Setting up for overhead drilling
Overhead is where the tool earns its keep and where preparation matters most.
Assess the surface first
Overhead attachment puts the entire load on the seal in tension. Prepare the surface more carefully than you would on a wall, not less.
Position yourself out of the fall line
Never work directly beneath the machine. Stand to one side so that a release is an inconvenience rather than an injury.
Access equipment rules do not change
A self-supporting tool reduces the forces you apply from a ladder, but ladder, platform and fall-protection requirements apply exactly as before.
Support on release
Take the tool's weight before breaking the vacuum. Overhead, a released machine falls immediately.
See overhead drilling.
Questions about this
What is different about overhead attachment?
The entire load sits on the seal in tension, with no help from friction or gravity. That makes surface preparation the controlling variable rather than a nicety.
Where should I stand?
Never directly beneath the tool. Position yourself to one side so that a loss of attachment is an inconvenience rather than an injury.