Ahhh, today I had to drill 300 holes into a natural Montana boulder. I broke 3 bits. Then at the hardware store where I was buying more bits, the guy there told me to use water, to keep the bits cool. He said they were breaking off because they were getting hot. So I used all three at the same ime. I'd drill about 5 holes, 2" deep, pop off the bit, put it in water, and get a cool bit. I was rotating them. Finally I had to stop early because I wore down the bits. Also, I found that the Bosch drill bits worked way better than the Dewalt bits. The Dewalt bits sucked. I dumped it after a few tries and returned to the hardware store to get the Bosch bits.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
LOL ... the hardware store guy meant squirting water into the hole as you were drilling!
Cools the bit and get some of the dust out at the same time.
Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :
Si got that right
edited to ask if they were Diamond drill bits?
[ September 23, 2008, 12:59 AM: Message edited by: Joey Madden ]
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
bosch for masonry, everytime
dewalt, black and decker, makita all these drill bits suck
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Sounds like you're really leanin' on that drill, Alicia. Good you found better bits. In the future, or depending on how far you've gotten to this point, you'll probably be better off to go to an industrial tool supplier rather than a regular hardware store. Grainger for instance. You will find more heavy-duty bits, grinders, etc. even than the Bosch.
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
3 bits in 300 holes?
Sounds like the correct rate of attriton to me.I'd be more afraid of the drill motor burning up than the drill bits giving their all.
All in all Alicia...you done just fine!
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Alicia, a hammer drill goes far smoother than just a rotater. Get some kinda bottle that allows you to spray or squirt on the bit tip and into the hole. This will move out the dust and cool the tip. Rotating the bits is not necessary. Just wear them out and replace them. If I had that many holes to do, I'd probably devise a drip system. A bottle mounted up higher with a small tube that could be taped to the drill with the tube end over the bit, or better yet, an eight year old helper with a squirt gun.
[ September 23, 2008, 08:48 AM: Message edited by: Rick Sacks ]
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
I'd use a camelbak (backpack with a water bladder for long exercise sessions) and put a longer hose on it. Tape one end of the hose to the drill aimed at the work area, put the bladder on the ground, and you have a foot operated coolant system. Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Good idea, Mike. Hmmmm... Maybe I'll also get to deduct my backpacking gear...
Posted by stein Saether (Member # 430) on :
Is it riskfree to have water so close to the electric motor?
Posted by Bill Lynch (Member # 3815) on :
My technique... Hammer drill, good bits, depending on hole size-pilot holes, spray lube.... and somebody else to do it Sounds like you did just fine.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Water isn't very conductive and a little splashing will not bother an electric motor. Full submersion is another story. There's all kinds of unsealed electric motors under the hood of a car, the biggest one being the alternator, and they get soaked driving around in rain but last quite a while in that environment.
If you position the hose so the water exits closer to the bit/work area, there will be very minimal risk. Even big dollar CNC rigs have water cooling for stone and metal working CNC's use kerosene.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
The Tapcon brand masonry bits are also excellent and long lasting.
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