An electric screwdriver. See more power tool pictures.
©2007 HowStuffWorks
Electric screwdrivers are neat because they combine batteries, motors, gears and a switch into one extremely compact and powerful package. Let's take one apart and see what's inside! Here's the screwdriver we will be dissecting:
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When you take off the cover you find all of the basic parts of the screwdriver lined up from one end to the other. You will find:
- A rechargeable battery
- A switch
- An electric motor
- A dual planetary gear system (cool!)
- A simple locking mechanism for the chuck
- The chuck itself, which holds the screwdriver
Ridges on the inside of the case and two long pins hold all these parts together.
©2007 HowStuffWorks
The parts inside are pretty simple. We'll look at the switch and how it sends electricity to the motor in the next section.
