Reddit mentions: The best power demolition drills & hammers

ok, first off, I'll just emphasise, there's a real big improvement from the previous one you did - each one is clearly showing improvement throughout - especially the shaping of pommel and grip, which are really starting to get into the right sort of ballpark now, compared to your previous one - a huge step forward there.

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main thing I am spotting is that the pommel and particularly the cross are fairly large and bulky - the cross thickness is much more than most real ones are - its a common fault - people tend to see pictures of swords in profile, and dont really get to see the depth of the crosses - they tend to be much more gracile than they expect... let me see if I can find a few photos on auction houses for you:

• http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images72_max/210043_b.jpg
  
• http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images72_max/202206_b.jpg
  
• http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion/images70_max/91334_a.jpg
  
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  best I can find quickly, those, particularly the last one show clearly how slender hilts can be - the crossguards often taper away to almost be as narrow as the blades. So you might like to think about the 3d nature of the hilt, and how you can shape it to have pretty dramatic curves and shapes which make it quite sculptural, without being bulky at all.
  
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  Given the length of the blade, therefore, I'd have expected it to be much less balanced than it is. What that indicates to me, combined with the weight of about 1.3kg, is that the blade is still pretty chunky along its entire length. Would I be right in saying that the stock you're working from is 1/4 inch thick bar? So, for future ones, you might want to start thinking about making distal taper more dramatic - its a lot of work, and tiring to grind thin, but the results are satisfying when done. These relatively broad cutting blades tend to have fairly agressive distal taper - a blade 75cm (30") long might start at about 4.75mm (3/16ths) thick, 50mm (2") wide at the cross, but by the time it's 10 cm from the tip, they might be just 1.5 mm thick - slightly more than 1/16th of an inch. that sort of dramatic distal taper pulls a lot of mass out of the blade, and that in turn lets you use a more compact pommel and cross, which makes the weapon move much more dynamically. its like the difference between twirling a weightlifting bar with 1kg at each end,like this: |---------| vs trying it with the weight in close to the middle, like this ---|-|---. With exactly the same weight on that bar, just moving the mass into the middle makes it far easier to twirl around and control. Same goes with a sword.
  
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  So, that's the main area I'd look at working on now, tapering the blade down in thickness so there's less mass to it. Other than that, the only thing I can say is, that small spring that came with the larger one is absolutely asking to be used to try a dagger blade. I'd guess the whole thing is about 30cm, 12" long? If so, then its easily big enough to fit a dagger into, working round the holes (you dont want a dagger to be more than about 32mm / 1 1/4" wide, so you can offset it and avoid the holes) , and try out techniques. I'd be inclined to make a small quillon dagger. Cut the bar lengthways for the main blade, but keep the offcut, and then use that to make a steel cross with a curve to it. then saw off a 1/2 inch thick length of the brass you've got, drill it lengthways for a tang and you've got a perfect base shape for a round wheel pommel shape. (also, that lets you practice doing tangs for peined ends, instead to screws, if that's an area you'd like to improve in future.)
  
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  last tip I can give, it looks like you're using a G-clamp and/or mole grips for a lot of your work holding stuff. that's always a nightmare, so I'd thoroughly reccommend one of these little 2-1/2" Drill Press Vises - they're really useful for detail work, in all sorts of crafts applications:
  
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  https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W3939-Drill-2-Inch/dp/B002RTKFWU/ref=pd_cp_469_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YCYCRJ61NHKYGG8CCJ5J
  
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  you can clamp it onto the worktop surface, and it'll allow you far more control working on things like crosses, working with a file, all those sort of little fine details. Not big or tough enough to use as a real vise for clamping work ultra-securely for heavy work, but they're a great investment for fine jobs where you just want a secure hold sitting on the table or bench.

Alright, no offense to the first commenter but we need to clearly define what we are talking about.
There isn't an "impact driver drill" I believe your talking about something like this that is a cordless electric 1/4" impact driver. It accepts 1/4" hex driver bits notice the special cut out at the base of the bit, that's what keeps it from falling out. It functions like a drill/driver until it encounters sufficient resistance then it impacts, giving increased torque(rotational force), it does not produce a hammering force(along the axis of the bit).

Now this is an impact wrench it too functions like a drill/driver until it meets resistance then it impacts adding rotational force but not hammer force. What are the differences between this and the driver we looked at earlier? First is obviously size, the wrench is bigger, and stronger, and heavier. But that's not what makes it a different tool, what makes it different is the tip, it's a square, like for putting sockets on, in this case 1/2" sockets but they make 3/8", 1/4", 3/4" and much larger!

So could you use the first tool in place of the much larger second tool? Yes! Use one of these adapters

Here's the problem tho, the first tool, the driver, makes at most 117 ft-lbs, and I believe that's stretching, the second tool, the wrench, makes 700 ft-lbs. To remove a rusty, crusty, stubborn lugnut you will need the bigger badder tool, sometimes it still won't be enough, and you'll need a breaker bar with a cheater pipe.

Now what the other commenter mentioned, the hammering force, that can be made with a few different tools. Let's start with the handheld impact driver yes it's confusing, two different tools, both called impact drivers, but this one we'll call the handheld, you hold it with one hand, and hammer it with a hammer. It has a cam mechanism that takes some of that axial force and imparts a slight (like 1/16 of a turn) rotation. It's good for stuck screws especially Phillips heads.

Another, more common tool is the hammer drill it is essentially a drill, it grips with three jaws onto the same bits as our first impact driver, or onto completely round bits, like your common drill bits but when you engage the hammer mechanism it will push its chuck forward and back rapidly, and the pressure you apply to the back of the drill hammers the bit into the material your drilling, useful for concrete/masonary work. But for real drilling power into concrete you want an SDS rotary hammer drill this bad boy only accepts SDS bits, provides it's own rotary and axial forces and will drill thru reinforced concrete like non reinforced butter.

Ok I think that about covers it, if anyone would like to add on I'd appreciate it. And remember:

Always use the right tool for the job, a hammer is the right tool for every job, and every tool can be used as a hammer!


Obviously that was sarcasm.

I've done a few chimney's before order yourself this and this. The hammer drill has a setting to use it like a mini jackhammer this will allow you to pop the bricks out one at a time. Go buy a big canvas drop cloth (tarps just seem to tear) and put it on the grass. Set up some scaffolding (you can rent this for just a few bucks a day) but make sure to place it in a way that if the chimney were to fall (super unlikely) it won't take you with it. If you want to do it the easy way go rent a manlift.

Honestly a chimney like this is probably only only about 2 or 3 hours of demo and the clean up time will depend on what you have to haul the bricks away. If you have a truck that will tow it go rent a dump trailer. You can then just haul them to the local dump and dispose of them as construction demo (usually pretty cheap). And with the dump trailer you don't need to unload them.

If you get a couple of guys to help you (I shouldn't have to say this but don't let them load while you toss) you could pull it off in a day easily. I did a 3 story chimney with my FIL a few years ago that was in the middle of the house, so we had to use buckets to haul out the bricks and we sill pulled it off by late afternoon.

To be fair, you are right, it is expensive at the moment, but I would hope that if it became more common prices would drop. How people like HSS can charge such a lot of money is amazing. There needs to be more competition

e.g.
Buy POS drill for £17: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002QRYFGA

Buy Good Drill for £400: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BC2H9XQ

Or Hire same Good Drill for £25 / day: https://www.hss.com/hire/p/drill-hammer-36v-battery

Doesn't really make sense at those prices.

Let me start by saying that this would be the bare minimum. This is assuming that you have all the experience to use these tools effectively as someone who has the appropriate skill and knows to do things like not bear down on a saw when cutting, keeping everything square, how to mill boards by hand, how to not kill sandpaper in a few strokes, how to tune and sharpen a hand plane, ETC.


2x$8.69Vise grips Two vise grip clamps. Clamps can be universally adjusted and clamped in almost any direction with some quick thinking. One is never enough.


$9.99Cheap set of chisels Everyone needs a chisel. These will be made from a milder steel, but it's better than nothing.


$22.00Generic ryoba saw A ryoba saw will double for crosscuts and ripcuts. They go as far as you can take them provided you treat them right.


$18.62Bench Plane You need to be able to take down material in terms of thickness. A simple bench plane will due for now.


$20.61Block Plane A block plane will help slightly with end grain smoothing where the bench plane cannot.


$3.47Bundled Sandpaper You need to finish your products somehow. I would get a generic bundle of sandpaper and use it sparingly and tenderly.


$12.85Square Keeping things square is vital.


$6.79Mallet Hammering your chisels is going to be very important since you cannot use a 2x4 reliably.


$3.47Wood Glue Need to be able to glue things together.


