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Proch Proch is offline
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Posts: 15
Default Low clearance drilling

Yes, this is exactly what I'm dealing with. A load bearing beam in my
cellar, with 2x8s in top of it, and a floor on top of that. I'm trying to
get up the wall to run all my wires between my plasma, new outlet and
basement. I want the hole to be big enough to run a VGA connector through,
as my grand scheme involves being able to view my server on the tv. Of
course, if I drop the requirement for the VGA, I can use my really long 1"
drill bit and maybe fit my drill into the hole that I created for the outlet
and drill downward.


"EXT" wrote in message
anews.com...
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