Get The Perfect Hole Every Time With This Must-Have Drill Accessory
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
When doing a DIY project at home, you want to be sure you have key tools that every homeowner should have on hand, ensuring a better chance at success. Many projects require a handheld cordless power drill, a hammer drill, or an impact driver. When you need to make a perfect hole with these power tools, you could try to eyeball it, but you may end up with an angled or off-center result. A drill bit that "wanders" out of place is a common problem, whether you're not holding the tool straight and steady or your bit is loose or off-center in the chuck.
So, how do you combat this issue? The best way to create the perfect hole with your power tool every time is to use a portable drill guide. This piece of hardware attaches to the material you are drilling, creating a tunnel the drill bit can go through to keep it perfectly straight. It allows your handheld cordless tool to have almost the same level of stability as you'd find with a drill press. The press is a large tool that will enable you to set the perfect depth of each hole while keeping the bit straight. However, it's not practical for many DIY jobs because of its lack of portability. The portable guide is the better option for most homeowners.
Options for finding a portable drill guide
Rather than worrying about the power drill jumping when you press the trigger and going into the material at an unwanted angle, the portable drill guide keeps everything in line. The simplest product to carry and use is a block shape that allows you to center and create the hole with cylinders that guide the bit for a perfectly vertical hole. You'd simply line up the guide using the horizontal and vertical lines on the block and place the cylinder directly over the location where you want to drill.
Some guides use clamps or other items to attach themselves to the material, ensuring they won't slip out of place. Otherwise, you can hold them in place with your free hand. The Milescraft Handheld Drill Guide (about $9 at Lowe's) has cylinders for different drill bit sizes ranging between 1/8 and 1/2 of an inch.
Suppose you need to create multiple perfectly spaced holes, such as for cabinet hardware and hinges or adjustable shelves in a cabinet. In that case, guides are available that allow you to drill multiple holes in a row that are precisely spaced apart. These guides also attach to the drilled material and use secure pins or clamps to hold themselves in place.
Do I need to use portable drill guides?
The multi-hole portable drill guide is ideal if you are building your own furniture that needs multiple holes to accept adjustable shelves. It will save you significant time versus measuring each hole's location and then trying to hold the drill by hand at a steady angle perpendicular to the wood to create perfect holes. TikTok user Forest City Woodworks demonstrates in a video that the Kreg Shelf-Pin Jig (about $39 at Amazon) is a popular choice for this type of portable guide.
A simple guide with a single cylinder is a smart choice if you try drilling into a round piece, such as quarter-round molding or a pipe. Such guides often have a V-shaped base, allowing them to fit securely over the top of a round piece so you can create a straight hole. The Steelex Plus Drill Guide Kit (about $18 at Amazon) includes multiple bushings to securely use different drill bit diameters.
If you are in a pinch for drilling a straight hole and don't have time to purchase a guide, you can try another option. Attach two pieces of scrap wood to create a 90-degree angle. Attach a third piece at another 90-degree angle to serve as a handle. Place the first angle at the point of the hole you want to make, and use the angle to guide the drill bit straight into the material.