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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 10, 2006 - 04:44pm PT
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I have allways prefered to drill on the lead. Mainly because I remember and enjoy the experience better.
I find drilling by hand almost easier than using a power drill and it is a lot less scary. The thought of falling with a power drill is terrifying. Here are a few random power drill shots.
Ken
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 10, 2006 - 06:35pm PT
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Now I've only set bolts for anchors and never a protection bolt, but powerdrilling on lead seems a bit of an oxymoron to me. That and my TE-6a exacts a significant weight penalty and I wouldn't want to fall with it flying about. Hauling it up from the belay also seems a bit ridiculous - hand drilling with something you brought up with you seems like it should remain the "kosher", non-contrived option.
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randomtask
climber
North fork, CA
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Nov 10, 2006 - 06:41pm PT
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Those are some good pics!
Healyje,
you don't have to haul the drill all the way from the belay, you can rig it so you only have to haul from the last bolt, the balayer keeps the drill on "belay" with a jumar or something...
-JR
P.S. Drilling a face ?? I thought those were for cracks!
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
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Nov 10, 2006 - 06:43pm PT
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wait till you try the 50' extension cord/giant battery pack method. Only drawback is your runouts can only be about 50' between bolts. Oh well.....
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Nov 10, 2006 - 06:48pm PT
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I know some of you guys are going to post some dicey 'at stance' drilling pictures....I have one, from someone who shall reman nameless, that even I could tell was wickedly difficulty to hold while sinking the bolt.
You guyz may think that the girl in saran wrap gazing out upon a Jtree pile was hot....but post you stance drilling shots, and....watch out!!!!
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Nate D
climber
San Francisco
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Nov 10, 2006 - 06:53pm PT
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Neato, Ken!
Yes, the experience is more memorable, but "enjoyable" is a bit of a stretch.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2006 - 06:53pm PT
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If I was on a dicey stance I would never let my belayer take a picture.
Ken
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Kevster
Trad climber
Evergreen, CO
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Nov 10, 2006 - 08:40pm PT
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My favorite part is when the drill gets stuck on your last bolt which is way below you, cursing and crying you finally get it free only to have to pull it up one handed(or have your belayer pull it up to you through a minitrax on your harness which is way scarier).
Drilling from a disentegrating hook placement, while you wait in dread of the PING is a close second.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 10, 2006 - 09:39pm PT
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I have a waist pack battery arrangement with a supressor for my Bulldog. Even so I'll often enough place a temporary and then complete the job from the ease of a top rope.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2006 - 10:06pm PT
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I like running two Hurricane handles with modified high speed steel bits. They dull after two holes but, I can drill a 3/8" hole in about 5 minutes in granite if I can swing the hammer freely.
Ken
p.s. Don't have to worry about losing battery power.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 10, 2006 - 10:15pm PT
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Yikes
That's some real scary sh#t you guys are doing,
Man, oh man, scary sh#t.
Edit: Kenny 5 minutes? Wow! I'd be lucky to be under a half hour.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2006 - 10:34pm PT
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Werner, It is true, I will show you my setup sometime. I use a grinder to chisel point the bits and it goes quickly if you can really swing the hammer. It is way faster than carbide tipped bits.
Ken
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 10, 2006 - 11:25pm PT
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How do you avoid altering the temper when grinding the bits?
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2006 - 12:22am PT
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Ron,
I grind them for a short period on a grinding wheel and dip them in water and let them cool off. The initial grinding of them is time consuming. Once they are chisel shaped with the ends of the chisel lining up between the flutes, I only use them for two holes and it does not take much spiral grinding to line up between the flutes again. It is nice when they get shorter making for easier drilling. The bits are cheap and I have about twenty of them. It is nice to have a lot when grinding them as it is more efficient and easier on the temper.
I have only broken one bit and it was in a wierd Quarzite. I have just used them in granite other than that time.
Ken
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 11, 2006 - 12:27am PT
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Ken, is there nothing equivalent or equally effective available commercially these days?
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 11, 2006 - 12:30am PT
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Yeah, I did the same thing back in my hand drilling days. Oops! I mean when I use hand drills.
Not familiar with your bit type but I had a great source for Star bits.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2006 - 12:46am PT
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Ron,
I just buy the cheapest High Speed Steel drill bits I can find usually about $5.00 apiece. They have a point on the end and I grind them into a chisel point like the old 5.10 1/4" bits. I grind the chisel point so that it lines up between the flutes so that the bit is strong. As you sharpen them you have to swirl it slightly to align the chisel point between the flutes. Haven't tried them in sandstone or volcanic rock but, they work well in granite.
Healyj,
There is nothing commercially available that I know of. There is a lot of maintenance to keeping them sharp. They are worth the extra work. The biggest problem now is to find a handle with a collet system so that you can try it out. It is way faster than hand drilling with carbide.
Ken
Ken
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Nov 11, 2006 - 01:06am PT
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Here's my 3/8 hand rig:
The chuck from a milwaukee air hammer with 2/3 of the metal cut off. standard "A" taper bit. Like c-skinner says, grind a little and dip in water to cool. Can be sharpened well in the field with emery paper. 10-15 minutes 3.5 inches in granite.
Here's the rig I made for leaving the bosch hangin' behind for future use:
A nice deep hook which won't come off by surprise (yikes!) but will pull without hanging up too.
A good trick: lead with a 1/4" hand drill on your person. From a stance, drill a shallow hole and hook it with a talon. No you can pull up the bosch and drill the real hole just above the hooking hole so the hanger covers it. Kind of a dirty trick but beats leading off puny bolts and coming back later.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Nov 11, 2006 - 01:25am PT
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Quick question. Is that a surf board or a hang glider you have strapped to you in the first shot?? What iz that thang?
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2006 - 01:34am PT
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Fish should recognize it as I beleive he made it. It was a borrowed drill and we pulled it up in the bomber Fish bag for full protection. The crystals there were quite sharp.
A plug for you Fish.
Ken
p.s. I have Walts Fish harness slings (leopard style and stylish) that I ended up with after he passed away. Another plug for you Fish.
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