Toothbar installation

[Wal]

I just received a new toothbar for my LA302 yesterday from Carver. Its looks to be a very well made and substantial piece of hardware /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif As most of you probably know, I now have to drill a 3/4 inch hole in each side of the FEL to bolt it on. My drill is an old 3/8 inch B&D VSR corded drill, which has always worked well. Can I just go buy a 3/4 inch drill bit with a 3/8 inch shank and "have at it" /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif I normally do not drill in such thick metal, so I'm not sure what to expect. Should I use oil while drilling?

 

[forestcreature]

pilot drill the hole, i would start with a 1/4".

then redrill with a 1/2"

then, slap that necked down 3/4 puppy in the drill and have at it.

light oil will help keep the bit cool, and so will any liquid for that matter - except hot coffee

by drilling it out in stages, it will make it much easier on you and the drill.

you will be safer this way also.

 

[Pks]

Make sure to keep the drill RPMs low when you drill.

Flush the end of the drill free of chips, with oil or cutting fluid or WD40, about every minute. This may take a while to do. Don't be in a hurry.

 

[Joe_W]

The metal in the bucket is not all that hard, so drilling won't be all that strenuous. Just follow the above advice and it will go very smoothly.

Joe W.

 

[Bird]

The three earlier response are all correct; however, just off hand I don't recall seeing 3/4" bits for a 3/8" drive. Usually 3/4" bits are necked down to a 1/2" drive, but maybe you can find one that will fit your 3/8" drill. Another alternative would be to use a unibit, which you can get a Pep Boys, as well as other places, to make the bigger hole after you make a smaller pilot hole.

 

[cisco]

I placed a Carver purchased bar on my Kubota FEL recently. I had to borrow a 1/2" drive to accomodate the 3/4" bit, and it took 2 bits (dulled 1 on each side of the FEL - yeah, they still worked, but real slowly). I agree with the pilot hole, and then the intermediate hole (3/8" drive works fine for such - select a corded drive if feasible - I ran down 2 batteries - 14v). Lots of lube, and a little patience (maybe 15-20 minutes), will assure you do just fine. You'll love the tooth bar (until you have to pick it up and carry it).

 

[MarkV]

Bird,
I used a unibit---cone shaped bit for drilling varies size holes with one bit--- on my bucket and it zoomed right through. They are a handy thing to have for some jobs.

MarkV

 

[bky]

yes i agree unibits work great
i use them just about daily in my line of work

 

[mbjacobs]

I used a 3/4" hole saw in a 3/8" drill on mine, only took a few minutes on each side.

 

[paccorti]

Funny I just got a toothbar from Carver too. I drilled a 3/16" pilot hole. I then bought a 3/4" (that fits a a 1/2" drill) PorterCable drill bit from Lowes. It cost $15 but I drilled throught the 1/8" bucket in about 15 minutes per side. I used WD40 and that worked pretty well too. I highly recommend a drill bit vs. grinding. I didn't get a chance to try my metal cutting jig saw blades. They might have worked well too.

Peter