STD1000DGNP (1/8″ to 3/8″) V-Drill Guide ► Check Amazon
Hey, everyone. In today’s video we’re going to be reviewing the V-DrillGuide by Big Gator Tools…stay tuned.
Last summer, I decided to replace some damaged 2 by 2 corner trim and siding on the outside of my house, and I discovered that the trim’s nails were installed at a bad angle…and that caused the siding to not lay flat or be cracked on the ends. So, when researching tools to drill straight through the opposite corners of that 2×2 trim, I ran across the V-DrillGuide by Big Gator Tools.
Who is Big Gator Tools?
Big Gator tools is based in Lewisburg, Kansas, and they’ve been around for over 10 years. Their products have been featured on As Seen on TV, and they’re actually a 2016 Pro Tool Innovation Awards winner…and you can check out their website at biggatortools.com
STD1000DGNP V-DrillGuide Specifications
Alright, so let’s go over the specifications of this tool. The length is five and a half inches, the width varies from seven eighths of an inch to nine sixteenths of an inch because of the tapered shape of the tool, and the height is seven eighths of an inch. The tool weighs less than about a pound. The tool is also made of an alloy steel that’s been heat treated, and there’s also a lifetime warranty on this tool.
STD1000DGNP V-DrillGuide – Closer Look
So, as always when I’m reviewing a tool, I always like to look at the case first because it tells me a little bit about the quality and the thought that’s gone into making the tool. So, right off the bat, you’ll see that the case has ANSI standard on it…so, that’s good to know…and there’s also the mention of a lifetime warranty. On this side, you’ll see that there is a US patent number on here and that this tool is made in the USA. So, if that’s of interest to you, this tool is made in the USA. There are also some warnings on this side about wearing eye protection and not using this tool by holding with your hands…you have to use clamps with it. On this side, there is the model number. On this side of the case, there’s some information about the tool being able to be used on round stock and on corners…and that is heat-treated for durability…and there’s also some information about the standard drill sizes being one eighth of an inch through three eighths of an inch.
Alright, so let’s open the case. You can hear this sort of a zipper sound there. I’ll go ahead and take the tool out here, and if we look closer at this inner sleeve, we notice that there are some ribs here on this side and then on the opposite corner here. So, this is a really nice friction fit here for the inner sleeve to be able to slip inside the outer sleeve there…very simple, but very effective feature.
Alright, let’s take a closer look at this tool. So, we’ll start with the top of the tool we’ve got some holes here that go from 1/8 of an inch through 3/8 of an inch in 1/64 increments. On the side of the tool, we’ve got some alignment marks that correspond with the centers of the holes so we can drill nice precise holes…and on the back, we’ve got a V-groove, and that’s to be used with rounded stock and at corners.
Alright, so let’s take a look at the precision of this tool. So, I have a 9/32 bit here. There is our 9/32 hole right there and then to the right of that we have this 17/64 and then to the left we have the nineteen sixty fourths. So, we’re gonna try to put this 9/32 bit in the 17/64 hole…see it doesn’t fit. We’ll try it in the 9/32 hole now…see there’s a really nice friction fit there…and then of course this one’s going to be way too loose here…the 19/64’s hole. So, it seems to be a pretty precise tool…at least in that instance.
STD1000DGNP V-DrillGuide – Let’s Drill
Alright, so we’re gonna drill a simple hole through this 2x material here that I have clamped in the jawhorse…and don’t forget to account for the height of this tool, too, when you’re selecting a drill bit or when you’re drilling through any sort of material. Here we go… And of course, it’s hard to tell, but it seems like a pretty straight hole here.
Okay, so I wanted to test this out on a larger piece of pipe. So, now we’re looking at rounded stock here, and it does rock a little bit, so you have to kind of almost align it perfectly so that it sits nice and flat…and then you clamp it down here. On the smaller stock here, it works much better. Alright, so we’re gonna drill a 9/32 hole through this PVC pipe here, and we should almost see this hole dissect the pipe. So, we’re gonna see what happens here. Okay, so there are our holes through the PVC there’s one there and one on the other side…and they seem to be fairly opposite each other.
Alright, so the last and final test, which is going to be the most conclusive of them all, and the reason why I bought this tool, is to drill through a corner. So, one quick tip is I would make sure I clamp down the larger end first and then clamp down the smaller end because that helps to align the tool a little bit better. So, what we should see happen here is this drill bit should pass through this corner and then it should come out the opposite corner…so, let’s take a look. Okay, let’s see how we did here…there’s that side and there’s the opposite side. Look at that…very nice. So, that’s what I was going for when I was installing trim on my house.
STD1000DGNP V-DrillGuide – Final Thoughts
On the DIY Apprentice Wrench Rating Scale, I’m gonna give this tool a five out of five. This is a very simple but highly precise tool. It’s also very durable…I haven’t had any issues with it cracking or the tool’s bored holes enlarging over time with use. I also like the compact design of this tool that it can easily fit in a pocket or in a tool bag…and of course, the most important feature is its versatility for being able to use it on rounded stock, on corners, and on flat surfaces. I would say the only minor negative with this tool is that it can’t really be used very well on material that’s already been installed…like, for example, trim on the side of a house…but for the price, this is a very nice tool.
STD1000DGNP (1/8″ to 3/8″) V-Drill Guide ► Check Amazon
