I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

Arden wrote:

I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

Yes...

Use the auger bit as it will eject the sawdusr better.

Ed

Duane Bozarth wrote:
Arden wrote:

I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

Yes...

In article . com,
Arden wrote:
I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?


many moons ago I worked one summer for a pier & dock building company;
we used air-powered drills (working in the water, you know) and auger
bits.
--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

Arden wrote:
I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?


I would not ue a spade bit.

This is a job for an auger IMHO.

Lew

On 20 Jun 2005 06:57:51 -0700, "Arden" wrote:

I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

What's wrong with brace and bit? ...just like granddady used to do it.

Arden: I went to harbor freight and bought an air operated drill for
this same project. I didn't like using a 120 volt drill with my feet
hanging in the water and batteries on the 12 volt ran out too quick for
efficient use. Leo.

Arden wrote:
I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

Definitely use an auger bit with a threaded screw drive on the end.
After one hole with the spade bit your arm will probably fall off.

"Arden" wrote in message
ups.com...
I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

Get something like a Greenlee NailEater electrician's auger bit. They make
rough holes but that should be fine for bolts. You can dress the leading
edges of the auger with a small file if they get dull.

Thanks for all of the helpful advice.

I had actually given a quick try at this already with a spade bit and
an anemic corded drill and was afraid that I wouldn't live long enough
to finish all of the holes. I'll definitely buy an auger bit.

I was already thinking about the electric shock hazard (esp. for the
two poles which are not adjacent to the dock). The pneumatic drill
sounds like a good idea, but I don't presently own one. Hey, perhaps
this is a good excuse to buy another tool!! Is a high speed drill, or
a low speed (higher torque) drill more appropriate for this task (I'm a
novice at at this)?

I already own an assortment of air wrenches (ratchet and impact); it
seems a shame that I couldn't somehow easily adapt one of these.

Thank-you!

"Guess who" wrote in message
...
On 20 Jun 2005 06:57:51 -0700, "Arden" wrote:

I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

What's wrong with brace and bit? ...just like granddady used to do it.

While the bit will work if it is an auger bit, the brace does not fit any
3/8" drill that I know of. Personally if I was going to drill almost 100"
in depth I would prefer the power of a corded drill over that of a brace and
me supplying the power.

I had to drill about a dozen or so holes thru 12" pressure treated lumber -
bought a 20" long spade bit and went to town.
Got about 6 of them done w/ my cordless then my coreded took over.

"Arden" wrote in message
ups.com...
I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?

"Rob V" wrote in message
news
I had to drill about a dozen or so holes thru 12" pressure treated lumber -
bought a 20" long spade bit and went to town.
Got about 6 of them done w/ my cordless then my coreded took over.


Obviously a spade bit will work but it is not self cleaning and the hole
will clog then the holes are deep and gravity will not clean the shavings.

"Arden" wrote in message =
oups.com...
| Thanks for all of the helpful advice.
|=20
| I had actually given a quick try at this already with a spade bit and
| an anemic corded drill and was afraid that I wouldn't live long enough
| to finish all of the holes. I'll definitely buy an auger bit.
|=20
| I was already thinking about the electric shock hazard (esp. for the
| two poles which are not adjacent to the dock). The pneumatic drill
| sounds like a good idea, but I don't presently own one. Hey, perhaps
| this is a good excuse to buy another tool!! Is a high speed drill, or
| a low speed (higher torque) drill more appropriate for this task (I'm =
a
| novice at at this)?
|=20
| I already own an assortment of air wrenches (ratchet and impact); it
| seems a shame that I couldn't somehow easily adapt one of these.
|=20
| Thank-you!
|=20

You have had lots of advice, but, nobody has mentioned a "ship's auger". =
What you want to do is exactly why they were invented centuries ago. I =
have a 3/8" and 1/2" that I needed for just such a task.
They come in big bore sizes and all have up to a 3 foot shaft. You =
might be able to find one that is big enough and fits a 1/2" drill.


--=20
PDQ

Arden wrote:
Thanks for all of the helpful advice.

I had actually given a quick try at this already with a spade bit and
an anemic corded drill and was afraid that I wouldn't live long enough
to finish all of the holes. I'll definitely buy an auger bit.

I was already thinking about the electric shock hazard (esp. for the
two poles which are not adjacent to the dock). The pneumatic drill
sounds like a good idea, but I don't presently own one. Hey, perhaps
this is a good excuse to buy another tool!! Is a high speed drill, or
a low speed (higher torque) drill more appropriate for this task (I'm a
novice at at this)?

I already own an assortment of air wrenches (ratchet and impact); it
seems a shame that I couldn't somehow easily adapt one of these.

Thank-you!


This is a perfect excuse to buy a brace and the ship's augur to go with it.

Check out Jamestown Distributors.

SFWIW, the only thing I buy at harbor Freight are consumables, not good
tools.

Lew

Arden wrote:

I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?


Use what linemen use when drilling thru telco poles, auger with a long shaft

Rich

--
*Remove "nospam" to email
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

Rent a Hole Hawg and get a 17" ship auger bit. You will let all the
smoke out of that 3/8" corded drill.

On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 02:41:14 GMT, EvoDawg
wrote:

Arden wrote:

I need to drill twelve 1/2" holes through 8" marine treated
poles/pilings in order to mount a boat lift. I'm hoping that my
regular 3/8" corded drill will be adequate. Should I use a spade or
auger drill bit for this?


Use what linemen use when drilling thru telco poles, auger with a long shaft

Rich

When I was doing antenna work using treated utility poles, I had a gas
powered
half inch drill and auger bit to set the step pegs. Keep a firm grip....

Craig

"Arden" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for all of the helpful advice.

I had actually given a quick try at this already with a spade bit and
an anemic corded drill and was afraid that I wouldn't live long enough
to finish all of the holes. I'll definitely buy an auger bit.

I was already thinking about the electric shock hazard (esp. for the
two poles which are not adjacent to the dock). The pneumatic drill
sounds like a good idea, but I don't presently own one. Hey, perhaps
this is a good excuse to buy another tool!! Is a high speed drill, or
a low speed (higher torque) drill more appropriate for this task (I'm a
novice at at this)?

I already own an assortment of air wrenches (ratchet and impact); it
seems a shame that I couldn't somehow easily adapt one of these.

Thank-you!

If the utility pole is horizontal, it's a whole bunch easier. Since
these are already installed in the vertical position over water, the
torque reaction could be interesting if standing in a boat while
drilling. The drill should be running in the 300-450 rpm range for this
work. Due to the chip generation, the bit should be removed at least
once to clear it, rather than just punching through in one pass.