I had a job to drill holes for cables at the end of 2x8 joists, which gives
7 1/4" clearance. Since the drill bits are almost that long it doesn't leave
much room to work with. Most add-on adapters and flexible shafts need room
for the gear case or bending the shaft plus the chuck, you will probably
have room for only a 2" long drill bit, not good to get all the way up. I
had a Bosch right angle drill, real compact, the chuck was buried in the
gear case and combined was only about 2" tall. I used a short spade drill
bit (either buy a set of short bits or cut one down) to get started and then
switched to a full length bit to finish. Awkward to work with because as the
right angle drill bears down your fingers start contacting the points of
nails that protrude through the floor, but it got the job done.

"Robert Allison" wrote in message
news:7yhvj.3183$JF.318@trnddc01...
Proch wrote:
I need to drill a 1" hole in the floor from the cellar up through a 2x4,
yet there is only about 8" of clearance at the spot where I would drill
due to a beam. What are my options other than to purchase a right angle
drill? I'm not even sure if I'll get the clearance I need from the right
angle drills that I see at the local stores.

Just cut out the beam! :-)

No, seriously,... You should still be able to do it if the beam is
directly under the spot. A drill with a one inch bit started at the side
of the 2x4 closest to you will come out of a 2x4 roughly in the middle
when it exits the wood. Unless you have a 2 or 3 inch thick floor, you
should be able to do it easily.

If for some reason this just won't work, then get a flexible shaft for
your drill and use that with a very short bit. Don't let the bit come out
of the flex shaft and you will be fine.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX