How to use a cordless drill for flat-pack

• Cordless drill-driver with clutch
• Matching screwdriver bits and hex bits
• Charged battery
• Safety glasses

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Wood screws
• Bolts with hex heads
• Pilot holes already drilled in the panels

1. 1

   Step 1: Charge the battery and fit the bit that exactly matches the screw head; a loose bit slips and rounds the head.

2. 2

   Step 2: Set the clutch to a low number and the gearbox to the low-speed setting for driving screws.

3. 3

   Step 3: Hold the drill straight in line with the screw, press firmly, and start slowly so the screw catches the pilot hole cleanly.

4. 4

   Step 4: Stop as soon as the clutch clicks or the head reaches the surface, then give the final turn by hand with a screwdriver.

5. 5

   Step 5: Never drive cam locks or cam bolts with the drill; turn cams by hand so you can feel when they lock.

6. 6

   Step 6: If a screw spins without tightening, stop immediately; the hole is stripped and needs repairing rather than more force.

• Using full speed and high clutch, which strips chipboard in a second.
• Driving at an angle so the screw exits through the face of the panel.
• Using the drill in reverse to loosen, then forgetting to switch it back.