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Thread: Need help drilling in a tight corner

  1. #1
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    Need help drilling in a tight corner

    I need to drill a few small screw holes in tight corners. Even my smaller hand drill has a too fat chuck and the handle is too long. Suggestions?

  2. #2
    A drill bit with 1/4” hex end maybe with an hex extender, or a long shank drill bit, or a flexible shaft hex extender.

  3. #3
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    As long as it's not an unreasonable amount of holes, how about a gimlet?

  4. #4
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    Dewalt makes a small right angle adapter that has no chuck, just a hex drive. Couple it with a hex drive drill bit of the right size and you can get in pretty tight spaces. Especially if you use stubby hex drive drill bits. The adapter costs $20-25 but has come in handy for tight spots.

    Another handy option is a flexible drive shaft, again hex drive only, again coupled with hex drive drill bits.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  5. #5
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    Tom,

    Would something like this work? https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-11...193137#overlay
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  6. #6
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    Pancake AKA Porkchop drill adapter. No need for the full pancake pneumatic drill. You will have to buy some threaded drills to math. I assume 1/4-28.
    Bill D.

    https://www.browntool.com/Listview/t...a/Default.aspx

    ARO and Jiffy are big names in the aircraft drill industry
    Last edited by Bill Dufour; 05-14-2022 at 1:56 AM.

  7. #7
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    more info?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Bender View Post
    I need to drill a few small screw holes in tight corners. Even my smaller hand drill has a too fat chuck and the handle is too long. Suggestions?
    For starting wood screws or thru-holes? It might help to know the diameter and depth of the holes, how close to the corners. and the clearance above and below.

  8. #8
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    Dewalt makes a small right angle adapter that has no chuck, just a hex drive. Couple it with a hex drive drill bit of the right size and you can get in pretty tight spaces. Especially if you use stubby hex drive drill bits. The adapter costs $20-25 but has come in handy for tight spots.
    +1 to the DeWalt right angle drive.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  9. #9
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    Tom, I just purchased one of these flexible drill shafts. It only takes the hex drive drill bits. I used to get into a tight spot on my golf cart drilling metal. It worked great.

    https://www.amazon.com/Maexus-Flexib...-Bit-Extension (you will need to copy and paste the link)
    Last edited by Gary Thinglum; 05-14-2022 at 8:02 AM.

  10. #10
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    Some drill/driver systems come with an attachment specifically designed to place a hole or drive very close to the edge/corner. Mine is Festool, but Bosch and I believe Milwaukee have similar solutions.

    The alternative manual method is a pin-vice and bit for drilling and a manual screwdriver.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
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    Pancake drill picture. takes threaded drills. I have seen small threaded chucks to fit. This photo appears to show a chuck as well as the pancake attachment. I use mine to drill inside electrical boxes for pilot holes into 50 year old studs. Then I screw the box to the stud with hex head screws designed for metal roofing.
    Bill D
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    Last edited by Bill Dufour; 05-14-2022 at 10:55 AM.

  12. #12
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    If you're going to be doing this a lot, Bosch has a drill which includes an offset chuck among several other things. https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Power-T...42177656&psc=1 At $150, it is pretty affordable. To drill holes, you'll need a set of hex-shank bits.
    Last edited by Jamie Buxton; 05-14-2022 at 1:26 PM.

  13. #13
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    Ok lots of good advice here.

    The task is 4 holes 9/64" ID x 3/4" deep in hard wood, about 1/4" from an inside corner with 6" of overhead space. The corner is not deep on one side. Thinking about a pin vise seems like a lot of fingertip work. So maybe I'll try a bow drill. A few wraps of blue tape around the bit and a top block may do it, if it doesn't start a fire first.

  14. #14
    Tom, for an inexpensive option the hex drills will fit in a normal driver bit (or several) if that gets you up and above the obstruction. I like having them around. My favorite cordless drill is a Bosch with multiple heads. The one that Jim Becker mentioned takes hex bits, I believe. But if you can get around the tight fit by making, in effect, a really long bit you can just use whatever your favorite drill is. I do not use these hex bits all the time but I like them for many tasks where I want to switch between drilling and driving quickly. Handy to have around in general.

  15. #15
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    Thanks for bringing up the hex shank bits, Jim. Spot on comment about what's used for these close-quarters attachments.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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