$11.80A set of card scrapers Remove material smoother and faster. You don't want to waste sandpaper if you don't have to, and these are quite versatile.


$8.06A bastard file A bastard file will do for now when it comes to heavier shaping and sharpening your card scrapers.


$15.92A small drill viseKeeping something secure in place is very important. A small vise will accommodate small and narrow pieces of lumber and can be bolted to a bench.


$3.97Assorted finer sandpapers You need something to keep your chisels constantly sharp, especially when it is such a mild steel as a set of 9.99 chisels.


$15.59Wipe on polyurethane You need to be able to finish your products somehow.


Comes to $170.52 I would use the rest to make a bench and two sawhorses out of some 2x4's.

Slotted Drive System. I've been standardized on the Dewalt 18v line for over 15 years now so this is the one I have.

Same battery but they're like a hammer drill on steroids and can drill a big hole through concrete faster than most drills can drill a small hole through wood. I do a ton of work, hanging TVs and running cables through walls, in poured concrete buildings and what would take me an hour or more with my standard hammer drill will take me 15 minutes or less with my SDS drill. As always, and perhaps obviously, make sure you buy quality bits because they make a huge difference too. Personally I prefer the ones with a "+" shaped crossed spade on top instead of the single "-" shaped spade. Less bit wander when you start the hole and they definitely hold up longer so you get more long term bang for your buck for only a tiny initial price increase.

In general, Bosch is pretty good, but absolute brand loyalty is a recipe for bad decisions. Making your tools matchy-matchy adds a constraint that does nothing to save you money or improve the quality of your work.

Buy tools as you go, not all at once. There are only a few tools that you will use on every project.

> 10" table saw gts1031

A table saw is definitely a must-have in a power tool shop. This one probably cannot wait.

That table saw is lame. A fine example in its category, but a really limiting saw for woodworking. That's the saw you buy if you want to install a couple of rooms worth of hardwood flooring yourself and want to rip the last row on a table saw. Not something if you want to get seriously into the hobby. I started with the Bosch 4100-09 and regretted it quickly. Don't do what I did. Start with a hybrid saw.

> 10" miter saw gm10gd

The right time to buy a miter saw is the first time you have a project that involves trimming a 6'+ long pieces to length many times. This might be garden beds, or installing trim, or installing hardwood floors. If your first project looks like that, go ahead. Otherwise, wait until you get to that project.

For making furniture and smaller objects, a miter saw is a luxury only. I have one. I don't need it at all. Save your money until you are feeling the pain.

> Jig saw js260

Skip this until you are feeling the pain. I use mine very rarely, and would rather have the $ I spent back in my wallet than the tool sitting on a shelf.

> Router 1617evspk

Solid router, and a router is the kind of tool that you'll use on almost every project. Go ahead.

> Hammer drill/driver hdh181
> Impact drill/driver 25618

This will cover all of your needs but it is not what I would recomend doing.

I use a DDH181. It is a magnificent drill/driver. Overkill for a woodshop, but really un-killable. I've dropped it from a ladder onto concrete a few times, drilled a full row of 4" deep dog-holes in maple on one charge, put countless lag bolts into stuff, and built a ton of furniture.

But...it is mediocre in a wood shop. It's really annoyingly heavy and quite large. The Hammer Drill version is even worse. I hate it every time I have to do a bunch of tiny work like drilling shelf pin holes or working inside of a cabinet installing drawers.

If I could start all over I would buy this. A lot less money than the Bosch. Might need to charge more often. A lot nicer on the wrists. I would use one of those 98% of the time.

If you run into the limit of the 12V tools, go buy a corded drill. $90 will get you a nice one that's a hammer drill too. That will cover the 2% of stuff that the 12V tools can't.

This plan saves you hundreds of $ and makes your wrists feel better. Also, it might be years before you actually have to buy the corded one.

(If it must be Bosch, they have a 12V kit that competes against the M12 kit, it's just a little bit more expensive. Still a lot less than what you had in mind).

No one has thrown out Makita. This is my favorite company. I've got a drill, impact, and sawzall from them. Great equipment. Lasts and runs like champs. For my portable tools I will not buy another brand. The tool I linked would need a battery and charger. But a good price.

It's worth the money to own one if you use it more than once. I have a Mac long barrel that comes out about three times a week. But prior to that I had this edge series from IR. Works great hits good holds up and best of all cheappppp.

Ingersoll Rand Air Hammer 114GQC https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VZAENC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hKrMzbKP5VSEY

Different motor technology = more efficient and longer lasting. More expensive, however.

