1/2" high power drill

[PILOON]

i have a Milwaukee hole hawg that is awesome.
Power galore but scary strong.
When I use it I add a 12" 3/4 pipe and plan for the pipe to hit something before it gets my wrist.
So far so good.
Also I never lock the switch on so that it stops real quick.
I frequently drill 3/4" holes in 1/2" stock, maybe just lucky as my wrists are still untouched.

 

[tjkubota93]

I used a OLD drill press to drill a 7/16" hole in a piece of angle for a winch fairlead mount on a John deer loader with a side boom crane.

The drill press was 6 1/2 feet tall and wired to a wall switch.

I held the angle with a pair of vise grips. (Dumba $$) The bit caught and my arm got wrapped around the chuck up to my shoulder. I swear I saw my arm bone bend without breaking. Then it kept me pinned until a coworker hit the wall switch I couldn't reach. I still think of it when using power tools. I was sore for a month and didn't say a word because I was new at a good job and was afraid of getting canned.

 

[Todd727]

I use a Mag Drill for most large holes.

 

[Deere Dude]

When I was 18 or so I worked at a Speed Queen factory on a drill press. They tell you no gloves etc. but anyway my gloves got caught one time and it wrapped my arm around the spindle and somehow it slipped instead of cranking tighter. I was lucky because factories don't generally have presses that slip.

 

[Rustyiron]

I use a Mag Drill for most large holes.

Bingo! Their available down around $600 now, well worth it even only for a couple of projects a year. Properly used the cutters last a long time. I drilled 8-1" holes and 4-1 1/8" holes all in 3/4" plate in about 20 minutes for this mower mod.

 

[tjkubota93]

When I was 18 or so I worked at a Speed Queen factory on a drill press. They tell you no gloves etc. but anyway my gloves got caught one time and it wrapped my arm around the spindle and somehow it slipped instead of cranking tighter. I was lucky because factories don't generally have presses that slip.

Haha I found someone who knows how it feels!

 

[Looking4new]

My Milwaukee 1/2" drill gets used mostly for driving 4"+ deck screws. It works good for that, but
you gotta pay attention to the screw and not go too deep with it (no slip clutch).

 

[travlitt]

Something I learned the hard way 2 days ago.
NEVER let a 1/2" high power drill motor get loose from you while drilling a hole. It spun in my hands and the side handle hit me on my left hand and literally ripped almost all of the webbing between my thumb and index finger completely off.
Now that hurt.

Follow up on my hand.

Hand is all healed up and I have full use of it.

Have a great day and work safe.

 

[two_bit_score]

Glad you have recovered!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

It is all about working smarter, not harder. And NOT injuring yourself.

Agreed! And that's why I try to drill ALL bigger holes in steel, with my bigger drill press,

It's all gear drive and has a slow enough speed to do a good job with bigger bits or hole saws,

IF I can't get the piece in the DP, then I break out my ELU built drill,

Although it has a two speed gear box like a Milwaukee Hole Hawg, it has a more powerful motor than a Mil., and best of all, it has a built in ratchet clutch for low gear.

If you REALLY bind it up HARD, it will ratchet, giving you time to get your finger off the trigger.

SR