The “Do it yourself” or DIY craze is here to stay. In these times of social distancing and staying at home, more and more people are turning to hobby projects related to crafting, refinishing old furniture and home décor to while the long hours away. If you have been living under a rock for the past decade and have no idea what DIY entails, it is when normal people like you and me, build, modify, or repair things without the direct involvement of experts or professionals. DIY projects are particularly awesome when you want to spruce up or add on to your home without excessive expense. For hobbyists who are forever involved in one DIY project or another, here are 5 power tools that will make quick work of some of the toughest or irksome tasks commonly found in DIY projects.
1. Cordless drill
If you are a power tool newbie and are just getting started on acquiring your tool collection, a cordless drill has to be the first thing you purchase. Make sure to also buy an assortment of drill and driving bits. There is no doubt about it, this is the one power tool that is used MOST, from everyday tasks like assembling furniture, installing shelves, hanging up a picture wall, to larger projects like building a tree-house or deck, a cordless drill is an invaluable tool.
2. Nail gun and compressor
For larger projects, nothing can match the effectiveness and the time saving aspects of a nail gun. If you are work that requires a neat finish , a nail gun is a must have, otherwise if you have to bang a hundred and one nails by hand, they might just end up looking sloppy, not to mention the bruises are smashed fingernails you are likely to acquire in the process. You can get nail guns in various gauges that attach to an air compressor and hose. One of the best electric nail guns I have used was an 18 gauge gun, ideal for finer projects where one needs the nail holes to be invisible. However for larger constructional projects I would recommend investing in a burly framing gun.
3. Electric Screwdriver
For anyone who has ever tried their hand at DIY crafts and projects while stuck at home, there is a high possibility that they have already gotten sick of using a regular manual screwdriver to screw in the millions of little screws manually. Tightening (or loosening of) screws by hand is always slow and time consuming, can cause chafing of your hands. Bring an electric screwdriver into your home, and you will be amazed at the effectiveness of this tool. The electric screwdriver is the most easy to use tool. It is low powered and can even be used by all the young lot. Investing in a decent electric screwdriver will save you so much time and effort that you will wonder how on earth you ever managed without one.
4. Jigsaw
A jigsaw is used to cut finer details or cut wood in curved or freeform lines. You might remember this tool from the shop class in your middle school. It is a considerably useful tool with inexpensive reciprocating blades that have many uses. It is best suited for cutting out a specific shaped line in the wood or for trimming out details. It is meant to be used to cut lightweight and thin material like MDF, plastic, wood and plastic.
5. Orbital sander
If you have ever tried to refinish, refurbish or even clean up any furniture based home improvement project, you must realize the time and effort that is taken up sanding down pieces. While you may use sandpaper and get to it manually, sanding is one of my least favourite steps to do because it simply takes too long and requires too much finesse and patience. Sanding is also a step that you cannot skimp on since the final finish of your project depends on it. An electric sander is a boon in such situations and is a tool every DIY hobbyist (and even professionals) should own.
Sanding anything by hand is a painfully slow and tiring process but an electric sander can complete the task in merely a fraction of the time and give you a smoother more precise end result. Most electric sanders are random orbital, which means they smooth out the surface without leaving a visible scratch pattern. You can easily replace or to switch between different grit sandpaper disks on your sander as required by the nature of your project. If you have bought into the DIY trend and are always looking forward to undertaking home improvement or other small craft and construction projects as a creative or recreational activity, you should definitely consider investing in some basic power tools as they will not only save you oodles of time, but they will bring neatness and sophistication to your projects as well.
