I'd like to ask basic questions about drilling these holes in concrete:
http://i.cubeupload.com/ILcx5v.jpg

I try to research new tasks before I do them but unexpected questions
always seem to arise when I actually do stuff such as when I drilled
concrete for the first time in order to mount a harbor freight
tire-changing machine onto my backyard sidewalk.
http://i.cubeupload.com/YfywQp.jpg

The 1/2-inch wide bit I bought was in a 6-pack at Harbor Freight item
#62791 "Warrior 8-inch SDS Masonry Bit Set" with "shank style SDS" and the
drill I bought is the Harbor Freight item #62383 "Chicago 1/2-inch Variable
Speed Reversible Hammer Drill", but it says nothing of the "shank style".
http://i.cubeupload.com/usQnEW.jpg

But no matter how many times I cinched down the chuck evenly along the
three keys, the bit was wobbly in the chuck hole.
http://i.cubeupload.com/5bOwO9.jpg

So my first question is whether I bought the right kind of bits because the
bits have 2 grooves in them while the chucks have 3 keys:
http://i.cubeupload.com/UtC6fv.jpg

The second question is whether we're supposed to use water when drilling
through concrete. It didn't seem to matter to the drilling, which was like
drilling into butter anyway (so maybe my concrete sucks)?
http://i.cubeupload.com/f1VI2I.jpg

The third question is how deep is most backyard sidewalk concrete? I had to
drill a 1/2-inch wide 1-5/8ths-inch deep hole for the 3/8" drop-in anchors:
http://i.cubeupload.com/UEoGP8.jpg

But when I drilled the holes, I realized the soft concrete was only about
that thick (so the bottom of the 1-5/8ths-inch hole was in soft small
pebbly gravel!
http://i.cubeupload.com/KkzB6e.jpg

Is it normal for concrete to be poured so thinly?
http://i.cubeupload.com/7umFkQ.jpg

One mistake I made was to buy 3-inch long 3/8ths-inch hardware store (Home
Depot) bolts (which are about 1/4 inch too long) but Home Depot doesn't
sell quarter-inch increments), one of which snapped off below ground as I
was screwing it in to the anchor bolt (which was set with the proper set
tool).
http://i.cubeupload.com/gplfkB.jpg

I suspect I should have gotten stainless steel bolts but Home Depot doesn't
sell them. Where would you get four 2/3/4-inch 3/8-inch stainless steel
bolts?

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 21:11:34 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:




The 1/2-inch wide bit I bought was in a 6-pack at Harbor Freight item
#62791 "Warrior 8-inch SDS Masonry Bit Set" with "shank style SDS" and the
drill I bought is the Harbor Freight item #62383 "Chicago 1/2-inch Variable
Speed Reversible Hammer Drill", but it says nothing of the "shank style".
http://i.cubeupload.com/usQnEW.jpg


SDS drills are for certain hammer drills, not a regular chuck. Sorry,
but you have a tool mismatch. You may get your holes don, but not
very well compared to using the right drill.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 17:31:06 -0500, Ed Pawlowski advised:

SDS drills are for certain hammer drills, not a regular chuck. Sorry,
but you have a tool mismatch. You may get your holes don, but not
very well compared to using the right drill.

I thought something was out of whack but those are the bits the Harbor
Freight personnel said to buy.

I wonder if I can return a slightly used 1/2-inch drill bit?

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 23:11:38 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 17:31:06 -0500, Ed Pawlowski advised:

SDS drills are for certain hammer drills, not a regular chuck. Sorry,
but you have a tool mismatch. You may get your holes don, but not
very well compared to using the right drill.

I thought something was out of whack but those are the bits the Harbor
Freight personnel said to buy.

I wonder if I can return a slightly used 1/2-inch drill bit?

Maybe. If you raise a stink about it. What you need is a masonry
drill bit to fit the drill. Not an SDS bit.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:41:13 -0800, Oren advised:

Maybe. If you raise a stink about it. What you need is a masonry
drill bit to fit the drill. Not an SDS bit.

Thanks. Too bad I didn't ask you first, but now I have the bits and the
drill, neither of which I can use.

