Will a DeWalt compact 18V drill do the job?

[janeinthemtns]

Can't get the furniture out, can't even get the curtains off the tracks without drilling out rivets. My DeWalt plumbers pack was stolen several years ago.

Will a compact DeWalt drill get the rivets out? Thanks for any advice!

[DKB_SATX]

My 18V DeWalt drill does fine for drilling out rivets. It turns a bit slow for drilling new holes, and is completely inadequate if you need to drill through the frame (installing stabilizers, e.g.) but short of that it does the job.

[Belegedhel]

I've got a Dewalt hammer drill, compact drill, and angle drill, all 18 volts. Have drilled out a trailer's worth of rivets (pop, Olympic and bucked). No problemo.

Only thing to be careful of with the pop rivets is that a lot of the ones used by Airstream have a steel shank. I have found that hitting the shank with a center punch before trying to drill helps keep my drillbit from walking off of the hard center and mis-drilling the flange of the rivet.

[janeinthemtns]

Thanks for that information. The rebuilt compact drills are about half the price of the full size model. This Airstream is in excellent shape. Just need to drill out the furniture rivets so I can paint and lay the flooring. Thanks for telling me. I'll worry about more major work as it comes up.

[janeinthemtns]

Thanks for that tip about the center punch. I read somewhere on here that it's a good idea to have some kind of limiting control on the drill to prevent going too far through the skin.

[Belegedhel]

Yes, you can buy little collars that attach to the drill bit with a set screw to keep you from drilling too deep. Another option is to buy your bits from an industrial supplier like Grainger, and you can get "stubby" bits that are only a little over an inch long, so that you can be sure you don't go right through a wall. If your bit is too long, even if you don't drill through an outer skin, you can leave a reverse-ding (bump) that is visible from the outside.

I bought one of those refurbed compact drills as well. My only complaint about it is that since the batteries are smaller, you get less work done on a charge. Other than that, it works just fine. It doesn't take much to drill out rivets.

[Silver Otter]

My local Lowe's has a sale on the 20v Max kit: drill body, driver body, two batteries, charger, and case = $199. I just **had** to get it, of course.

[janeinthemtns]

Thanks for all the info. That does sound like a great deal at Lowe's. I can start researching prices now that I know what I need. Thanks so much.

[perryg114]

You can get special sheet metal drill bits from mcmaster.com that are short and also double ended.

Perry

[janeinthemtns]

Thank you. I'm going to store all this information in my email account in case I can't find it again .

[perryg114]

This is the best deal I have found on a drill and screwdriver combo with a full size 1/2" drill. It is also lithium powered. It is nice not having to unchuck a drill bit to put a screw driver bit in and constantly have to swap between the two. Also the little screw driver will get in places you can't get with a full size drill. I got mine from Home Depot but there are other places like below. Techbargains.com is a good resource for alot of good online deals. You won't have any issues with this drill not being able to drill through the frame.

DeWALT 1/2'' 18V Compact Li-Ion Drill/Driver Kit

Perry

[janeinthemtns]

Thanks for that great information! I dream of my stolen plumbers' pack even after all these years which is dumb. Hardly a day goes by that I don't have a need for one of those awesome tools. Right now I want the sawsall to cut down some brush around the Airstream. I'll use a chainsaw. No boyfriend since I brought the chainsaw - no doubt why I still have it!