On Oct 7, 11:53 am, willshak wrote:
on 10/7/2007 10:40 AM RicodJour said the following:

On Oct 7, 10:14 am, willshak wrote:

on 10/7/2007 8:56 AM The Other Funk said the following:

Finding the keyboard operational
willshak entered:

X-posted to other relevant group.

Before there were concrete drill bits, or electric drills for that
matter, small round holes in concrete or rock were made by a round
chisel type tool that was pounded into the stone with a small sledge
hammer while turning the tool. It might have been 8" or 10" long. The
face of this chisel had a star-like pattern, only with 4 points, like
a plus sign " + ". I believe it was called a star drill.
A Google search brings up a lot of sports drills (training regimen).
Anyone know if they still make them, or if so, where to get one
on-line? I'm trying to drill some 40 - 3/4" holes in concrete and my
1/2" corded electric drill with a concrete bit stalls on the stone
aggregate in the concrete requiring me to stop and try to crack the
aggregate with a large punch. I figured a star drill would work
better.

After reading some of the responses I think there may be a
misunderstanding. Are you saying that you want to use your 1/2"
electric until you hit a piece of aggregate and then use the star
drill and sledge to break that up? Then returning to the drill.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!!

I don't think anybody assumed otherwise or the pointed responses would
have been more vociferous.
You'll be making a lot of work for yourself and wasting time for no
apparent reason. There are better exercises than kneeling over a hole
and hitting a chisel with a lump hammer.

I'm curious, Bill - what is the reason that you're ignoring entirely
unanimous advice from a group of people that probably wouldn't agree
on which way was up? Were you starting with the 3/4" bit or starting
with a smaller bit and working your way up in two or three steps?

R

First, let me say that I didn't ask for alternatives, I asked a direct
question about where I could get a specific product.
Although the alternate power tool suggestions were fine, with few
helpful answers, the alternatives seem to have dominated the responses.
I know about hammer drills and their uses, and I know where to buy or
rent one. Buying a hammer drill for this one purpose is out of the
question. I may not never again drill holes in concrete, and maybe I can
just throw the star drill in a drawer with my other chisels and punches
and not have another large, seldom used power tool on a shelf.
Renting one for a day is a gamble. What if I can't complete the project
in that time frame for some reason? What if I got called away for an
emergency, or it started to rain? The rental fee would be more than if I
bought a cheap hammer drill from Harbor Freight (see above about buying
and storing seldom used tools).
If I had asked where to buy a wheelbarrow, I don't want to buy or rent
an ATV (Mule), a front end loader, a Bobcat, or anything other than a
wheelbarrow.
Someone likened my request to an analogy about using a screwdriver as a
chisel. I still don't get that one.
I suppose that we should all get rid of all hand tools since there is a
power tool available that will do the job faster and easier.
I've already bored 10 holes with the 1/2" drill and a 3/4" concrete bit,
with the help of the steel punch and small sledge hammer. I have 2 on
each corner and 2 on each side, and the cover is on using those 10
attachments. The leaves are falling on the cover and are being blown off
by the wind. I have plenty of time before the snow starts to finish the
other 20 holes.
That's my story. I suppose that this threat will continue pointing out
the advantages of using a hammer drill, or maybe it will drift off to
something about garden spiders. But I now have the information that I
need, thanks to the few that answered my question and provided links, so
I'll let the others continue without me.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

Don't know if you found it yet but you can get them from ACE or other
hardware stores. There listed under chisels as a star drill. I got a
few at home but havent tried them out yet. I didn't see where anyone
answered you yet and couldn't tell if you got an answer.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...7.1259502&sr=1

good luck