Since I already have a 1/2-inch drill, what good is a "hammer drill" other
than drilling concrete?

Does it have a second use?

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 23:47:35 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:41:13 -0800, Oren advised:

Maybe. If you raise a stink about it. What you need is a masonry
drill bit to fit the drill. Not an SDS bit.

Thanks. Too bad I didn't ask you first, but now I have the bits and the
drill, neither of which I can use.

Since I already have a 1/2-inch drill, what good is a "hammer drill" other
than drilling concrete?

Does it have a second use?

Ordinary drills can have a hammer/impact feature that you can use a
masonry bit in it. SDS drills and bits are not always necessary. They
work great doing heavy work, not a few holes in a patio pad ~ 4 inches
thick. Sounds to me you allowed the Harbor Freight guy say what you
needed.

On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 6:47:40 PM UTC-5, Frank Baron wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:41:13 -0800, Oren advised:

Maybe. If you raise a stink about it. What you need is a masonry
drill bit to fit the drill. Not an SDS bit.

Thanks. Too bad I didn't ask you first, but now I have the bits and the
drill, neither of which I can use.

Since I already have a 1/2-inch drill, what good is a "hammer drill" other
than drilling concrete?

Does it have a second use?

Hammer drills can be used to drill holes in lots of "hard stuff". I use mine for drilling
through landscape timbers, 4x4's, etc. I lay landscape timbers in a running bond pattern.
With a 16€� long 3/8€� bit I drill through 2 at once and then spike them in place. The hammer
drill just pounds right through them even if they are wet.

I just used my hammer drill yesterday to drill a 3/4" hole 6" deep into the trunk of my
fresh cut Christmas tree for my spiked stand.

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:04:56 -0800, Oren advised:

Ordinary drills can have a hammer/impact feature that you can use a
masonry bit in it. SDS drills and bits are not always necessary. They
work great doing heavy work, not a few holes in a patio pad ~ 4 inches
thick. Sounds to me you allowed the Harbor Freight guy say what you
needed.

What doesn't matter is that I was fooled (because it's over).
I doubt HF will take either their drill or their bits back (I wouldn't
blame them since I used them once).

However, now that I know the bits are no good for a normal chuck, I can
just throw them out. But I don't want to throw out the hammer drill.

Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 4:11:40 PM UTC-5, Frank Baron wrote:


I suspect I should have gotten stainless steel bolts but Home Depot doesn't
sell them. Where would you get four 2/3/4-inch 3/8-inch stainless steel
bolts?

Is there a Fastenal near you? Grainger?

https://www.fastenal.com/products/heavy-hex-cap-screws-heavy-hex-bolts?term=3%2F8%22+stainless+steel+bolts&r=%20~|c ategoryl1:%22600000%20Fasteners%22|~%20~|categoryl 2:%22600001%20Bolts%22|~%20~|categoryl3:%22600018% 20Heavy%20Hex%20Cap%20Screws%209and%20Heavy%20Hex% 20Bolts%22|~

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:22:17 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 advised:

I just used my hammer drill yesterday to drill a 3/4" hole 6" deep into the trunk of my
fresh cut Christmas tree for my spiked stand.

I can imagine a fresh-cut xmas tree being sappy, which is sticky, even
though it's soft wood. So if the hammer drill works for railroad tie and
xmas trees, maybe I can find a use for it after all!

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:35:44 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 advised:

Is there a Fastenal near you? Grainger?

Thanks for that link to Fastenal.
It looks like they also don't have the 2-3/4-inch 3/8ths inch bolt.
They just have the 2-1/2 and 3 inch just like Home Depot did, only the
Fastenol bolts are stainless steel.

Pricey though, at almost nine dollars each which is almost as much as the
entire bead breaker cost just for the four bolts to bolt it down.

3/8"-16 x 2-1/2" ASTM A193 Grade B8 Stainless Steel Heavy Hex Cap Screw
Fastenol SKU: 0175831 (Wholesale price $8.64 each).

Interesting difference in price though:

3/8"-16 x 3" ASTM A193 Grade B8 Stainless Steel Heavy Hex Cap Screw
Fastenol SKU: 0175833 Online price $1.20 each

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:35:31 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:04:56 -0800, Oren advised:

Ordinary drills can have a hammer/impact feature that you can use a
masonry bit in it. SDS drills and bits are not always necessary. They
work great doing heavy work, not a few holes in a patio pad ~ 4 inches
thick. Sounds to me you allowed the Harbor Freight guy say what you
needed.

What doesn't matter is that I was fooled (because it's over).
I doubt HF will take either their drill or their bits back (I wouldn't
blame them since I used them once).

However, now that I know the bits are no good for a normal chuck, I can
just throw them out. But I don't want to throw out the hammer drill.

Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

I've used mine a few times for regular drilling with the hammer
function turned off - can't remember why, since I have other drills.
It's a light duty 1/2" Craftsman - 40-60 bucks. It's a must have for
drilling holes in my basement walls, which are very hard concrete.
I put ran some 3" PVC pipe through concrete block for my sump pumps
this summer. My son had my hammer drill so my SIL dropped off
his kit for me to use. He's an electrical contractor.
A big Milwaukee, which also has a hammer only function which I used to
chisel away the remainder after drilling out a 2" hole with his
biggest hole saw bit. Probably save me hours over using mine.
But that 3" hole was a one time deal.
Your tool is simply for light duty concrete drilling. Just appreciate
it for that use.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:35:31 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

Yes. A corded 1/2" Milwaukee corded one and a battery operated one
with hammer and impact mode for lighter work.

On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 8:28:20 PM UTC-5, Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:35:31 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:04:56 -0800, Oren advised:

Ordinary drills can have a hammer/impact feature that you can use a
masonry bit in it. SDS drills and bits are not always necessary. They
work great doing heavy work, not a few holes in a patio pad ~ 4 inches
thick. Sounds to me you allowed the Harbor Freight guy say what you
needed.

What doesn't matter is that I was fooled (because it's over).
I doubt HF will take either their drill or their bits back (I wouldn't
blame them since I used them once).

However, now that I know the bits are no good for a normal chuck, I can
just throw them out. But I don't want to throw out the hammer drill.

Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

I've used mine a few times for regular drilling with the hammer
function turned off - can't remember why, since I have other drills.

I use mine in non-hammer mode with my Kreg jig. It's my most powerful drill and it
drills the cleanest pocket holes.

On 12/12/2016 02:11 PM, Frank Baron wrote:
I suspect I should have gotten stainless steel bolts but Home Depot doesn't
sell them. Where would you get four 2/3/4-inch 3/8-inch stainless steel
bolts?

3" bolts and a hacksaw. Thread a nut on first to straighten the threads
out when you remove it or you can dress them with a file so they start.

On 12/12/2016 05:35 PM, Frank Baron wrote:
Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

Does it have a lever to lock out the hammer clutch and turn it into a
regular drill? Other than that drilling masonry is its only claim to fame.

On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 10:02:28 PM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 12/12/2016 05:35 PM, Frank Baron wrote:
Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

Does it have a lever to lock out the hammer clutch and turn it into a
regular drill? Other than that drilling masonry is its only claim to fame.

Really? I guess I better stop using for the other things I mentioned before.

On 12/12/2016 08:45 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 10:02:28 PM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 12/12/2016 05:35 PM, Frank Baron wrote:
Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

Does it have a lever to lock out the hammer clutch and turn it into a
regular drill? Other than that drilling masonry is its only claim to fame.

Really? I guess I better stop using for the other things I mentioned before.


When you have a hammer drill, everything looks like a piece of masonry.
Use it for whatever you want. Whether it's any more efficient for
drilling railroad tie than a conventional drill with a decent bit is
another question.

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 1:15:29 AM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 12/12/2016 08:45 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 10:02:28 PM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 12/12/2016 05:35 PM, Frank Baron wrote:
Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now what
does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling in concrete
is one of those things but I don't need to drill in concrete again).

Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

Does it have a lever to lock out the hammer clutch and turn it into a
regular drill? Other than that drilling masonry is its only claim to fame.

Really? I guess I better stop using for the other things I mentioned before.


When you have a hammer drill, everything looks like a piece of masonry.

I have a hammer. I also have a screwdriver. Not everything looks like a nail.

