Bit to drill into fence pole

[JHZR2]

Hi,

I need to somehow drill into a chain link fence pole. What's the best tool/way to start and complete a hole on this given it is maybe 1" diameter?

Thanks!

 

[mrsilv04]

How big of a hole?

 

[Bob Woods]

Start with 1/4 drill bit and work your way up to 1 inch in small steps. Be sure to wear eye protection. Use some oil on the drill bits.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
How big of a hole?


3/8 rod is probably fine.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
How big of a hole?


3/8 rod is probably fine.


Bob has it. Start small, and step up.

 

[tomcat27]

uh... start with a center punch or make a divot with a nail

 

[bullwinkle]

Use a Uni-bit or step bit and you won't have to change bits as much to do it.

 

[JHZR2]

great, thanks!

 

[TooManyWheels]

Use a hole saw. You may burn up the cutter in the process, but you will only have to drill once.

 

[JHZR2]

hole saw for a 3/8 hole in a 1" pipe??!?

 

[demarpaint]

You need to use a punch first, then pilot a small hole and work up.

 

[Bamboooo]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Use a Uni-bit or step bit and you won't have to change bits as much to do it.


+1

 

[JHZR2]

Well I made some holes...

Went oiled 1/8" bit to a 3/16" hammer bit (these poles are concrete filled), to a 3/8 to open the metal, to a 1/2" hammer bit, then cleared the backside metal with a 3/8" bit.

I ended up needing to open the metal a bit more to use a heavier bolt.

My 98 S-10 ZR2 handily yanked these poles, which were in more than 2ft of concrete, without issue in 4lo. Only one was caught up in roots from a 25' holly tree. Not sure how to deal with that...

 

[Bamboooo]

Why wouldn't you just wrap the chain around the pole, and make a clove hitch? It will grab hold of the pole tight for you to pull it out.

 

[JHZR2]

As you saw on the bottom picture, these poles generally bent to 90 degrees, parallel to the ground before getting pulled out.

The clove hitch would then slide off.

 

[Bamboooo]

That hitch will bite down on the chain and hold. If anything, put a kink at the top so it won't "slip" off.

 

[JHZR2]

huh? how am I supposed to put a kink in a 1", thick metal pipe filled with concrete?

Ill be willing to bet that when the pipe bends to parallel with the ground, no hitch is going to hold tight enough to keep the chain from sliding right off with the force of my truck in 4lo pulling on it. they are jsut too smooth of surfaces without enough surface area contact.

 

[Bamboooo]

That's ok. I'm not going to argue with you. I've done it that way for many, many years, on several hundred types of posts, rods, pipes, poles, etc. Whatever works for you and gets the job done, go for it.

 

[tom slick]

I agree with bamboooo but unless someone shows you how to do it it doesn't make sense. the trick is to hold some tension on the "slack" side of the chain. You can pull vertical on a smooth pipe with nothing more than chain wrapped around the pipe a couple of times.

 

[JHZR2]

Well my arm is nearly shot and Im tired of drill bits being good for only one hole, so I think the last post Ill give this a shot.

Im not trying to argue, but Ill say it again - when pulling on the poles, even down low, they will bend to a 90 degree angle before coming out of the ground.

So that is my concern. Ive just never done it and have a bit of fear of it coming off and me lurching forward in my truck. There are only feet between my truck and hitting something else in my small yard, so there isnt a lot of freedom.

Everything that Ive read on clove hitches state that they are easy to tie and untie (I know how to tie one), and that they grasp firmly, but are unsecure. The unsecure part scares me...

Any other tips before I try this?