How would you do this?

[flyerdan]

Is there any way that you could use a 1/2" hole saw on a long .250" bit? You'd probably have to clean out the saw several times per hole, but it should do all of them without dulling or grabbing and causing injury.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

You might have more luck with smaller bolt, should be better chances of getting a hole through. A 1/2" bolt is good for something like 10,000 pounds depending on the grade, can't imagine anything on your porch approaches that requirement unless you're collecting grand pianos. A 3/8" is good for 5-6000 pounds, you might even go down to 5/16". Is the purpose of the bolt to compress the deck members, or are you depending on it to perform in shear?

Best to think of it as two offset 4x4s being bolted together. The bottom one is holding up the deck itself while the top one is a post (decorative on top, partially split on the bottom) for the railing. The way the deck was built, they are offset from one another horizontally (top posts are farther out) with intervening 2x lumber and some spaces where the bolts need to go. The top 4x4 is currently held in place with nails only and it is not secure at all. I believe the builder intended all along to lag bolt it in, but never came back and did so. The rail posts have been dangerously loose ever since.

It was my idea to thru-bolt them instead of lag bolting them. I wanted maximum rigidity and strength. Just didn't realize how nasty hard it would be to drill through those darn nails.

Rusty

 

[Secret Squirrel]

If you have an impact wrench you might try driving a lag bolt first, then drill. This could move things (nails) enough for you.

A very interesting idea! What have I got to lose? I will try it!

Rusty

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Is there any way that you could use a 1/2" hole saw on a long .250" bit? You'd probably have to clean out the saw several times per hole, but it should do all of them without dulling or grabbing and causing injury.

I was actually looking for something like that. Unfortunately, I could not find a drill bit extension rod that would work. What I found either had a head larger than 1/2" in diameter or it was simply too wimpy to last or both.

Rusty

 

[aczlan]

Amazon.com: Greenlee 66PT-1/2 Nail Eater II Wood Boring Bit, 1/2" x 18": Home Improvement

I used those in one of these: Amazon.com: DEWALT DW130 1/2-Inch Heavy Duty Reversing 7.0 Amp Spade Handle Drill: Home Improvement back when I worked as an electrician. Worked well for punching holes, but you have to block it with something stronger than your wrist for when it catches.

Aaron Z

 

[ThomasH]

I have used a long 1/2" twist bit for things like this, they are about $20 and will drill many holes in wood...

 

[Raspy]

I've drilled lot of holes like that and have for a long time. It's always a problem and costs a lot of drills.

I finally have settle on drilling with a cheap spade bit. Carefully going in until I feel a nail. Then pulling out and going back in with a hole saw to clear the problem, than back in wit the spade bit. It seems to be the best compromise. Some of the new hardened bits are a good idea too, but they take beating. With the spade bit and hole saw method you can use a battery drill.

 

[CurlyDave]

This kind of situation calls for a Milwaukee Hole Hawg drill. They are pricey, but they are built for exactly this kind of drilling and they will not injure you if the bit hangs up on something.

I would strongly consider going to larger bits, maybe even larger hole saws. Something on the order of 1". Milwaukee sells decent (very beefy) extensions for larger hole saws, and a real hole saw will cut nails much better than any auger.

1" bolts are a standard item and the extra cost is not high compared to the value of the deck.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

I've drilled lot of holes like that and have for a long time. It's always a problem and costs a lot of drills.

I finally have settle on drilling with a cheap spade bit. Carefully going in until I feel a nail. Then pulling out and going back in with a hole saw to clear the problem, than back in wit the spade bit. It seems to be the best compromise. Some of the new hardened bits are a good idea too, but they take beating. With the spade bit and hole saw method you can use a battery drill.

This kind of situation calls for a Milwaukee Hole Hawg drill. They are pricey, but they are built for exactly this kind of drilling and they will not injure you if the bit hangs up on something.

I would strongly consider going to larger bits, maybe even larger hole saws. Something on the order of 1". Milwaukee sells decent (very beefy) extensions for larger hole saws, and a real hole saw will cut nails much better than any auger.

1" bolts are a standard item and the extra cost is not high compared to the value of the deck.

You are both recommending similar (drill bit + hole saw) approaches, so I will respond to your ideas together.

As I mentioned above in reply to flyerdan, I was more than happy to go with a drill bit + hole saw approach. The problem comes down to the hole depth (9") and diameter (1/2"). Clearly, the drill bit doesn't matter all that much when going through wood only. My extra-long "installer" twist drill bit was doing just fine. An extra-long spade drill bit probably could have been used as well right up to the first nails. I am using a fairly powerful drill with a side handle so no problem there as long as I am reasonably careful.

I even found an appropriate 1/2" hole saw bit, but I could not find a 10" or 12" extension rod with a chuck or head equal to or less than 1/2" in diameter. Closest I got was about 5/8" or 11/16". Seems that I would have needed to go to at least a 3/4" diameter hole for such an extension rod to work.

In retrospect, that might have been a pretty darn good idea... i.e., going to 3/4" holes. I already own a 3/4" "installer" drill bit. The 1/2" bolts I bought would still work okay. I would just need to buy the 3/4" hole saw bit and one of those 10" or 12" bit extensions for the hole saw bit.

Going to a 1" hole would start to get a little costly and would require all new bolts, nuts and washers. Might even weaken the rail posts themselves vs. 1/2" or 3/4", especially from an accidental impact hit.

But the idea of going to 3/4" holes certainly does have merit and if I can't complete this job today with the impact wrench approach recommended by SHORT KID, I will have to give that 3/4" holes approach a try.

Thanks for your input!

Rusty

 

[big daddy ray]

yhey sell a bit called a nail eater bit but you will need a file to sharpen it every once in a wile