I have a hammer drill. I also have a standard drill. Not everything looks like masonry.

Use it for whatever you want. Whether it's any more efficient for
drilling railroad tie than a conventional drill with a decent bit is
another question.

In my experience with various materials, the answer is yes.

"Frank Baron" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:41:13 -0800, Oren advised:

Maybe. If you raise a stink about it. What you need is a masonry
drill bit to fit the drill. Not an SDS bit.

Thanks. Too bad I didn't ask you first, but now I have the bits and the
drill, neither of which I can use.

Since I already have a 1/2-inch drill, what good is a "hammer drill" other
than drilling concrete?

Does it have a second use?

Of course; namely, drilling holes in wood, steel, aluminum, whatever. Just
take it off of "hammer".

"Frank Baron" wrote in message
news
I'd like to ask basic questions about drilling these holes in concrete:

The second question is whether we're supposed to use water when drilling
through concrete.

No

I suspect I should have gotten stainless steel bolts but Home Depot
doesn't
sell them. Where would you get four 2/3/4-inch 3/8-inch stainless steel
bolts?

Here
https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-De...x?product=8990

On 12/12/2016 02:11 PM, Frank Baron wrote:
I suspect I should have gotten stainless steel bolts but Home Depot doesn't
sell them.
The Home Depot near me has all sorts of stainless stell hardware. So
does Ace Hardware.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:46:45 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:35:44 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 advised:

Is there a Fastenal near you? Grainger?

Thanks for that link to Fastenal.
It looks like they also don't have the 2-3/4-inch 3/8ths inch bolt.
They just have the 2-1/2 and 3 inch just like Home Depot did, only the
Fastenol bolts are stainless steel.

Pricey though, at almost nine dollars each which is almost as much as the
entire bead breaker cost just for the four bolts to bolt it down.

3/8"-16 x 2-1/2" ASTM A193 Grade B8 Stainless Steel Heavy Hex Cap Screw
Fastenol SKU: 0175831 (Wholesale price $8.64 each).

Interesting difference in price though:

3/8"-16 x 3" ASTM A193 Grade B8 Stainless Steel Heavy Hex Cap Screw
Fastenol SKU: 0175833 Online price $1.20 each

Check Amazon, they have the bet prices on stainless hardware I have
found anywhere. See:

http://amzn.to/2gDesPG

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 23:11:38 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 17:31:06 -0500, Ed Pawlowski advised:

SDS drills are for certain hammer drills, not a regular chuck. Sorry,
but you have a tool mismatch. You may get your holes don, but not
very well compared to using the right drill.

I thought something was out of whack but those are the bits the Harbor
Freight personnel said to buy.

I wonder if I can return a slightly used 1/2-inch drill bit?

Yes, HF will take them back.

I purchased the equivalent of this SDS hammer drill at Harbor Freight
a few years ago and it is one of my favorite tools. It drills into
concrete like it is butter and with the chisel bits, it allows us to
break up smaller sections of concrete with relative ease (compared to
using manual tools, not compared to a full size jack hammer...)

See: http://bit.ly/2gD8KNH

I got it for $49 on sale or with a coupon, can't remember which.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:17:19 +0000, Stormin' Norman
wrote:

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:46:45 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:35:44 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 advised:

Is there a Fastenal near you? Grainger?

Thanks for that link to Fastenal.
It looks like they also don't have the 2-3/4-inch 3/8ths inch bolt.
They just have the 2-1/2 and 3 inch just like Home Depot did, only the
Fastenol bolts are stainless steel.

Pricey though, at almost nine dollars each which is almost as much as the
entire bead breaker cost just for the four bolts to bolt it down.

3/8"-16 x 2-1/2" ASTM A193 Grade B8 Stainless Steel Heavy Hex Cap Screw
Fastenol SKU: 0175831 (Wholesale price $8.64 each).

Interesting difference in price though:

3/8"-16 x 3" ASTM A193 Grade B8 Stainless Steel Heavy Hex Cap Screw
Fastenol SKU: 0175833 Online price $1.20 each

Check Amazon, they have the bet prices on stainless hardware I have
found anywhere. See:

http://amzn.to/2gDesPG

Sorry, a typo, should read "best prices"....

