How to Use Two of the Best Cordless Power Tools

Using new tools can be a little intimidating, especially if they are cordless power tools that you have little or no experience using.

Cordless power tools are also a very broad category that includes countless offerings.

Today, we’re going to focus on two specific cordless power tools. The hand drill and circular saw.

What You’ll Need

Cordless Power Tools: Before You Get Started

Before you go out and buy any tools, here are a few things to remember.

Get Extra Batteries

No matter how you buy your power tools, the first rule is that you need to buy at least one extra battery. The batteries die incredibly fast with most of these tools, and they take a long time to recharge.

When the battery is low, your cordless power tools will work at reduced efficiency, so you need to swap out the battery to keep a full charge.

Take Safety Seriously

Injury can happen at any time, and damage can be permanent. Wear safety glasses, gloves, and a dust mask at all times. Always work in a clutter-free environment with plenty of ventilation.

How To Use a Hand Drill

The hand drill is one of the most common cordless power tools available, but that doesn’t mean everyone knows about and understands how to use all of their features.

Changing Drill Bits in a Keyless Chuck

The Chuck is the part in the front of the drill that holds the drill bits. There is a sleeve around the Chuck that you can turn by hand to tighten and loosen the teeth that hold the drill bit inside the Chuck.

Twist the sleeve one way to loosen the teeth entirely, and you can insert or remove a drill bit.

Twist the sleeve the other way to tighten the teeth which will hold the bit tight for drilling.

Many people hold the sleeve tight with one hand while using forward and reverse drilling action to tighten or loosen the Chuck.

It is essential that you get the Chuck as tight as you can, so the drill bit does not slip while you are drilling your hole. A slipping bit will waste energy and possibly damage your equipment.

Changing Directions

Most hand drills have a two or three position switch just above the trigger that will change the direction of rotation from clockwise to counter-clockwise. If it is a three-position switch, the middle position will often be a safety.

Variable Speed Trigger and Headlight

Many cordless drills have a variable speed trigger that causes the rotation to speed up the more you squeeze it. Many also have a feature where a light comes on to illuminate where you are going to drill as soon as you begin to pull the trigger.

First and Second Gear

Another feature that many cordless drills share is the first and second gear switch. What this does is give you a choice between more torque or more speed.

The slower first gear will have more power to drive in screws or bore through sturdy wood.

The faster second gear is better for light work or flimsy materials.

CHECK OUT THE BEST CORDLESS DRILLS HERE

How To Use a Circular Saw

The circular saw is an essential cordless power tool for anyone that needs to do any woodwork. You can do just about anything with a circular saw that you could do with any other saw.

Controlling the Saw

You can control the saw using its two handles. The front handle helps you guide the machine with the trigger that you use to start the blade positioned on the back handle. If there is a safety switch, it will also be on the back handle and usually needs to be held in while you work.

It’s All About the Base

You always want the base of the circular saw to lay flat while you saw.

You will first draw a guideline on your wood where you want your cut made. Then you push the saw along the line using one of two notches in the base plate.

The first notch, usually labeled 0 or 90, is for regular cuts, while the other is for beveled cuts when the blade is at an angle.

There are two adjustments you can make to the base to get the results you want.

The first adjusts the depth of the saw, which means how deep the blade will cut. You want it just a little deeper than the board that you are cutting to prevent your saw from doing extra work.

The second adjustment tilts the machine and allows you to make angled and beveled cuts.

The Protective Shield

There is an auto-retracting protective shield over the blade to protect you from getting cut as well as to prevent damage to the blade when the machine is not in use.

There is a lever on the side of the machine that you can use to retract the shield to inspect the blade manually or to do specialty cuts.

Changing the Blade

To change the blade on most circular saws you need to press a button on the side that will lock the blade in place. With the blade locked in place you can use a hex wrench to loosen the blade and replace it. Either press the button again or release it to allow free movement of the blade.

Wrapping Up

Being skilled with cordless power tools, like the hand drill and circular saw, will take you a long way in the shop. We hope after reading our guide, you’ve gained some valuable insight into how to use these two very popular tools effectively and safely.

Best of luck and happy woodworking!

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