Get crafty with power tools

If you already have power tools but lack confidence, or are itching to go out and buy power tools but lack the knowledge to use them, start practicing with a few small projects and you will soon be up and running.

 

Those of you who haven't yet tried using power tools don't know what you are missing. Today's power tools are lightweight and easy to use and once you have built up your confidence to use your power tools for small projects you'll soon realise just how much you can actually do.

The three basic power tools that we recommend buying are:

Drill/Driver
A drill/driver is a combination of screwdriver and drill, but it's much more than that. You can use a drill/driver for all your screwdriving tasks in and around the home, you can use it for drilling into wood, plastic, acrylic, mild steel and aluminium - in fact almost all materials with the exception of hard materials such as concrete, brick and natural stone. Using certain accessories you can also use your drill/driver to create decorative designs with a spade bit or hole saw.

Multi sander
You can't design and create your own do-it-yourself projects without a sander. Almost every DIY project requires a bit of sanding here and there for a professional finish. Use a sander to remove layers of paint or varnish to restore and give furniture a makeover. Have a sander handy when decorating and painting your home to smooth filled cracks or get rid of minor imperfections on walls, to remove paint or varnish from trim and skirtings, to sand down doors between coats for a professional finish, you can even use a sander on melamine and tiles to prepare them for painting.

Jigsaw
I know these tools look a bit dangerous, but the only dangerous part of a jigsaw is the person who is using it! If used properly you will find so many things to cut with a jigsaw that you will be designing and creating your own decor accessories and furniture before you know it.

Although most timber and board suppliers will cut your timber to size, they don't cut curves, corners, angles or shapes within the timber or board. So if you need to install a sink or hob in your new kitchen countertop - you will need to cut it out yourself. Or what happens if you measured incorrectly and the board doesn't fit - you'll need to cut this to size as well. You can also use a jigsaw for decorative scroll work by using a fret saw blade, which is a smaller blade than a standard jigsaw blade.

Once you have discovered the versatility of using these three power tools you won't stop there! As you gain confidence you will realise just how much you can do and you'll want to start buying all the power tools, so that you can get even more creative.