Since I never needed a hammer drill in 45 years I'm just wondering now
what does a hammer drill do that I might need (knowing that drilling
in concrete is one of those things but I don't need to drill in
concrete again).
Does the hammer drill have any use around your house ?

I bought a hammer drill so I could drill holes in large boulders and use
feathers/wedges to split the boulders into smaller stones. We have a lot of
very large boulders sticking out of the ground, so I have done this a lot.

I also used my hammer drill to bust up a concrete slab so I could pour a
new one. I orginally tried using a chisel bit, but the slab was 6 inches
thick reinforced with rebar. So the best I could do is chip off small
sections at a time. I reverted to drilling holes and using the
feathers/wedges like I do when splitting rocks. This let me break off large
chunks of concrete easily. It took a bit longer than a jack hammer, but it
wasn't bad:

http://www.watsondiy.com/20150912-patio.htm

This summer I also found a unique use for my hammer drill. We were trying
to dig a trench in the front yard to install a sprinkler system. The soil
is rocky and was hard packed as strong as stone. Even bouncing on a
sharpened spade just barely penetrated the soil. So, I put a chisel bit in
the hammer drill, set it to hammer only, and proceded to drive it into the
ground in multiple places. This loosened up the soil enough that I could
easily shovel out the loose dirt. Weird, but it worked great.

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 9:36:27 AM UTC-5, dadiOH wrote:
"Frank Baron" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:41:13 -0800, Oren advised:

Maybe. If you raise a stink about it. What you need is a masonry
drill bit to fit the drill. Not an SDS bit.

Thanks. Too bad I didn't ask you first, but now I have the bits and the
drill, neither of which I can use.

Since I already have a 1/2-inch drill, what good is a "hammer drill" other
than drilling concrete?

Does it have a second use?

Of course; namely, drilling holes in wood, steel, aluminum, whatever. Just
take it off of "hammer".

"drilling holes in wood"

Just take it off of "hammer"...sometimes.

"Frank Baron" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 08:43:50 -0500, dadiOH advised:

The second question is whether we're supposed to use water when drilling
through concrete.

No

Thanks for explaining that water isn't generally used when drilling
through
concrete. I wasn't sure if the water was needed for either cooling or
lubrication.

Where would you get four 2/3/4-inch 3/8-inch stainless steel
bolts?

Here
https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-De...x?product=8990

Thanks for that page where the SS 3/8ths x 16 TPI bolts are the cheapest
yet, at $0.92 each for the 3-inch length.

Interestingly, they don't sell the bolts in quarter-inch increments
either,

Yeah, they do. The page I linked goes directly to 18-8 SS hex bolts, 3/8 x
16 x 1 3/4 @ $0.71 each

Here's the same size bolt in grade 8 steel @ $0.35 each
https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-De...px?product=620

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:28:15 -0600, Vic Smith advised:

Your tool is simply for light duty concrete drilling. Just appreciate
it for that use.

Here's what I now have as light-duty home drills:
http://i.cubeupload.com/mvDK5D.jpg

1. 1/2-inch, 7.5amp, 0-2800rpm VSR hammer Chicago Electric
2. 1/2-inch, 16VDC, 0-1600rpm VSR cordless DeWalt
3. 3/8-inch, 2.5amp, 0-1200rpm VSR Sears Craftsman
4. 1/4-inch, 2.3amp, 2000rpm Rockwell Model 70 (my 1st drill as a kid)

Thanks for that advice that I basically have a second 1/2-inch drill for
light-duty work that just happens to have a button to add a slight hammer
feature (and VSR which is variable speed reversible).

Looking at the specs, it's not any bigger than my existing DeWalt cordless
drill, but it seems to go faster.

When, at home, is a "faster" drill useful though?

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 17:48:30 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 advised:

I use mine in non-hammer mode with my Kreg jig. It's my most powerful drill and it
drills the cleanest pocket holes.

