What can I do with an SDS drill?

[Elizabeth Greene]

A week ago I needed to drill 1.05" += 0.25" condensate drainage hole through a cinder block wall and brick facade and the local rental shops were either out or closed. One $120 hole later, I now find myself the owner of a shiny new used-only-once Harbor Freight Bauer Corded SDS hammer drill.

Is there anything cool I can do with it beyond the obvious hole making? I thought about mounting it on a jig and using it as a sheetmetal smoothing hammer. Anything else?

Thanks!

(This is the smaller SDS Plus, not the big SDS Max.)

[rebuilder1954]

Great question, and I hope there are some creative answers forthcoming. I have one of the big splined hammer drills I won in a bet 20+ years ago. Apart from a few holes in concrete, stone, etc every year, it sits idle. Watching this thread with interest!

[BuffaloJohn]

My rule with HF tools, especially powered tools is that if I needed it for just one job and there was no other way to get the tool (rent or borrow) and there was no other way to do the job, the cost of the HF tool paid for itself on the one and only job. After that job, all other uses are "free" and the tool gods will keep that tool working for a very long time.

My situation with a HF roto hammer came after using a borrowed one for a bunch of tasks and then I didn't have access to it any more. So, I bought one and years later, I have put anchor holes of all sizes. At the time, I didn't think I had much more use, but the opportunities to use the tool come up over and over.

I can't say the sheet metal application would work or not, but I have used a chisel to wedge a cut open so I could finish the cut, used a chisel to peel a weld apart. used a tapered pin to slightly enlarge a hole when trying to slightly enlarge a hole was too hard to hold the drill which grabs before breaking through, used a pin punch to drive a really rusty bolt out of a hole...

When doing those kind of things, hearing protection is a must...

[Saltfever]

I don't know that drill but from your post it seems the drill as 3 modes. Hammer, drill, or both simultaneously? Not knowing your shop environment, BuffaloJohn covered most of what I would suggest. So moving away from there and into the garden, and hammer-only mode, you could make and attach a small spade and "jack hammer" miserable adobe soil for cultivation or dig small holes for plants. Dig holes for posts, or make a cup and drive in stakes. Even split wood or kindling if a sharp ax-like head was attached.

[ductape]

I've seen them used in hammer mode to drive electrical ground rods using an impact socket welded to a drill stub. Not something most people do very often. Might also be useful to shake spray paint by securing the can to a long bit with a hose clamp or cable ties.

[BuffaloJohn]

I've seen them used in hammer mode to drive electrical ground rods<snip>

You can buy a bit to drive ground rods.

I wouldn't use a homemade one, they tend to round off the end and then might not come off. The shock of driving is kind of hard on welds (voice of experience)...

Too loose and too much mushroom, too tight and won't come off when it mushrooms...