Tow hooks.

[3.0ranger1227]

Worst one I have seen was my dad trying to go through a 3/16" thick steel tube - with a step bit. big ole corded drill, every time it would hit a new step in the pit the thing would torque itself against the ceiling(long story). not to mention he was standing on a ladder lol.

Moral of the story - never use a step bit in anything really thick.

 

[holyford86]

They don't burn nearly as bad as soldier.... ask me how I know...

Been there!

Be a tough call...

I've been hit with welding splatter before but never a blob like the soldier I got hit with. Fell right on my bare arm while I was wiring up a plug on the back of my F-150 and fixing some wires. Couldn't get it off my arm fast enough - 3rd degree despite dropping the spool and soldiering iron and frantically brushing it off. I'll be sure to wear long sleeves next time....

Solder definitely wins that battle, usually weld splatter doesn't stick to you and spread out. I've gotten solder on my face, that sucked.

 

[XionicWaste]

The last major build I had to drill 10 holes in the frame, (6 for leaf spring swap and 4 for tow hooks). I had the box off which made it alot easier but the tool of the trade is this bad boy. The Dewalt 1/2" pilot point drill bit... Its still sharp too! Best money spent on a drill bit.

 

[Ormachek]

Wow, there is some bad advice in this thread.

OK, I'm a welder, I work in a fab shop making frac trucks for the oilpatch here in alberta. I regularly have to drill though the frames on kenworth semis. Thats about an inch of QT100 hardened steel, drilling it by hand really sucks.

What I have learned;

1. ALWAYS centre punch and drill a pilot. I usually go somewhere around 3/16"-1/4"

2. Go straight to your full hole size. If you try to "step up" one drill size at a time you will chip the edges of your drill bits, and you will jam up alot. Drill bits are designed to create a hole, not ream it out larger (thats what reamers are for!!)

3. Use the right drill for the job. A high RPM 3/8" drill will work great for the pilot hole, but chuck up a 1/2" bit and you'll probably just jam up or burn out the bit. Big bits work better turning slow. Use a proper 1/2" drill around 500 RPM for drill bits larger than 3/8". And when you're drilling that big hole, PUSH! Get some weight behind that drill!

4. Use a proper lubricant! Cutting oil of some sort is a must for drilling steel!!! There's all sorts of good cutting oil available for cutting/drilling/tapping steel.

5. Learn to sharpen your drill bits. You NEED a sharp bit to drill a good hole or you're just wasting your time. Get a bench grinder and practice sharpening. One of the most valuable skills you'll ever learn.

I often have to drill 20-30 holes(at 11/16") through the frame in a day, I've made all the mistakes that there are to make so please learn from them!

 

[kunar]

Wow, there is some bad advice in this thread.

OK, I'm a welder, I work in a fab shop making frac trucks for the oilpatch here in alberta. I regularly have to drill though the frames on kenworth semis. Thats about an inch of QT100 hardened steel, drilling it by hand really sucks.

What I have learned;

1. ALWAYS centre punch and drill a pilot. I usually go somewhere around 3/16"-1/4"

2. Go straight to your full hole size. If you try to "step up" one drill size at a time you will chip the edges of your drill bits, and you will jam up alot. Drill bits are designed to create a hole, not ream it out larger (thats what reamers are for!!)

3. Use the right drill for the job. A high RPM 3/8" drill will work great for the pilot hole, but chuck up a 1/2" bit and you'll probably just jam up or burn out the bit. Big bits work better turning slow. Use a proper 1/2" drill around 500 RPM for drill bits larger than 3/8". And when you're drilling that big hole, PUSH! Get some weight behind that drill!

4. Use a proper lubricant! Cutting oil of some sort is a must for drilling steel!!! There's all sorts of good cutting oil available for cutting/drilling/tapping steel.

5. Learn to sharpen your drill bits. You NEED a sharp bit to drill a good hole or you're just wasting your time. Get a bench grinder and practice sharpening. One of the most valuable skills you'll ever learn.

I often have to drill 20-30 holes(at 11/16") through the frame in a day, I've made all the mistakes that there are to make so please learn from them!

very good advice. a 1/2" drill bit should be spinning about 650 rpm going through mild steel, more for softer material but less for harder material. the bigger the bit, the slower it should be turning.

that, and i still stand by my statement about learning to sharpen your own drill bits. its not that hard and can be done on an ordinary bench grinder in just a couple mins.

 

[bobbywalter]

Wow, there is some bad advice in this thread.

OK, I'm a welder, I work in a fab shop making frac trucks for the oilpatch here in alberta. I regularly have to drill though the frames on kenworth semis. Thats about an inch of QT100 hardened steel, drilling it by hand really sucks.

What I have learned;

1. ALWAYS centre punch and drill a pilot. I usually go somewhere around 3/16"-1/4"

2. Go straight to your full hole size. If you try to "step up" one drill size at a time you will chip the edges of your drill bits, and you will jam up alot. Drill bits are designed to create a hole, not ream it out larger (thats what reamers are for!!)

