Gizmodo Australia » drills

At Gizmodo Gallery 09: Freakishly Tiny Drill!

Adrian Covert — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000

The Tiny Drill serves absolutely no purpose. It doesn’t mean we don’t love it. Seriously, look how small the damn thing is! And it comes with it’s own case/holster that doubles as a keychain!

Konstantin Leonenko made these from little more than a watch battery, a tiny motor, a switch, moulded plastic and the smallest drill bit we’ve ever seen. Konstantin says that he came up with the idea one day while on a trip to Berlin, and already knew he wanted to make it using a laser cutter. The original prototype was made using sandwiched pieces of acrylic, but later models moved to a skeletal, one piece design. Leonenko likes it because it pays tribute to one of the most widely used tools.

Know why we love it? Because it’s SMALL.

Read more about our Giz Gallery 09 here and see what else we’ll be playing with at the event.

Freakishly Tiny Drill Inspires Us To Believe Anything Is Possible In Life

Adrian Covert — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:20:00 +0000

This drill, posted by Flickr user S8, serves absolutely no purpose. On any level. Yet I look at it and still think to myself, “that’s friggin awesome.” Ladies and gentleman, an unbelievably small drill. [Flickr via Make via CrunchGear]

Man Makes 141 Rotations Hanging From a Power Drill, Sets Stupid World Record

Sean Fallon — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Here is the trick to setting world records—aim low and think of the stupidest record possible. Case in point—the record for most rotations while hanging from a power drill.

See? You don’t have to spend millions and risk your life to set the land speed record just to be recognised by Guinness. Just stick a drill in the ceiling and hang on tight. If you have a problem with motion sickness, I hear the record for most plastic green army men stuffed into an adult diaper is still up for grabs. [about:blank]

Holy Sh*t Look At This Drill

John Mahoney — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Behold, the Hitachi DH50MRY. Part drill, part jackhammer, it can eat up concrete like balsa wood without killing your arms. Our friends at PopSci cut one open to show how it works.

It’s the first drill of its kind to feature a counterweight strong enough to cancel out what is undoubtedly some pretty serious recoil. I still think it would take all the counterweight in the world for this not to shake my spaghetti arms out of their sockets in two, maybe three seconds. But that picture—can’t take my eyes off it. More at: [PopSci, photo by John Carnett]

Spider Drill Piano Produces Symphony of Cacaphony

Elaine Chow — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Brazilian artist Paulo Nenflidio, who’s currently showing off his work in Arizona, creates weird noise-producing sculptures like this robot drill spider, which ends up sounding as frightening as it looks.

Each of the six hammer drills is linked keys on the main body’s keyboard. When a key is pressed, it causes the drills to start operating, producing a terrible calamitous sound. The keyboard is sensitive to pressure, so pressing down harder causes the bit to drill faster. Like so:

It’s like the world’s most aggressive piano ever. [Makezine]

Tooth Lasers Could Make Drilling a Thing of the Past

Sean Fallon — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:00:00 +0000

For some people, just the sound of a dental drill is enough to cause panic–but the good news is that this barbaric procedure may be a thing of the past. UK researchers have developed a technology that spots tooth decay before it begins using a technology based on Raman spectroscopy–a method that is currently used to identify chemicals. A new study has determined that harmful bacteria can be detected by analysing how light is scattered when a laser is fired at the tooth.

This method would make it possible to detect damage much faster than X-rays, nipping the problem in the bud before drilling is necessary. The testing is ongoing, but the researchers hope that the lasers could be available commercially within the next five years. Of course, you would have to actually go to the dentist on a regular basis to benefit from the procedure, so my guess is that drilling won’t disappear anytime soon. [eurekalert via ZDNet]

Hard Drive Crusher: How Much Would You Spend to Secure Your Data?

Sean Fallon — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:30:00 +0000

We all know that sensitive data left on a discarded hard drive can be a security risk, but would you be willing to drop upwards of US$11,500 on a machine that ensures its destruction? EDR’s Hard Disk Crusher gets down and dirty by drilling through the hard drives’ spindles/rippling the platters to make data recovery impossible. The device runs off a standard 110V outlet, but if you are ever caught in a disk-destroying emergency and the power goes out, just bust out the optional US$895 hand pump accessory and keep on crushin’ in the dark.

According to the product page, the Hard Disk crusher can dispose of a drive in about 10 seconds or about 60 disks in an hour (fuzzy math). So my guess is that this device is aimed at large commercial organisations or military operations. You know, the kinds of businesses with lots of sensitive data that don’t mind wasting a crapload of money on a device like this. Speaking of that, a warranty extension on this bad boy will run you an extra US$995 per year. What a bargain. [EDR via Gearlog via OhGizmo]

Man Uses Gun to Blow Hole in Wall for Satellite Dish, Kills Wife by Accident

Adam Frucci — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:30:00 +0000

This is what tools are for, my friends. Ronald Long of Deepwater, MO, was trying to install a satellite dish in his bedroom. He was having trouble putting the necessary hole in the wall and, thinking himself quite clever, decided to use his gun to get the job done quickly. Unfortunately, his wife was outside and caught the bullet in the chest. She was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. On the upside, Ronald now has DirecTV. Silver linings, people. [KCTV via Boing Boing]

Russian Billionaire Buys World’s Largest Drill, Swears He Won’t Drill To America

Wilson Rothman — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:20:00 +0000

The following is not the plot to an upcoming Bond film: Russian bootstrap billionaire and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich announced that his construction company, Infrastruktura, would spend US$160 million on the world’s largest drill. The drill, five meters wider than the current champ, built by the same German concern, Herrenknecht, would be used to improve the grounds around the Black Sea resort of Sochi, site of 2014 Olympics and favourite hangout of both Stalin and Putin. The company says it will not be used to drill a subterranean roadway from Far Eastern Russia to Alaska. Not yet, at least.

According to the Daily Mail:

There was speculation the soccer boss may have bought the machine in league with Putin in the hope of gaining approval from America for a plan both men are said to have long savoured—building a tunnel from the frozen wastes of the Russian region of which Abramovich is governor, Chukotka, to Alaska beneath the Bering Strait.

A spokesman for Infrastruktura dispelled the rumour, saying:”This drill project is unconnected to any plans in [Chukotka]. The drill will be used in Moscow, Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, and other [err, unnamed] Russian cities.”

But then he added: “Before building a tunnel between [Chukotka] and Alaska, there should be a road built between Anadyr, the capital of Chutotka, and the rest of Russia.”

So, like, once the road is built…what? Presumably the spokesman then only put his pinky in his mouth and began to laugh diabolically. [Daily Mail]

Smart Guide Drill-Aid Will Stop Your Holes Wandering (Yes, I Said HOLES)

Gizmodo US Edition — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:45:58 +0000

Bongkun Shin’s concept design Smart Guide keeps your drill at right-angles to the surface, meaning no more badly-placed and mis-aligned holes. It also keeps your aim right on target by collapsing smoothly as you advance the drill bit forwards. It looks like it acts as a guard to protect you from flying debris, as well. The idea seems so simple I’d love someone to make it soon, please—building my new computer desk would be so much easier. I am hoping, though, that, if it becomes reality the Smart Guide is separate from the drill in the pics, which just looks like something that Buck Rogers’ pastry chef might use to whip up a meringue. [Yanko designs]