I just grabbed my three (now four) drills, and looked with a magnifying
glass at the specs, so I agree with your assessment that it's now my "most
powerful" drill, if I count the speed and amps as "power".
http://i.cubeupload.com/mvDK5D.jpg

1. 1/2-inch, 7.5amp, 0-2800rpm VSR hammer Chicago Electric
2. 1/2-inch, 16VDC, 0-1600rpm VSR cordless DeWalt
3. 3/8-inch, 2.5amp, 0-1200rpm VSR Sears Craftsman
4. 1/4-inch, 2.3amp, 2000rpm Rockwell Model 70 (my 1st drill as a kid)

I bought the drills in the order below, where my 'kid' drill was the
Rockwell which was a Christmas gift when I was just a boy. Later, probably
in college days, I bought the Craftsman because I had to drill using larger
bits than 1/4-inch bits so I got the 3/8ths-inch chuck.

After that, I never used any other drill but the Craftsman 3/8ths-inch
chuck VSR but at some point I needed to work outside and didn't want to
deal with extension cords so I bought the 1/2-inch chuck DeWalt cordless.

Now, due to the need to drill four holes in concrete, I now have the hammer
drill.

In reality, the DeWalt cordless does pretty much all that I need, but I
guess if/when I have to drill a *lot* of 1/2-inch bit holes, I will have
the drill to do it now.

I still can't think of any reason for wanting the hammer though, other than
to drill concrete (and maybe railroad ties).

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 18:14:49 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

I still can't think of any reason for wanting the hammer though, other than
to drill concrete (and maybe railroad ties).

The hammer drill with a chisel blade is great for removing floor tile
too....

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 20:02:40 -0700, rbowman advised:

Does it have a lever to lock out the hammer clutch and turn it into a
regular drill? Other than that drilling masonry is its only claim to fame.

Thanks for explaining that the hammer feature is only for masonry work.

The Chicago Electric 7.5Amp hammer drill has two buttons, a trigger, and a
lock.

1. The trigger is for speed control
2. The lock button is to lock the trigger
3. There is a forward/reverse slider perpendicular to the trigger
4. At top there is a hammer/drill control slider

The funny thing is that I don't *feel* any difference with that
hammer/drill slider set to hammer versus drill.

Is that odd?

Whether I'm drilling in air (playing the air drill) or if I'm drilling in
the concrete, I feel no difference in the drill no matter if the slider
selector switch is set to hammer or to drill.

Is that normal?

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 16:11:39 -0000 (UTC), HerHusband advised:

So, I put a chisel bit in
the hammer drill, set it to hammer only, and proceded to drive it into the
ground in multiple places. This loosened up the soil enough that I could
easily shovel out the loose dirt. Weird, but it worked great.

I have never used a hammer drill before so I have to ask if you can *feel*
the hammer action when using the drill (either just spinning it in the air
or when chipping that soil)?

I can't feel any difference in the drill in hammer mode versus is normal
drill mode.

Is that how it's supposed to feel?

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:31:02 +0000, Stormin' Norman advised:

Yes, HF will take them back.

I purchased the equivalent of this SDS hammer drill at Harbor Freight
a few years ago and it is one of my favorite tools. It drills into
concrete like it is butter and with the chisel bits, it allows us to
break up smaller sections of concrete with relative ease (compared to
using manual tools, not compared to a full size jack hammer...)

See: http://bit.ly/2gD8KNH

I got it for $49 on sale or with a coupon, can't remember which.

Yours is better than mine, but I paid around the same price.
Mine is 1/2 inch chuck with 7.5amp motor, while yours is a 1-1/8 in. chuck
and a 10 Amp Heavy Duty SDS Variable Speed Rotary Hammer motor.

Chicago Electric Power Tools 69274 10 Amp 3-in-1 1-1/8" Variable Speed SDS
Rotary Hammer, Harbor Freight item#69274

It seems that yours uses the funky shaped SDS bits I bought!

Why are they shaped that way anyway?

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 08:43:50 -0500, dadiOH advised:

The second question is whether we're supposed to use water when drilling
through concrete.

No

Thanks for explaining that water isn't generally used when drilling through
concrete. I wasn't sure if the water was needed for either cooling or
lubrication.

Where would you get four 2/3/4-inch 3/8-inch stainless steel
bolts?

