How to make 60mm holes in new sleepers ?

[CompoSimmonite]

Now I've got a chainsaw on the way for my garden project next question is how would I make, say, 60mm holes in new sleepers so 48mm scaffolding tube will pass through?
Cheers

 

[Mark 2]

60mm drill bit of some sort.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Spade or forster bit and someone else with an air blower to keep the chips out.

 

[Kram]

What chainsaw? If its got a small tip or carving bar you could do bore cuts for a square/hexagonal hole.
If you are new to saws you need to know the top quarter of the nose is called the kick back zone. If that touches the work, the saw can be thrown up - so a beginner should not attempt bore cuts. Start with bottom corner of the bar nose, keep your head to one side, not inline with saw.

Holesaws wont like the depth so probably a carbide forstner drill would be best. You will need either a very powerful slow drill or stop often to let it cool down, cordless wont like it.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

What chainsaw? If its got a small tip or carving bar you could do bore cuts for a square/hexagonal hole.
If you are new to saws you need to know the top quarter of the nose is called the kick back zone. If that touches the work, the saw can be thrown up - so a beginner should not attempt bore cuts. Start with bottom corner of the bar nose, keep your head to one side, not inline with saw.

Had a petrol chainsaw before so am very wary of them but thanks for reminder about how dangerous they can be.

 

[Smallfry]

Forstner bit is the only doable modern option. You will struggle to find one with a long enough shank though.

With a bit this size, a normal drill will be bu**ered in short order though.

You say "new sleepers", so does this mean large bits of tanalised softwood, or proper hardwood sleepers, which will be tar impregnated ?

What you really need is a good old fashioned wood auger with a tee handle, which they used to make old timber framed buildings, or failing that a Brace, with a square shank bit

 

[akdaka]

60mm Forstner bit?

 

[gaz1]

i use a speedbor

on the doors often ive also drilled 3 oak doors with the bit as well

 

[Jaeger_S2k]

i use a speedbor

on the doors often ive also drilled 3 oak doors with the bit as well

Heads up, be ready for it pulling you through the wood , these are seriously aggressive effective drills!

 

[Blobber]

Heads up, be ready for it pulling you through the wood , these are seriously aggressive effective drills!

We used to file a bit off the side of the thread so they didnt pull in as quickly

 

[Agroshield]

I use a speedbor

Could you link to a supplier who offers them in the required 60mm diameter?

We can suggest 20 types of drill bit but if the type is not made in the diameter he wants, the suggestions will not help him much.

---

If he marks the hole out well (and if they are new sleepers, that should not be too difficult), it would be possible to drill from both sides to overcome the Forstner's lack of length. The hole is so big that the chuck of the drill will go down into it, which will help.

In any case, for anything that needs to look halfway nice, the last bit of the hole should be drilled from the other side else it makes a mess when the drill breaks through.

 

[Maker]

Start with a smaller hole and line bore it out to 60mm.

 

[hotponyshoes]

You'll get through the thin way with a regular length.
If you need to go sideways get a bit with a Hex shank and use an extension

 

[cheb]

I'd do it the same way as I'd do a deep hole in concrete, use a hole drill to it's full depth, chisel out the internal waste and start again. Repeat until through.

Also, he's not stated what the sleepers are made of.

 

[Blue Chips]

Holesaws wont like the depth so probably a carbide forstner drill would be best. You will need either a very powerful slow drill or stop often to let it cool down, cordless wont like it.

That's true for a single-stage cut, but if you cut a hole in stages, a hole saw can actually go as deep as you want. I've cut through beams over 12" wide. And yes, you'll need a relatively powerful drill, and use it properly.

Here's a typical sequence: First, drill a pilot hole all the way through the beam with an extra-long bit that's the same size as the pilot bit in the hole saw. Make sure you get it nice and straight.

Then cut as deep as you can with the hole saw until it won't go any farther. In this example, I'm using a 2-1/2" carbide-tipped hole saw that's roughly 3" long.

Note: A hole saw cuts most efficiently when you keep the cut clear of sawdust. Keep your compressor blow gun handy, pull the saw out frequently, and blow the sawdust out.

Pull out the hole saw and break off the first plug with a pry bar. It will 'usually' snap easily, but if not, give it a few whacks with a chisel (note the grain direction) to break the pieces out.

Now cut the next stage of the hole, and repeat this process until you're most of the way through the beam. If you want to avoid splinters where the hole saw emerges on the other side of the beam, after cutting most of the way through, just turn it over and bore the rest of the way through from the other side. The pilot hole drilled as the first step above should align the hole saw correctly. Alternatively, you can tightly clamp a sacrificial board on the other side of the beam to help prevent splintering when the saw breaks through.

If the body of your drill prevents it from going deep enough into the hole to bore all the way through the beam, you can either bore the hole from both sides or use a drill/saw extension, as shown below. Also recommended is a quick-release arbor for the hole saw, as it allows easy extraction of any wood plugs that might break off inside the saw.

I hope that wasn't too boring

 

[caprinut]

What happened to Auger bits that size and length.

Bert

 

[gaz1]

the speedbor goes up to 50mm

but theres another type as well 57mm it does the same thing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/IRWIN-INDUSTRIAL-TOOL-Self-Feed-Drill/dp/B001VND728

 

[zzr1200]

Had a petrol chainsaw before so am very wary of them but thanks for reminder about how dangerous they can be.

No more dangerous than a 9" angle grinder, it's the muppet using them incorrectly that's the problem......

 

[8ob]

the speedbor goes up to 50mm

but theres another type as well 57mm it does the same thing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/IRWIN-INDUSTRIAL-TOOL-Self-Feed-Drill/dp/B001VND728

Similar sort of thing available in 4” diameter, used it to core out stumps to make wine racks, need to use these with a slow gut buster.

Bob

 

[Blue Chips]

Heads up, be ready for it pulling you through the wood , these are seriously aggressive effective drills!

We used to file a bit off the side of the thread so they didnt pull in as quickly

You can also drill a small pilot hole if you want to make self-feeding bits less aggressive, as the screw threads wouldn't have the bite that they would have in solid wood.