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Great then, GSB 13 RE it is! I'll call up Bosch dealers to find out the kit price (the 100pcs set) and accordingly place order, at shop or through online portal.

Just one last question, how do I figure which drill bit is for which kind of work, does it come with that kind of elaborate instructions, I mean with marking on the drill bits? Also, what kind of drill bit should I be looking for when drilling tiles?

:) No, it doesn't. Quite simply, a half-HP or 400W motor can't. With a hand-held, one will struggle to do a 6mm hole in solid metal. BTW, that 13mm is (a teeny weeny bit more than) half-inch. 6mm is slightly less than 1/4". 13mm can only be done with a 1HP min motor with step-down pulleys on a bench-press.

I thought so. If it succeeded in breaking into a steel block, it would probably jam, with the risk of broken wrists and/or spinning pieces of steel.

Other metals, of course, may be softer.

25.4mm to the inch. half is... errr... 12.7mm. Yes, a teeny weeny bit!

You buy them according to purpose! Hmmm... I suppose that might be harder in India.

One last piece of advice, reminded by Prowler: reverse and variable speed are musts. Slow start is good, especially when drilling fragile surfaces, and it will double as a screwdiver/remover.

When you drill tiles, they are most likely to be already stuck to a wall. You won't be drilling them with a drill press. NB: this would be a very dangerous task as they would break easily.

Which reminds me: use eye protection!

1. Wood drills are normally made of tempered steel and will have deeper groves on the side.
2. Steel bits are of HSS (High Speed Steel) and are generally bluish in colour
3. Masonry bits are plain steel bits with as carbide tip. If the bit has a piece stuck at the top it is masonry.
4. Diamond bits have a lot of miniscule diamonds stuck at the tip, looks and feel like a rough sand paper

You can drill 1/2 inch hole in steel even with 1/4hp drill, only it will take longer.

Normally heavy duty drills are meant for continuous use, hence their motors do not heat up much. The medium duty drills are for intermittent use, hence their motors are slightly smaller, rest of the construction is same. Light duty drills are for home use and are designed to a cost. If used continuously their motors invariable burn.

The other difference in light, medium and heavy duty are
. Heavy/medium/light duty drills come with heavy/medium/light duty motors (and hence wattage)
.Torque. The higher the torque the faster you can drill. In heavy factory/construction duty work you want to drill fast so that you increase throughput. In light duty the drill takes it own sweet time for larger diameter jobs.
. A heavy/medium duty drill has geared drive to develop that torque for heavy/medium duty drilling jobs. Light duty are generally direct drive with electronic speed control
. Heavy/medium duty drills are normally all metal with plastic/rubber surface. Light duty are mostly plastic body.
. Heavy/medium duty drill will come with heavy duty electrical cords, light duty drills come with light duty cords.

Now for how to drill tiles. As my drill has only single speed this is how it is done
. MARK. Mark a cross with a soft pencil on the tile. The intersection is where you want a hole.
. START.Take a small sharp tipped steel nail (ones used by cobblers or in construction) and place it at the cross, hold it firmly and use a hammer to make a small dent in the tile. You can also use glass cutting tool to make the dent.
. PILOT HOLE.Use the smallest masonry drill to start the hole. The dent in the tile will prevent the drill bit from wandering. If you have a variable speed drill start with the slowest speed and the increase the speed as the bit progresses into the hole.
. FINAL. Once the pilot hole is made use the appropriate sized bit to make the hole. Over time I have acquired the following masonry bits
- Normal length : 3mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm
- Long reach (250-400mm long) 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 20mm. These are useful for drilling through the existing brick walls.

I have not drilled many holes in ceramic tiles, but my idea is to use a few layers of adhesive tape (not slippery, eg insulating tape) with the drill point marked on them. It is just enough to prevent the drill wandering. I'm not saying that this is an "approved" method; I'm not sure whether I learnt it or made it up myself.

An automatic centre punch is one of my favourite tools. I like to punch that drilling place, even in soft materials like wood. I'd be nervous to use it on tiles, though. I've heard it said that thieves use them to smash car windows! Of course, the pressure is adjustable.

Yes - the technique of using a tape to mark the position and also in the bit to mark the depth of the hole is extensively used - according to the Black and Decker series of Books. Some people use a sharp awl to make a dent before they start the drilling.

I use tape liberally - Cover almost the entire tile with packing tape/masking tape. This way the tile wont crack during drilling - I am talking about 25+ year old tiles here.

Thanks for the confirmations on that. Good ideas are seldom original, and I must, indeed, have learnt the idea somewhere else.

Do you guys use hammer mode when drilling into the surface of the tile?

Tiles typically wont require a hammer more. A screw mode is sufficient. But, if the tile is vitrified then the screw mode may not be sufficient depending on the strength of the tile

Thanks. I feel that hammer mode might shatter the tile. It will be needed for the wall behind the tile.

Soon, I must buy and fit some new bathroom shelves, so this sharing of knowledge will be put to use :)

Skil is an American company that has been taken over by Bosch. The products are inferior compared to Bosch and also sell for a lower price. Bosch has 2 types of drill range, Green and Blue. Green for the DIYers and Blue for professional use. These days the Green series of tools are being replaced with the Blue series which are excellent.
The 13mm notation on the drill machine is the max drill that can go into the machine i.e 13mm or 1/2 inch. The chuck or the drill holding device can accommodate any drill till 13mm diameter.

My trusty 8 year old drill has gone kaput and Bosch says it's an outdated product and cannot be repaired. Even private vendors cannot repair it.



It's time now for a new drill. Need for basic DIY, odd home jobs.

Which is a good one to buy? And easily serviceable. Don't want to spend more than 2500 (max).

Many shops and carpenters recommended Hi-Link / Pro-Link one costing 1650/-

Any suggestions welcome.

What has gone wrong?
. If the motor is just burnt out then it can be rewound easily.
. If the bearings are worn out any decent motor repair machine shop will do it.

Regarding new drill I am always a proponent of buying professional grade stuff, as they will literally last a lifetime. A few posts back I had recommended the Bosh 13mm hammer drill, though I think it is around 4K.

That's strange - kaput in 8 years? I have one for the last 28 years! Even stranger that 'Bosch' says it's an outdated product. Someone somewhere is not doing his job well. One can understand private vendors' disinterest.

It takes a lot of mishandling to burn the coils. My guess is the carbon brushes are gone. Easily replaced if you go to the small shops in the electrical / tools market, where they will open up the unit and replace with the nearest equivalent if they can't find original.

Upto 40% off on Stanley tools at flipkart.com. Already placed orders for few items. Collectors, worth to have a look.

http://www.flipkart.com/pens-station...provement/pr?p[]=facets.brand%255B%255D%3DStanley&sid=dgv