Pre-Drill And Drive Metal Screws With One Tool
By Benjamen Johnson
Eagle Tool Company’s sheet metal installation tool lets you pre-drill holes and drive hex head metal screws without changing bits. They build a hex driver socket into the tip of a sliding barrel, so when the barrel is locked in the forward position you can drive screws and when you twist the barrel and slide it back you can drill.
Eagle Tools hardens the hex drive socket to make it durable and they claim the tool’s quick change shank fits most quick change drivers, which means the shank must be 1/4″ hex. When you break the drill bit, you can buy a kit that comes with three replacement drill bits, an Allen wrench, and three replacement set screws.
Eagle sells installation tools both for 1/4″ and 5/16″hex head screws. I can’t find either tool for sale anywhere on the web and they don’t list retail pricing on the site, but I can confirm I saw the 1/4″ driver on sale at Menards for a little more than $10.
Sheet Metal Installation Tool [Eagle Tool Company]
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 am
That reminds me of the old Tapcon drivers for masonry screws, except that the sliding driver is more elegant than Tapcon’s removable sleeve.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 am
This would have been great for all those body repairs on race cars…. or even better, what about fast duct work for our HVAC freinds. Great find guys…
ShopMonger
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Maybe more useful for heavy sheet - for ductwork et. we just use Tek self drilling screws
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
The link to the manufacture is broken
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Sorry about the link, I know I fixed it once when I was writing it, but for some reason the fix didn’t seem to save. Might be because I started the post on one computer and finished it on another.
Here’s the correct link:
http://www.eagle-tool.us/sheetmetal.htm
Sorry about that.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:41 pm
For most sheet metal work, drilling is not necessary. Self drilling (tek) screws are also overkill, especially for ductwork. A high speed drill and a magnetic driver with taper-point hex head screws works fine. The lack of a magnet on the featured tool makes it kind of worthless, IMHO.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Not trying to be a PITA here but that term is a pet peeve of mine. Exactly how can you “pre drill” a hole. That would mean drilling a hole before you actually drill the hole… huh?
Yeah I know Norm A. uses it all the time as do many others but still, you either drill a hole or your don’t. But you can’t pre drill a hole, you can drill a pilot hole but the term pre-drill is a misnomer… IMHO
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 am
I did some digging, and found the link.
http://www.eagle-tool.us/sheetmetal.htm
We usually just force the screw through with body weight when installing roof panels. This would cut down on slipping, and leaving big gashes down the panels though. Hah
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 am
Just kidding I didn’t see the link was added above.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:12 am
@ Steve C — How about pre-fasten?
November 4th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
@ Steve C - I see what you are saying, but I have also post-drilled after driving a fastener and seeing the work split. It’s not very effective though.
November 4th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Is this like Pre-heat an oven? it is either hot or not…
ShopMonger
November 6th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
[...] bit at high speeds. Solving this is Eagle Tool Company’s Sheet Metal Installation Tool (spotted on toolmonger), a combination drill bit and driver attachment that transforms from one to the other by means of a [...]