I've got the Milwaukee M12 tools (their "lightweight" line). Does it have the whoopee of my 18v DeWalt XRP tools? No. But it's got more than enough for all the DIY stuff I've done, including some jobs that most people would say required heavier tools, such as deck building and concrete drilling. Just yesterday I drilled some 6" deep, 1/2" dia. holes in concrete with my M12 hammer drill. I had a Bosch Bulldog hammer drill sitting 15 feet away, and I didn't even bother to get it because the little M12 worked just fine; a bit slower, obviously, but better control.

In short, I'm a fan. The FUEL M12s are better yet.

I wouldn't be, it's the walmart of tools. With all the disadvantages that come with a Walmart, like quality decreasing across all stores to compete on price. Plus, a lot of their stuff isn't even that cheap. Like $8.99 USD isn't "cheap" for those kinds of mats, it's just there's only 4 pieces. This one here is $8.50 CDN for 4 pieces, and is better quality, it's just 12 instead of 4.

Also, you might feel you're saving 50%, but when half the things you buy fail quickly, you realize you saved zero dollars.

It might have been cheaper before you could buy Chinese direct stuff off of Amazon, Ebay, Alibaba... but now you can get stuff that's the same price, but higher quality. Like personally, I own their $12 with coupon, power drill, and it's pretty terrible. I couldn't use it for a lot of jobs andended up buying this one instead. It's vastly superior, and what, $10 more?

Here's a few. I recommend checking Black Friday deals but pretty much anything from Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee and DeWalt will be good to go. 18v is more heavy duty, 12v is more light duty.

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-GXL18V-232B22-2-Tool-Compact-Batteries/dp/B07D89F5BH/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=bosch+impact+combo+kit&qid=1574960153&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Driver-Impact/dp/B005NSWHN2/ref=mp_s_a_1_27?adgrpid=57155394678&hvadid=274683045294&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9015650&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=b&hvrand=5608443985744977742&hvtargid=aud-837686656069%3Akwd-298541366838&hydadcr=20375_9349043&keywords=impact+combo+kit&qid=1574960113&sr=8-27

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-XT269T-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless/dp/B07N9LDD65/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?adgrpid=57155394678&hvadid=274683045294&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9015650&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=b&hvrand=5608443985744977742&hvtargid=aud-837686656069%3Akwd-298541366838&hydadcr=20375_9349043&keywords=impact+combo+kit&qid=1574960113&sr=8-17

Damn, make sure you clean that out regularly. People have burnt their house down.

Go get this:

Bosch Power Tools Rotary Tool - 11255VSR Bulldog Xtreme Rotary Hammer Drills For Concrete – Use For Overhead Drilling, Demolition, Anchoring – Corded Hammer Drill For Crew, Contractor, Construction https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BB79Q6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_F9sUCb5ANYAV7

And this:

Starrett KD0414-N 4.1/4-Inch Diamond Grit Holesaw https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CD1V8M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_l8sUCbT69WR45

And this:

7/16” Hex Shank Hole Saw Arbor, Fits 1-1/4” to 6” Hole Saw Quick Change Heavy Duty Alloy-Steel Mandrel with 3 BONUS 1/4” Precision Drill Bits Replacement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DN9SKTD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D.sUCb01DPGAB


Make sure you back off on the drill and let it do the work and don’t let the big overheat.

11264EVS is $500 on Amazon. I needed mine for 3 full days for the bathroom floor, but since then I've used it for the fireplace and also to peel plaster off of chimneys on floors above. I've at least broken even, if not started saving money compared to renting.

One thing is that this size starts to get a bit heavy for extended wall/overhead work when you have to support its weight. For reference, the model I linked above is 13 amps and has 6.5 ft/lb of impact energy. When I went to look at renting, they only had the next sizes up of rotary hammer. Not quite a jack hammer, but pretty heavy to use along a wall for any period. For the job in your photo, I'd be okay with renting a larger model for half a day.

If you have other work to do besides this, you might get away with something in the $300 range that uses normal (smaller) SDS bits. You can also take your chances with the really cheap stuff on Amazon/Harbor Freight but that's not really my thing.

