This ^^^^^ Get a hole saw and drill through a piece of plywood. Use the plywood [oiled] as a guide to drill through the steel. I also use this method to cut round blanks without the pilot hole
Plasma cutter, torch, cutter on a die grinder, 1/2 round file would all work pretty well.. Are you done yet? I could have had the hole cut to size in the time it took to read the thread. get it done! Gene
I'd be lost without air die grinders. I don't know how you got this far without one. The dirt cheap harbor freight ones work pretty good. get one or two and a few carbide burrs. The pointy tree shaped cone is a favorite.
Thanks guys, all good advice. The frame is at the welders until next week getting professionally TIG welded, so I've moved on to other things for the time being. I do have an air die grinder, why I didn't think to use it I don't know. It's probably because I don't like the noise from the air compressor. If the step drill gets here by the time I get the frame back, I'll see how that does. I like the idea of a wooden guide, but have you guys priced a 1 1/4" drill bit lately? Over $30 for a plain Hi-Speed steel drill. Since I only need to make 2 non-precise holes, I think I'll skip that route except as a last resort. I think the first thing I'll do is call the welder back and see what he suggests. He has a ton of equipment.
Son, That's why they make hole saws. You have no way to drive a 1 1/4 drill bit. But the double hole saw idea looks like it would have had you done days ago and fairly cheep. Don't make the simple jobs hard. You will end up making the hard jobs impossible.
That's what I was thinking. If enlarging a hole in a frame mount is this hard, what happens when the going gets really tough? Tubman, wait till you start pricing carbide burrs for that die grinder. Talk about sticker shock! As far as the noisy compressor/air tools, I got myself a really cool ear protector headset with speakers inside for $20
A 1.25" drill bit is huge and I've only used them in drill presses and milling machines, not recommended for a hand drill operation. I've used hole saws and have made up aluminum plugs to use as pilots.
I've seen steel reamers the size you are after. Snap On used to sell them. Seen them used on big trucks to enlarge frame holes and unlike a step bit they churn through the steel right now.
If I think the drill bits are expensive, I'd bet Snap-On reamers of this size would send me into sticker shock!
I'm sure I can handle this somehow. I'm just trying to get ahead of this while the frame is at the welders. Granted, I don't have to do this often; I'm just looking for the easiest, cheapest way out. At this point, I think it's the big step drill. If it's shot after two holes, I'm still good. Hell, I'd even buy a second if the first one did one hole! As to the 1 1/4" drill bit, I hear what your're saying. That's why I have politely been ignoring that option.
The Jalopy Journal
