Star drill? - Page 5

Posted by George on October 7, 2007, 9:25 am

willshak wrote:

>> The hammer drill (or better yet, rotary hammer) is one of the more
>> indispensable tools - there's nothing that works even remotely as
>> well. Your question is vaguely akin to someone asking which is the
>> best brand of screwdriver to use as a chisel, 'cepting a screwdriver
>> is a lot closer to a chisel substitute.

>
> I don't see the analogy about using a screwdriver as a chisel when the
> hand tool I was asking about is used for the purpose for which it was made.

People are just trying to point out that you are really choosing to make
a lot of work for yourself by insisting on using a star drill which no
one uses anymore for obvious reasons.

You could rent a rotary hammer for not much more than the cost of a star
drill and drill all of the holes in no time with considerably less effort.

>> Yes, I know they used star
>> drills for ages, and yes I know you could do it that way, but I'd
>> borrow or rent one, or buy/sell on eBay to get the proper tool for the
>> job. You'll find all sorts of projects for it.
>> R
>>

>
>

Posted by Rudy on October 7, 2007, 11:52 pm

> The hammer drill (or better yet, rotary hammer) is one of the more
> indispensable tools - there's nothing that works even remotely as
> well.

Eggsactly ! and you can rent one from HD (Bosch Hammer drill or rotary
hammer) for the 4 hr minimum for about 25 bucks and get the job done in less
than an hour..or "tinker" around with ancient technology and spend all day
at it.

Posted by Harry K on October 7, 2007, 10:59 am

> on 10/6/2007 10:55 PM Steve Barker LT said the following:

> > You need to rent or purchase a good hammer drill. You also may be
> > encountering rebar.

> No rebar. I'm drilling 3/4" diameter holes 2" deep in a poured concrete
> sidewalk around my pool. The holes are to attach a mesh winter cover on
> my inground pool. The holes are to hold the cover's 40 spring loaded
> straps. Previously, I had been using the solid winter cover with water
> bags. I just got tired of cleaning the water and debris that accumulated
> on top of the cover when I went to open the pool in summer. I looked
> enviously at my neighbor's mesh cover all winter and it was clean except
> for a couple of twigs laying on top. Then I looked at mine and there was
> a foot of dirty, leafy water after the rain and melting snow had pushed
> the cover deeper into the clean pool water.
> When I first start the drill, I can see the crushed concrete powder
> coming out and forming a ridge around the hole. All of a sudden the
> powder stops building and I can hear the drill bit kinda bouncing over
> something. The bit never stops turning, it just stops cutting.
> I wash out the hole and look in. The aggregate filler in this concrete
> is small roundish pebbles, about the size of a green pea up to a lima
> bean size with colors of yellow, orange, grey, or whitish. I may see
> parts of one, or two, or maybe three pebbles intruding in the hole, the
> tops of which look sanded from the drill rather than cut. At this time I
> take the small sledge and a 12" long steel tapered flat nosed punch with
> a 1/4" wide tip and try to crack the pebbles into smaller pieces that
> the drill bit can handle. I think that the 3/4" hand tool star drill can
> do a better job of cracking the pebbles with fewer blows since the star
> drill will completely fill the hole and may crack two or more pebbles
> with one blow.

> > s

> >> X-posted to other relevant group.
> >> Before there were concrete drill bits, or electric drills for that matter,
> >> small round holes in concrete or rock were made by a round chisel type
> >> tool that was pounded into the stone with a small sledge hammer while
> >> turning the tool. It might have been 8" or 10" long. The face of this
> >> chisel had a star-like pattern, only with 4 points, like a plus sign " +
> >> ". I believe it was called a star drill.
> >> A Google search brings up a lot of sports drills (training regimen).
> >> Anyone know if they still make them, or if so, where to get one on-line?
> >> I'm trying to drill some 40 - 3/4" holes in concrete and my 1/2" corded
> >> electric drill with a concrete bit stalls on the stone aggregate in the
> >> concrete requiring me to stop and try to crack the aggregate with a large
> >> punch. I figured a star drill would work better.
> >> --
> >> Bill
> >> In Hamptonburgh, NY
> >> To email, remove the double zeroes after @

> --
> Bill
> In Hamptonburgh, NY
> To email, remove the double zeroes after @- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -

For a couple of holes, your method is workable. For 40 holes, bite
the bullet and rent a real rotary hammer. The cost is miniscule
comapared to the time, effort and frustration you save. My nearest
rental is 20 miles away and I have made the trip to do as few as 4
holes. Believe me, it is worth it.

Harry K

Posted by on October 10, 2007, 1:40 pm

> When I first start the drill, I can see the crushed concrete powder
> coming out and forming a ridge around the hole. All of a sudden the
> powder stops building and I can hear the drill bit kinda bouncing over
> something. The bit never stops turning, it just stops cutting.
> I wash out the hole and look in. The aggregate filler in this concrete
> is small roundish pebbles, about the size of a green pea up to a lima
> bean size with colors of yellow, orange, grey, or whitish. I may see
> parts of one, or two, or maybe three pebbles intruding in the hole, the
> tops of which look sanded from the drill rather than cut. At this time I
> take the small sledge and a 12" long steel tapered flat nosed punch with
> a 1/4" wide tip and try to crack the pebbles into smaller pieces that
> the drill bit can handle. I think that the 3/4" hand tool star drill can
> do a better job of cracking the pebbles with fewer blows since the star
> drill will completely fill the hole and may crack two or more pebbles
> with one blow.

Bill,

I know "rent a hammer drill" is not the answer you're looking for.

Still, it is the best advice for your situation. With a hammer drill,
you will NEVER have to stop to bust up the aggregate. A hammer drill
will bust right through on its own.

The amount of time and money you spend running around looking for a
star bit will more than offset a 4-hour rental on a hammer drill.

Drill 20 holes with your regular drill, using the star bit every time
you run into a pebble. Then drill the other 20 with a hammer drill.
You'll wonder why you even bothered with the star bit.

Posted by SteveB on October 10, 2007, 9:39 pm

As an aside, and in the vein of this thread ..........

I have used star drills when I hit a hard piece of aggregate when drilling
with a hammer drill. It fractures the piece of aggregate and gets the drill
penetrating again.

One of the best was a 3/16" rod that came as a tensioner for a wrought iron
gate. I believe it was cold rolled, or whatever makes it not bend. I would
grind the end to a screwdriver point, and just put that in the hole and hit
it with a hammer a few times, turning it as one would do with a star drill.
Actually, the handmade tool was better than the factory job.

Steve

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