AboutDave Expertise machine tool setup and operation,selection and use of cutting tools, welding and metalfabrication methods, machining of plastics and metals,cad/cam,cnc,workholding and all related questions regarding metalworking and finishing
Experience over 25 years experience as a class a machinist in both job shop and r&d
environments.
Expert: Dave Date: 6/9/2008 Subject: Drilling SS bolts
Question Dave,
I am putting railing up for an Ipe deck and using 3/16"ss cable from Lowe's. A friend told me the best way to anchor the cable at the ends was to drill some stainless steel bolts and he would braze the cable into them. I called some machine shops and they want at least $8.50 to drill each one, times 16-24 bolts. Now I'm thinking of getting a drill press anyway, because the Ipe is going to be $400 and I need to drill 110 near perfect holes. so I saw this milling vice at Harbor Freight and thought, how hard can it be? So that's the question, how hard is it for someone who is at handyman level to drill 2" 3/16 holes into 4" x1/2 ss bolts/all-threads with a kinda cheap drill press and milling vice. Any recommendation you have would weigh very heavily in my decision process. The all-thread is needed because the rod has to go through the last post and the a nut and washer would pull the cable tight. So I would cut the head off the bolt, either before or after the drilling, or use all-thread.
Thank you in advance for your time.
(Yes I know there are place online that sell the whole set up with "threaded terminals" already attached, but they are very expensive and I have an odd length of 34'. I have not seen any threaded terminals for sale without the cable.)
-Falcon
Answer Falcon,
8.50 each for drilling the bolts is not that bad if the bolt is included. There is a reason why they want that much. Stainless steel bolts are not fun to drill. You could give it a try but if a machinist with a $30,000 lathe that drills stuff all the time would struggle a little you could have a problem in a $250 drill press with a harbor freight vise.
I'm not saying you couldn't do it, but I wouldn't. Also when you braze the cable into the bolts the heat will damage the cables. You must get them very hot for brazing.
How about trying this. Go to www.mcmastercarr.com look up item #3489T29. Its a wire rope clamp. Then get something like this #3032T66 its an eye bolt.
No brazing, no drilling, no machine shop.
