To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 23:03:52 -0400
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Does anybody have...
From: ronkean at juno.com
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

On Thu, 1 May 2003 16:45:47 -0700 (PDT) Rich Lynch <rw_lynch at yahoo.com>
writes:
> ... a 1/2-inch portable drill I can borrow?  The
> 9/16-inch bit won't fit in my 3/8-inch drill.
>
> Rich
>

Surely a 9/16 HS bit shank won't fit in a 3/8 chuck - the shank is much
too big.  But I doubt a 9/16 shank would fit in a half inch chuck either,
because 9/16 is a full 1/16 bigger than a half inch.  A power drill chuck
has very little leeway over the rated size.

HS drill bits are available with turned down shanks, from machine tool
suppliers, but I don't know if you could get an off-the-shelf 9/16 bit
turned down to 3/8.  I don't think bits larger than half inch are
available turned down to 3/8.  If you have a power grinder you might
grind down the shank of your bit.  If you want to drill a 9/16 hole in
wood or similarly soft material, you could use an augur type wood bit in
a 'brace and bit' type drill, the kind that looks like a big crank and
which is cranked slowly by hand.  They have those at The Home Depot and
Sears.  If you are drilling metal, you could drill a smaller hole than
9/16, and then enlarge it to 9/16 using a reamer.  Such a reamer is
probably available at The Home Depot, and surely at Sears.  The reamer
should probably be turned only by hand; it would probably be dangerous to
try to use a reamer in a power drill.

There is such a thing as an adapter chuck, for example a half inch chuck
which can be chucked into the 3/8 chuck on your existing drill.  Such an
adapter chuck would be cheaper than buying a 1/2 inch power drill.  They
probably have adapter chucks at Sears.  Try your bit in the adapter chuck
before buying the adapter - it probably won't fit.  But you could grind
down the shank to make it fit.  If you grind down a shank, you have to
grind it evenly, otherwise the bit will be eccentric and will tend to
make an out-of-round hole.

Another solution would be to use a 9/16 hole saw bit.  They have a nice
selection of hole saw bits at The Home Depot, and they will fit a 3/8
drill.  They also have 'adjustable' drill bits at The Home Depot, for
drilling large shallow holes, but I don't know if those can go as small
as 9/16.

Ron Kean

.

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