I have a 6" Eskimo auger. It works great, just keep the blades sharp and covered if not in use. My Eskimo auger is attached to a DeWalt heavy-duty brush-less drill. I can drill countless holes through twelve inches plus of ice in about ten seconds. https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCD985B-20-Volt-Lithium-2-Inch/dp/B007ML7EVI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1541702599&sr=8-9&keywords=dewalt+hammer+drill+20v+brushless

Most guys use a Milwaukee Fuel drill, but I like having the compatibility with other DeWalt tools. Look on Craigslist for a used ice auger and have the blades sharpened or replaced. Bought mine for $20 and I happen to live down the street from one of the two places that sharpens auger blades in Michigan (Angler's Pointe). If you need auger blades sharpened in the future you may mail them to me and I'll mail them back once sharpened. Costs $5-10. Message me if your interested.

I've had these makita 12 v for 2 years, still going strong on original batteries with everyday use. compared to my workmates' milwaukee and bosch, they feel the lightest and most balanced. i do envy the milwaukee battery meter, but overall am very happy with the makita 12v combo set for drilling and driving.

For 18v, I've had this Dewalt XRP 18v for at least 6 years. It's heavy, so i don't use it nearly as often as the 12's, but it gets used often enough on the more demanding jobs like hammer drilling or large diameter bits.

Regarding corded drills, I typically only use them for the heaviest jobs like mixing concrete and grout. Otherwise, they're either way overpowered or just uncomfortable

I highly recommend getting an SDS Plus Drill and Sawzall.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M24U0CJ/ref=psdc_552802_t3_B01NAZQUEO

The SDS Plus has a ground rod attachment that is really nice.

I bought this Skil Corded Version For $60. There is also a factory reconditioned version. It worked great for me. It is useful when you need to drill anything that needs a lot of torque too.

I make less than $10k per year, my house and land cost me $4k to buy. I'm not going to hire or rent my way to a solution -- either I buy the tools, or I work by hand with what I've got. If I had a good manual method I'd do it that way, but my manual method is both tedious and gives poor results. 26 hours of labor is nothing to me. I spent over 200 hours this year terracing / building dry stone walls.

I think two closely spaced holes with a 2" chisel bit would give me the maximum desired post-hole diameter for pretty much all my jobs. This isn't granite I'm cutting into, it's crumbly shale.

I think a rotary drill/hammer or a jackhammer under $1k is probably the ticket but I'll probably need to rent one or two for a few hours to see if they can actually outperform me with my wrecking bar and sledge and pickaxe. They may not be much faster than me.

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-11335K-35-Pound-8-Inch-Hammer/dp/B000PWCNVW/

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-11245EVS-2-Inch-SDS-Max-Rotary/dp/B00004SUPS/

I definitely wouldn't go cordless for this job. Popular Mechanics had a review of corded hammer drills a little while back.

If you're going to be doing this a lot, I would recommend getting a rotary hammer and not a hammer drill. I would recommend the Bosch Bulldog for the job.

You can always make Amazon URLs more awesome:

https://www.amazon.com/Place-For-Your-Dick/dp/B002RTKFWU/

Why go through so much trouble? They already sell cordless versions you just need to find the right attachment. Or if she likes it rough you could try this one.

edit: Or this

edit: something /r/steampunk might enjoy too.

If you want to drill a hole into concrete, block wall, ceramic tile or any other kind of masonry you'll need a hammer action drill with a Tungsten bit, a regular bit will heat up and melt.

If you're planning on keeping the drill for a long time spend a few bucks more and get the right one, Amazon have some great drills, I bought a Milwaukee similar to this one 15 years ago and I can't kill it.

I have this DeWalt and it works great for the price....

I used this: http://www.amazon.com/Makita-HM1810X3-Lb-Breaker-Hammer/dp/B000N5Y7JW

It worked wonderfully.

Something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-5380-21-2-Inch-9-AMP-Hammer/dp/B000MYC91W/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b

Or is that way overkill? I want to buy tools that will last a very long time rather than cheapos that break in a few years.

I think it’s around $50 per day at a Home Depot near me, I’m in Canada though. FWIW, a DeWalt drill like this one (DCD985) has a hammer drill mode but can also be used for wood, metal, etc. - just use a masonry bit when you’re on hammer drill mode and going into concrete. Other power tool manufacturers likely have similar tools, so if you were planning on making the investment anyhow it might be worth it.

