Does anyone know where I can purchase hammer drill bits longer than 12 inches. I have a Milwaukee 1/2 inch hammer drill, model 5378 with a standard drill chuck that accepts round or hex shank bits up to 1/2 inch diameter. It would be nice to have some 18 inch long bits for drilling though thick masonry walls, but I can’t find any bits that long.
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Go to the toy department at Home Depot. They should have some 18" SDS shank drill bits. These have grooves and notches for the SDS function but the overall shank is 1/2" and should fit.
But if you drill more than three holes in masonary per year, you should be using a rotary hammer anyway.
~Peter
Summer is the season of fleas, flies & mosquitos.
Go to HDT.net ( Heavy duty tools.net)
http://www.heavydutytools.net/Scripts/default.asp
They have a bunch of stuff not on the website. I have bought some at least 18" there before I got into SDS. Call or e-mail Mark and see what he has. Tell him "rich man" said to check with him.
Bob
Sounds to me like it's time to upgrade to a roto-hammer, if you can afford it. SDS-plus bits are easy to find in those lengths, and they'll drill a lot faster and quieter.
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
You can go to a machine shop and have your bits spliced with drill rod to whatever length you want.
It won't cost that much.
And as someone else suggested, you might consider going to SDS style bits with a rotary hammer that will accept them....much more efficient.
<You can go to a machine shop and have your bits spliced with drill rod>
Important caveat!
I had a shop turn down the shank of a long 7/8" twist bit to 1/2" in 1980 (no taper, so a stress riser). In 1999, it broke at that point in my drill press late one night when I was home alone, and broke and cut my left wrist, whipping through my shirt first; missing my stomach.
So, be careful! I never was careful of drills before that and the other time!
Forrest
Worked in a machine shop in 1970. Watched a long-haired dude bend over the drill press to get a good look at what he was drilling. Watched his ponytail fall off his shoulder, and swing into the spinning bit. Watched his face slam onto the drill press table as the hair wrapped around the bit. Took less than an instant. Watched has his head snap back in recoil after the ponytail left the skull. Watched as the blood formed a halo around his head as we waited for the ambulance.
I was in high school at the time, and my job was to clean up the lathes and milling machines after the crew left. Guess who had to clean up the hair and blood?
Never have worn my hair long. Never will.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
http://www.relton.com/html/rotrybit2003.html
Good Company , Good tools, Great service.
"Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca
One thing you can do is to buy one longer bit that is smaller dia. You drill through the block with the small dia bit first. Then you can take your shorter larger dia bits and drill from both sides.
The pilot hole will keep them lined up. This way you don't have to buy a lot of long bits.
I have a really old Red Head (or is it Red Top) hammer drill which was the precursor of Hilti. It has a splined socket and the bits were hard to find. I bought an adapter that changes from spline to SDS and works great. I did see one time (don't know where) some company was selling adapters to be able to mix and match any fitting to any fitting. Kango i believe also had a hex drive. As far as long bits, I used to regularly rent 36inch bits from the local rent shop for putting gas lines through big chimney's. Rent shops have lots of new and old stuff for sale plus they have access to suppliers we have never heard of. Try to find a rent shop owned by an older person who has had it for decades as they are a wealth of information.
roger
I think you're asking for the impossible ....
At least for me, masonry bits smaller than 3/8" really tend to wander as they drill .... it's anyone's guess where the long hole will come out. Also, with any amount of drill pressure, long bits are easily bent.
How pronounced is the problem? Well, I've yet to have the 3/8" drill follow a 1/4" pilot hole!
Extensions? Again, I haven't seen extensions with collets smaller than 1/2"- so you might as well use the large bit all the way through.
Since we're now speaking of holes of 3/8" or larger ... you really want to get a roto-hammer. I find my Harbor Freight $75 special to work just fine. Indeed, the irony is that I have several bits that cost more then the tool.
I've got hammer bits up to 6' long from my alarm supplier. They come on a spring steel shank. Seen similar at electrical suppliers. That allows you to perform amazing feats starting in a hollow wall. Depending on how you direct the drill, you'll direct the bit. Takes some practice.
For shorter straight runs, I've found a standard 1/4" bit extension adequate.
In my alarm days (since sold the business) we not infrequently drilled through a few feet of structural brick to gain attic access for wires. No problem, other than not "feeling" the attic and continuing through the roof. Generally 3/8", but 5/8" on occasion.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Ebay
I just took a quick look and it looks like plenty of stuff with a little looking.
http://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-326021-Straight-Shank-Masonry/dp/B0009F3TJA
And a couple more.
"HAMMER"MASONRY DRILLS
1/8" to 1-1/2" diameters: standard and metric sizes also.
( Up to 48" +) lengths
EXTRA LONG MASONRY DRILL BITS (& WOOD) DRILL BITS
1/4" to 1-1/2"dia..
UP TO 72" lengths
And that site is http://advantage-drillbits.com/masonry.html
Edited 7/31/2007 6:53 pm by ClaysWorld