench, in the middle of a job, and you want to avoid  having to go and buy the right bit. The results of using the wrong bit are often unsatisfactory and could even be hazardous.

Take this advice, choose your pillar drill and accessories carefully, and it will be one of the most useful tools in your armoury.