See Post #6. Already tried that. Got through one nail in one hole successfully, but the bit was pretty much destroyed in the process. Nothing left to sharpen or dress up. The whole cutting edge was simply gone. I guess these are unusually hard nails in this deck.
The latter (1/2" installer drill bit) is identical to what I'd been using prior to my OP. It goes through the wood okay... stops dead at the nails.
Hard to believe SK, but no luck with your most excellent idea. I am in shock. I would have bet my life that this approach would have broken through.
Back before I even posted, all the local "experts" I spoke with had totally diss'd the idea of trying a carbide masonry bit and hammer drill. Their reasons why it couldn't or wouldn't work could fill a book. I don't own one, but I could have rented one with a carbide bit to try for chump change. But I was warned against it, even by the rental folks themselves. Go figure.
I don't doubt anything you're saying. It was my very first thought (after I had run into trouble with the installer bit) that a hammer drill with any sort of hardened drill bit would blast through those nails like butter. Then the "experts" one-by-one talked me out of it. I was not only willing to rent a hammer drill and bit, but I was willing to buy one given that I've got some concrete drilling work to do in a couple months.
The bolt holes need to be centered on both the lower and upper posts to do any good. Moving over an inch would weaken those decorative upper rail posts to the point where they would be useless. Vertically, they are already as far apart as I dare put them. Closer together would mean a weaker rail post.
Already have that essentially with my black oxide installer drill... but yes, a longer cobalt or titanium-coated drill might have been helpful.
