whynot mynot. sorry to hear you got out and wish you didn't. i try to tell people to be sure about that decision before they make it. 38 yr/old E-4 3 lvl guard... wouldn't be the first one i met. still not a bad deal if you can get the job.

also i hear ya on the stripped screws. that can be a real pain if you don't go about it right. I always thought that they should have to go through proper use of power tools training before they give em the "screw strippers". then again, keeps me employed right? not that there is a lack of enough other broken, bent, cracked components to keep me busy though.

now it appears we have hijacked this thread... so back to our main subject. didja get any further with your steel drilling 747?

Thanks guys, I got a drill from HD - Ryobi for $30 and some carbide bits, worked just fine!!!!

Great.

it's amazing how well the right tool works sometimes. now i know why my dad would get mad at me as a kid when i would use his crescent wrench as a hammer. glad to hear it worked out for ya.

I just bought some cobalt steel bits to use to drill in metal. It was a small set for about $35 I get from Lowes in their Kobalt brand. These bits do much better in metals including brass. The tool section manager told me to pick the small Kolbalt set since anything in the Kobalt brand has pretty much a no question asked guarantee. We will see if that holds up. Also, you can look around for a small hobby drill press. I got mine from Sears for about $45 (on sale) and it will let you adjust the speed for wood or metal via a belt. Not as accurate as a $500 drill press but definately more accurate than a hand drill for about the same cost. It is three years old and still works just fine.

Just did that tonight the crecent wrench didn't work as well as the 5 lb hammer I eventually dug out.

I don't blame him. Everyone knows that you use a 1/2" drive ratchet as a hammer. Interchangeable heads.

Hi , I got a grinding stone about 2" dia from lowes - works well with my ryobi drill! To grind steel should I use oil to lubricate and low speeds? Plus these drills get hot very soon - are they good to keep drilling or should I wait for them to cool?!
Thanks--747

You can buy epoxy brushes in bulk to save a bit
http://www3.omnimodels.com/cgi-bin/w...I=GPMR8062&P=7
This is a box of 144 brushes for 19.99 which is about 14 cents each. They have gone up a lot. My box was either 13.99 or 14.99 a couple of years ago.

The six-pack for 1.29 comes out to over 21 cents each.

If you have a plumbing or welding supply company in your area, flux brushes are the same thing.

That cannot compete with:

My current brush supply will probably last a few years. I will not remember this post when I need more.

Hi , I got a grinding stone about 2" dia from lowes -costed ~$2, works well with my ryobi drill! To grind steel should I use oil to lubricate and low speeds?what rpm works well?

The stone it self is getting slightly worn out and black is it normal?

Plus these drills get hot very soon - are they good to keep drilling or should I wait for them to cool?!
Thanks--747

Back to the epoxy thinning thing.
There are epoxies that are already very thin that work wonders for coating the engine compartment.
On the cheap is hobby store 20 minute finish epoxy.
More expensive and what I use, West Systems epoxy. You really have to be into it because West Systems is sold by the gallon.
To apply it I use cheap foam brushes I get from the dollar store (they are great for laying up fiberglass as well)

so you are grinding on steel now? i though you were just drilling holes. are we talking about heavy work or just small stuff like engine mounts? it shouldn't hurt the grinding stone to get hot. the drill getting hot (I assume you mean drill bits not the drill motor), the drill bits will heat up a bit, but slow speed, heavy feed is the way to go. they will get somewhat hot, but if it is smoking hot or really burns your fingers, it is too hot. something to lube it helps too. as long as you are getting nice spiral chips instead of just dust and powder you are ok. once it stops cutting and if you hear it squealing, that drill bit is most likely toast! you can re-sharpen them, but that takes a bit of practice or a bit sharpener. now on the other hand if your drill motor is heating up, then it sounds like you are trying to cut some pretty heavy stuff. a little bit is ok, but it if it getting really hot, it will not live long.