3. Use the right drill for the job. A high RPM 3/8" drill will work great for the pilot hole, but chuck up a 1/2" bit and you'll probably just jam up or burn out the bit. Big bits work better turning slow. Use a proper 1/2" drill around 500 RPM for drill bits larger than 3/8". And when you're drilling that big hole, PUSH! Get some weight behind that drill!

4. Use a proper lubricant! Cutting oil of some sort is a must for drilling steel!!! There's all sorts of good cutting oil available for cutting/drilling/tapping steel.

5. Learn to sharpen your drill bits. You NEED a sharp bit to drill a good hole or you're just wasting your time. Get a bench grinder and practice sharpening. One of the most valuable skills you'll ever learn.

I often have to drill 20-30 holes(at 11/16") through the frame in a day, I've made all the mistakes that there are to make so please learn from them!

very good advice. a 1/2" drill bit should be spinning about 650 rpm going through mild steel, more for softer material but less for harder material. the bigger the bit, the slower it should be turning.

that, and i still stand by my statement about learning to sharpen your own drill bits. its not that hard and can be done on an ordinary bench grinder in just a couple mins.

one thing to add kunar, one needs to have a fine dedicated bit wheel ime to sharpen bits....i have drill doctor things too, damn stone wheel in those dont last too long either. you would have a hard time dressing a 2 in chisel on my metal grinder i clean up parts with, but a fine dedicated wheel works perfect when used specifically only for this purpose.



Ormachek, thanks for posting that...i was simply going to post they are pussies your response is much better. i assume you use a mag drill on the frames with hole hawgs whenever possible? i like those mag units.

for these frame applications...particularly tow hooks i actually prefer my unibits. with my cordless dewalt it usuaully only takes a minute or two a hole to put hooks on a rig if there is room to push a little. not tiring at all.

 

[wahlstrom1]

Ormachek got it right, and oddly enough used the same examples I was going to... Who are ya building frac trucks for? All our wireline units (Weatherford) are built at System-1 in Edmonton.

 

[ranger_mclaren]

Been there!


Solder definitely wins that battle, usually weld splatter doesn't stick to you and spread out. I've gotten solder on my face, that sucked.

I have you ever gottin aircraft paint remover on you skin? I was like opps, oh well I've had just about everything else on my skin I will be fine. Holy shit!! I wouldn't have been suprised if there had been a hole going all the way through my arm when I was done wiping it off. I have literally have been burned with hydrocloric acid before and it was close to feeling the same.

 

[CountryBoy704]

oh yeah ive learned from my little bit of experience stepping up sizes in small increments will destroy bits like no other

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

One of those with a good 1/2" bit on an impact gun goes through a frame pretty quick as well....

 

[strvger]

from what i've heard and read, it should be much easier drilling through a toyota truck frame, thanks to their cheap steel that likes to rust out so fast.

 

[Ormachek]

Ormachek, thanks for posting that...i was simply going to post they are pussies your response is much better. i assume you use a mag drill on the frames with hole hawgs whenever possible? i like those mag units.

Yup, we're a pretty big shop and we only have two mag drills and one frame drill (big honkin 3/4" drill on wheels), so I use them as much as possible. But sometimes you can't fit em in where you need to drill, or they're all being used, or they're out for repairs and ya just gotta man up and drill by hand(Or get an apprentice to do it!).

Wahlstrom: I work for Enerflow in Calgary, we make most of Gasfrac, Calfrac, and Pioneers units. Also do the odd one for Canyon, and a few others.

 

[rkneeshaw]

Wow, there is some bad advice in this thread.

OK, I'm a welder, I work in a fab shop making frac trucks for the oilpatch here in alberta. I regularly have to drill though the frames on kenworth semis. Thats about an inch of QT100 hardened steel, drilling it by hand really sucks.

What I have learned;

1. ALWAYS centre punch and drill a pilot. I usually go somewhere around 3/16"-1/4"

2. Go straight to your full hole size. If you try to "step up" one drill size at a time you will chip the edges of your drill bits, and you will jam up alot. Drill bits are designed to create a hole, not ream it out larger (thats what reamers are for!!)

3. Use the right drill for the job. A high RPM 3/8" drill will work great for the pilot hole, but chuck up a 1/2" bit and you'll probably just jam up or burn out the bit. Big bits work better turning slow. Use a proper 1/2" drill around 500 RPM for drill bits larger than 3/8". And when you're drilling that big hole, PUSH! Get some weight behind that drill!

4. Use a proper lubricant! Cutting oil of some sort is a must for drilling steel!!! There's all sorts of good cutting oil available for cutting/drilling/tapping steel.

5. Learn to sharpen your drill bits. You NEED a sharp bit to drill a good hole or you're just wasting your time. Get a bench grinder and practice sharpening. One of the most valuable skills you'll ever learn.

I often have to drill 20-30 holes(at 11/16") through the frame in a day, I've made all the mistakes that there are to make so please learn from them!

Great tips!

Helps to use the right procedure. With a new cobalt bit, WD-40 for lube, dewalt battery drill on low speed, and 10 minutes of my time, I've got the holes drilled and tow hooks are completely installed. These bad boys aren't going anywhere.

Thank you!