These days, a great deal of work can be undertaken using power tools. Nevertheless, there are many refined jobs that still require the use of hand tools. In fact, many highly skilled carpenters and cabinet makers would be 'lost' without an array of hand tools which afford them a greater sense of control and precision over power tools. In other instances, there may be no power available to run power tools or it just might not be practical to do so.

This course teaches you about the tools and techniques used for a wide variety of different types of work; from farming and landscaping to construction. It provides insights into how technology and the application of physics and other sciences; can make work more effective and productive in just about any workplace; or even around the home. 

Drills

When drilling a hole for a screw or a bolt, the drill and the drill bit must be suitable for the job. If you’re drilling a small hole in a small piece of softwood or even an aerated concrete brick, a cordless drill will be suitable, but for drilling into hard timber or masonry, a power drill is most useful.

• Wood bit - for drilling into wood. We have already covered a number of them. Others include the twist bit which is the most common type of bit. Carbon steel twist bits are only intended for use in wood. High speed steel (HSS) can be used in other materials including metal. The paddle or spade bit is a wood bit which is best used in a power drill. It is flat and wide with a threaded spur in the centre and is used for boring wide holes e.g. to countersink a bolt head, or all the way through a board so as to feed a pipe or cable through. Other versions have a grooved centre point and a spur at each side.
• Masonry bit - these have a spiral steel shaft and a tungsten carbide tip and are used for drilling into brickwork, stone, etc.

Hand Drills

Hand held drills are useful where control is needed for a job. Sometimes power drills can cause too much vibration in delicate work. With old fashioned hand held drills (known as a hand brace) the drill bit is inserted into the chuck and tightened (often by using a specialised tightening tool). The tip of the drill is placed onto the spot to be drilled and the drill's crank handle is turned whilst a knob at the other end of the drill is held steady to control movement. As such, this action turns the drill bit which bores into the wood.

The more modern version of the hand drill has a circular crank which is rotated using a wooden handle and a couple of cogged wheels rotate the chuck and turn the bit.

Electric Drills

• Cordless drills - these are a great innovation. They are highly mobile and easy to use. Because they don’t require an extension cord you can use them in spots that are difficult to get to. They can be used for drilling holes, fixing screws and even sanding jobs. Like electric drills, cordless drills vary in power wattage, though they are not as powerful as electric drills. For larger jobs it is wise to have two cordless drills - so one is charging whilst the other is in use.
• Power drills (or electric drills) - when drilling into hard materials such as hardwood timber and masonry, a cordless drill is simply not strong enough for the job. That’s where a power drill comes into its own. They can do all the same jobs as a cordless drill, but more quickly and with greater power.
• Screwdriver bits such as pozidrive can be set into the chuck of a power drill enabling the drill to be used as a screwdriver. After drilling a hole for a screw in a piece of wood, a countersink bit can be used to create a countersunk hole so that the head of the screw is flush with the surface of the wood.

Drill Bits

Bits for drills may be distinguished by their usage e.g. metal, masonry or wood bits. For a hand drill, most bits are used in wood (or plaster) since it takes a lot of power to get through dense metal, brick and stone.

• Centre bit - these were designed for use in the hand brace. They have a screw part in the centre surrounded by a radial spur and a cutting edge and a straight shaft. They do not need to be forced to make a hole - rotation is sufficient as they grip to the wood. To remove them from the hole, the drill bit is turned anti-clockwise. They tend to split end grain if used on it.
• Auger bit - these also have a central screw thread but it is attached to a threaded shaft. Various designs exist and usually include at least one spur and cutting edge.
• Gimlet bit - these are a very old style of tapered screw bit. They tend to cut the outside of the hole (or at least squash the wood fibres towards the outside) rather than cutting the centre of the hole.
• Spoon bit - these are shaped something like a spoon with a sharpened edge and have a groove in the shaft. They should not be used in power drills. They can be used to drill at an angle, and lend themselves well to furniture making (especially chair and table legs).
• Lip and spur bit - these have a point at the tip which can be pressed into the face of the timber which stops the bit from moving out of position.

Success in a career depends upon many things, but without a fundamental understanding of an industry,; along with it's tools and equipment, you do not have a foundation to build upon.

A course like this is an excellent starting point because it provides a foundation for continued learning. Our style of education is experiential. This means:

• You become familiar with a topic first.
• You then revisit that topic and process that information in different ways by applying it to different situations.
• By seeing something repeatedly from different perspectives; your appreciation for how that knowledge can be used, will grow.
• This style of learning both broadens and deepens your abilities, and strengthens your problem solving and networking skills at the same time