Darn Darn. To drill small holes in the cork, foam and plywood, I had a local machine shop silver solder a stainless steel rod to the end of a 1/16" drill. It broke just as the drill touched the ply. Any suggestions to get the jumper wires through 2" foam and 1/2" ply?
BB
You can buy longer drill bits at Home Depot, and through Sears Craftsman catalog ( tough to find in store though ). Or, if you are careful, you can measure in from the bottom of the plywood, spot your hole location from the top as a check on dimensions, and drill the hole. Then take a stiff wire, like a old wire coat hanger, and poke the hole up through the foam.
Also check your local machine shop. A full service machine shop should sell longer drill bits.
Good Luck!
Tom
check McMaster:
Drill through the plywood from the bottom, using about a 1/2 inch drill to give yourself some room for error. Then take a wooden bamboo skewer and run it through the cork and foam from the top. The hard part it hitting the hole, but with careful measurement you should be able to do it.
Or, just get a long 1/4 in bit, and fill around the opening with foam scraps or plaster when you’re done. Both the cork and the foam tend to “collapse” into the hole anyway, so the opening won’t be very big. If it’s on your roadbed, ballasting will probably completely hide it.
Never thought of Home Depot. I’ll try them tomorrow. I also thought of drilling a larger hole from the bottom but my eyesight and the wheelchair makes this too tricky. I’ll need about eighty such holes in total.
thanks to all,
BB
Harbor Freight Tools
Drill Bits up to 24" long
I have a set of 18" and 24"
BOB H - Clarion, PA
I got mine at Grainger. I use 3/32" for feeder wires and homemade pivoting turnout linkages.
Tom
Vermont American http://www.vermontamerican.com/ makes 6" and 12" lengths. I found them in a local hardware store.
Good luck
Paul
I got my 12" long bits at Home Depot, Lowes, Menards and Fleet Farm. One at each at different times due to different needs at the time. Smallest is 1/8"
Go to Wal-Mart and you are likely to find a drill bit extention for $15 tops. Just put the bit in one end and the other end into the chuck. Easy as that. [:D]
-Brandon
If your going to use 1/16" drill bit, you are going to need a steady hand! A drill bit that small and longer than a couple of inches will be VERY easy to flex and break. If you can keep the drill bit length less than 4" and you’re very careful you might be ok.
Good luck!
Dave
Just get a long (6") 1/8 bit from the Borg. (Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc)
The ultimate cure here is to not use plywood with foam. Foam doesn’t need it for support under most circumstances. And you can mount switch machines, etc. very nicely to foam. No plywood means you can poke your holes with a common kitchen skewer.
g
I would suggest that you try your local train store or try any apliance stores like the Home depot or Lowes. I think those stores should get the job done.