You might want to try something like like this. The more someone tries to pull up the tighter its supposed to wedge. If they want it bad enough they will get it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYIqoxsjsNE I would talk to someone who does concrete since you will need a hammer drill. A drill with regular bits will not work. You will just ruin the bits and waste your time. If you have a cordless drill/ hammer drill like this https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCD985B-20-Volt-Lithium-2-Inch/dp/B007ML7EVI/ref=sr_1_2?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1518417647&sr=1-2&keywords=dewalt+hammer+drill you could to it yourself. Those drills take forever compared to an sds or sds max hammer drill. They also don't like bits over 1/2". They will work but the motor gets frakn hot. If you know someone with something like this https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-D25263K-D-Handle-Rotary-Hammer/dp/B00VNBV2F2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1518417765&sr=1-1&keywords=dewalt+hammer+drill+sds or this https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-D25601K-4-Inch-Combination-Hammer/dp/B00MAB8DHY/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1518417765&sr=1-5&keywords=dewalt+hammer+drill+sds your golden.

Rent a jackhammer man. $65 bucks got me this for 24 hrs a month back - worth every penny.

http://smile.amazon.com/Bosch-11335K-35-Pound-8-Inch-Hammer/dp/B000PWCNVW/

air hammer

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VZAENC

Get a Bosch Bulldog. They are typically $150-200. I am an electrician and we have one on every truck.
https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-11255VSR-SDS-plus-BULLDOG-Xtreme/dp/B000BB79Q6

I do pest control and termite work. We ONLY use Bosch SDS hammerdrills. We probably drill out around 400 half inch to 3/4 inche holes per house, and try to get at least two jobs in during a normal day. Bosch is rebuildable if there is an issue, and can be had for less than 200 dollars. This is what we use for drilling into foundations (horizontally) we drill 1/2 inch holes through the block, sometimes solid concrete. http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-11255VSR-BULLDOG-SDS-plus-D-Handle/dp/B000BB79Q6/ref=sr_1_1?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1377122483&sr=1-1&keywords=bosch+hammer+drill
and this is what we use when we have to downdrill or for big holes (1 1/2 inch wide) or when we use long bits (24 to 36 inches) http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-RH328VC-8-Inch-Rotary-Hammer/dp/B003DQO7ES/ref=sr_1_2?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1377122483&sr=1-2&keywords=bosch+hammer+drill

For this process, I used a Vision Defense 80% Lower Reciever and the Vision Defense jig as, admittedly, they were cheapest options I could find. However, there exist an abundance of different receivers and jigs from different manufacturers. For example, the second lower is from Blitzkrieg Tactical.

Disclaimer: This isn't really meant to be a guide, although you're able to use it as a guide if you wish. I recommend finding a different method to drilling the fire control pocket because, as you can see, mine wasn't the best.

I know you're not supposed to mill with a drill press. They're not made for taking side loads and it's possible to gravely injure yourself doing this, however not likely. Best case, the press breaks. Worst case, the press breaks and kills you. I took that chance and came out with two functioning lowers. Your mileage may vary. If you decide to take on this project, good luck.

Advice:

• GET A VISE. If not for safety, for how much easier it will make the process. I purchased this one and it made milling the fire control pocket on the second lower much easier, as I could mill straight down into the receiver. For the first, I used just my hands and had a few close calls. Just make sure you get the right size for the table on your press.
  
  
• Keep everything lubed up. For this, I used a $2 can of lubricant from walmart. For the second lower, I bought a $2 quart of motor oil and only used a little over an ounce for the entire process. Lubricate the bit and where you're going to be drilling.
  
  
• Keep a good grip. For milling the sides of the fire control pocket, you need to use your hands to move the lower around clockwise until the reciever wall is flush with the jig. If you go counter clockwise, or do not have a steady grip on the jig, it could get away from you and very bad things could happen.
  
  
• Watch videos of people milling these lowers. Before taking on this project, I watched every video of this process I could find. Most of those people have experience with things of this nature and give you other tips throughout.
  
  There are other ways to finish a lower like this, including getting and actual end mill, or using the 80% arms Easy Jig. Going the Easy Jig route means that you can use a hand drill instead of a drill press.
  
  
  Completed rifle.
  
  To finish building the rifle you will need:
  
  
• Lower Parts Kit
  
  
• Buffer Tube Assembly which includes the buffer tube, buffer spring, and buffer.
  
  
• Stock
  
  
• Upper receiver
  
  If this is your first rifle, it is usually recommended you purchase a complete upper assembly which simply attaches to the lower receiver. Palmetto State Armory has a nice selection. These typically do not come with a bolt carrier group or charging handle, which you will also need.