Here
https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-De...x?product=8990

Thanks for that page where the SS 3/8ths x 16 TPI bolts are the cheapest
yet, at $0.92 each for the 3-inch length.

Interestingly, they don't sell the bolts in quarter-inch increments either,
so, it's going to be either 2-1/2 inch (which is a tad too short) or 3 inch
(which is a tad too long).

Wonder why they call them "tap" bolts:
https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-De...x?product=3838

Googling, I find this description of a tap bolt says it's "fully threaded".
http://www.portlandbolt.com/technica...-vs-cap-screw/

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:58:34 -0700, rbowman advised:

3" bolts and a hacksaw. Thread a nut on first to straighten the threads
out when you remove it or you can dress them with a file so they start.

This is good advice to use a nut as a "die" to clean up the threads after
cutting, but stainless is pretty hard stuff to cut.

But I do get your point, and I do have a miter saw where I can put a
diamond blade on it so I can probably buy the 3-inch 3/8'ths inch SS tap
bolts and cut off a quarter inch.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 18:28:32 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:31:02 +0000, Stormin' Norman advised:

Yes, HF will take them back.

I purchased the equivalent of this SDS hammer drill at Harbor Freight
a few years ago and it is one of my favorite tools. It drills into
concrete like it is butter and with the chisel bits, it allows us to
break up smaller sections of concrete with relative ease (compared to
using manual tools, not compared to a full size jack hammer...)

See: http://bit.ly/2gD8KNH

I got it for $49 on sale or with a coupon, can't remember which.

Yours is better than mine, but I paid around the same price.
Mine is 1/2 inch chuck with 7.5amp motor, while yours is a 1-1/8 in. chuck
and a 10 Amp Heavy Duty SDS Variable Speed Rotary Hammer motor.

Chicago Electric Power Tools 69274 10 Amp 3-in-1 1-1/8" Variable Speed SDS
Rotary Hammer, Harbor Freight item#69274

It seems that yours uses the funky shaped SDS bits I bought!

Why are they shaped that way anyway?

The SDS bits are far superior to standard high-speed twist bits. There
is zero chance of bit slippage, additionally, they click-lock in the
chuck, none of that hand tightening or loosening the chuck. Lastly,
bit changes are quite rapid. I love my HF rotary hammer drill.

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 1:20:30 PM UTC-5, Frank Baron wrote:
On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 20:02:40 -0700, rbowman advised:

Does it have a lever to lock out the hammer clutch and turn it into a
regular drill? Other than that drilling masonry is its only claim to fame.

Thanks for explaining that the hammer feature is only for masonry work.

The Chicago Electric 7.5Amp hammer drill has two buttons, a trigger, and a
lock.

1. The trigger is for speed control
2. The lock button is to lock the trigger
3. There is a forward/reverse slider perpendicular to the trigger
4. At top there is a hammer/drill control slider

The funny thing is that I don't *feel* any difference with that
hammer/drill slider set to hammer versus drill.

Is that odd?

Whether I'm drilling in air (playing the air drill) or if I'm drilling in
the concrete, I feel no difference in the drill no matter if the slider
selector switch is set to hammer or to drill.

Is that normal?

Once you apply pressure to the drill bit you should - at a minimum - hear
the rapid tap-tap-tap of the hammer action. You won't feel a jarring action
since it's kind of isolated from the user (It's not a jack hammer) but you
should hear a difference.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 18:24:29 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:


I can't feel any difference in the drill in hammer mode versus is normal
drill mode.

Is that how it's supposed to feel?

Apply pressure against something, say a concrete block. The you will
notice / feel the hammer action.

On Tue, 13 Dec 2016 18:36:27 +0000 (UTC), Frank Baron
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:58:34 -0700, rbowman advised:

3" bolts and a hacksaw. Thread a nut on first to straighten the threads
out when you remove it or you can dress them with a file so they start.

This is good advice to use a nut as a "die" to clean up the threads after
cutting, but stainless is pretty hard stuff to cut.

But I do get your point, and I do have a miter saw where I can put a
diamond blade on it so I can probably buy the 3-inch 3/8'ths inch SS tap
bolts and cut off a quarter inch.

Bench grinder works. Thread the nut on and grind off the end.