How much trouble is it to drill a 0.18 or so hole thru a 1/2" diameter bolt 1 " long? It needs the hole to install a mini base (automotive type), to grease internal sprocket bearings. I lost a main bolt out of my ac tiller and Simplicity don't stock/sell them anymore! I don't want/need grade 8 stuff, grade 5 is good enough. I have the floor drill press, 16 speed, good vise mounted on it and wonder if that long run would work.
Lining up and keeping square would be the biggest problem, and wonder if drills would stay sharp that long. My former drilling in iron was with oxy/acy.! lol! thanks sonny

Set your speed down and use light oil to cool the bit you Shouldn't have any problems. When I do that I put a couple nuts on the bolts so I can clamp them in the vice with out damaging the threads. I have drilled grade 8 bolts as long as 5" for grease passages. PATIENCE is the key.

What he said and good drill bits.

Thanks guys! ---This bolt is fine thread and don't have nuts that fit, but will keep looking. that would give more support to keep things square. I have a couple of bits that are s'posed to drill hardened steel, ( can't always believe the package) but the one I been using seams to hold up so I need to try it. Really need the tiller running this year. Last year it was down and made the garden work a lot harder. (4 acres).

The tiller goes on my ac 917-h garden tractor and is 36 inches wide. Broke the main drive chain 2 years ago, lost a bolt somewhere, Have new chains on and ready to put back together!

Sonny, another neat fixture for holding a bolt is to get 2 matching nuts to fit the bolt. The next step is optional but helps frustration and pinched fingers. Grind or cut on a lathe (best) a groove centered around the flats so the groove just is under the diameter of the flats. This will hold an O ring so use the skinniest one you can find that will stretch around the nut and snap into the groove. This will act as a retainer to keep the nut together...…..after you cut the nut in half to get two "C" shaped pieces. This is effectively a 2 piece collet that will grip the threads without damage and will also keep the bolt from spinning. Having 2 of these assemblies will allow you to hold longer bolts without movement. Just make sure one half of the "C" is on the one jaw of the vice and the other half on the other jaw. Tighten the vice and you have a threaded fixture to hold any bolt of that size and thread once you make a few sets of these for different sizes you will wonder how you got by without them. They can also be used in a pair to clamp in a three jaw chuck on a lathe to turn threaded...…….stuff.


IF you don't drill a lot of bolts get 2 hardwood blocks and a piece of thin hardboard to fit the size of your vice jaws. Fasten the thin hardboard vertically between the hardwood blocks then clamp in your vice with the hardboard vertical. As close to center as you can drill so half of the bolt size hole is in each piece of the hardwood blocks. Discard the thin hardboard, insert the bolt between the grooves in the blocks and clamp away!

I hope I didn't insult your intelligence too bad. I'm used to writing for military trainees at a 9th grade level. For those of you who I absolutely confused I will make a set of each type of holder tomorrow.
Cheers!
Terry

I used to teach Aux packackage course in SUBSCHOOL. Basically all the equipment they were responsible for. It's un believable how hard it is to teach some people. Had to do a lot of 1 on 1 time. Almost got a job writing curriculum for at sea training programs.. Glad I didn't

I like the hardwood clamp idea. Best bet if you don't have the nuts and for a one time shot. Grease passage doesn't have to be perfectly centered either..

Sonny you could probably use a couple pieces of wood from a decent pallet. even the hard pine pallets should be sufficient for the task.

I never thought of the hardwood idea! I do have a few good pallet pieces ---That will work for me. IF I can drill it right,---I only need one bolt for now. ----- Its a fine thread, 1" long x 1/2" diameter bolt. I was thinking that one this short might not be too hard to drill.---- The only bolts that I can find are grade 8, which I don't need, but the drill bit I have says for hardened steel. Have to buy 10 or 500 bolts to get one, so still lookin'. E-bay looks to have the most offering's of them, and won't take long to get the order.

do you have a PepBoys? The ones here actually have a decent stock of fine threaded stuff. Might check them if you do. 1/2-20? I might even have one .. I'll look

Sonny,
I can probably hook you up

According to the parts list they show it being 1/2"x 1" 20 thread.

Well then looks like I've got you covered. I even have a nut so I will chuck this up in the lathe, center bore it stick a zerk fitting in it for you and ship it off. Will a straight zerk work?

Straight will work! Thanks Jim!

Tada!!!!!!! in the mail tomorrow. Glad it found a home. AND didn't want to leave every one hanging..

I have also had good results from just cutting down one side of a nut, the cut will spring enough to grip in a vise or chuck. If for whatever reason you need a "softer" collet, you can continue cutting part way through on the other side (I like to cut the last side from the threads side) while still leaving it in one piece.

I had a nut... just chucked it up in the lathe & center bored it then tapped for the 1/4-28 Zirk

easy work when u have an organised and well set up shop and the right equipment..and also no one else to mess it up for you and break all your drill bits..I just restocked from MSC..bought all cobalt drills,almost too pretty to use

well My shop isn't quite organized right now, but I did have the right equipment.
Sonny
I would think you should have that bolt by the weekend. Kathy sent it priority mail.