Drilling lead counterweights

Well, I broke my drill bit inside the lead elevator counterweight. Can't get it out, and can't drill through it. Any suggestions?

drilling lead

Hello,

Did the drill go all the way through the lead weight?

If so the following might work.

Put on some gloves and safety glasses. Prop the lead weight up between some blocks of wood. Take a punch and a big hammer and beat the drill bit through the lead weight.

Lead is tough to drill. Go slow and back out of the hole frequently to clear the shavings.

anyone else got any ideas?

Mike

Thanks Mike....good idea, but the bit didn't get all the way thru. I'm thinking the easiest thing to do is order a new counterweight. Thanks for the quick reply, and I'll use your suggestions.

tip...

Try a pair of needlenose vice grip. Put the noses it into the holes where the drill bit ain't (into the open twist of the bit). Use crescent wrench on the vice grips to back it out.

By the way, you might try putting it in the freezer before you try it.

Pay the Freight?

Counterweights do not have to be pretty when installed, just as long as the shape is right. You will be able to fill the holes with resin and microballoons to obtain a good finish. I would just try pounding the bit with a punch until it comes. If all else fails I have a brand new counterweight here you can have. Just pay the freight. Best of luck to you.

The -7 and -8 have totally different counterweights.

jrvssgl said:

Counterweights do not have to be pretty when installed, just as long as the shape is right. You will be able to fill the holes with resin and microballoons to obtain a good finish. I would just try pounding the bit with a punch until it comes. If all else fails I have a brand new counterweight here you can have. Just pay the freight. Best of luck to you.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jarvis, I appreciate the offer. I went ahead and ordered a new one from Van's....it's only $9.70. I'll use the other one for now, and use the new one when it arrives for the left elevator.

Lead Counterweight issue

I did exactly the same thing as you have described. My soultion was to drill multiple holes around the periphery of the broken bit with a small drill bit until we were able to pull it out with needle nose vise grips. YMMV

Thought I would add my sollution for future searches

I found this thread today when I did the exact same thing, broke off a 3/32 drill bit in my lead counterweight. I tried to punch it out but it would not come through the other side. My fault for using a cheap bit (didn't want to use my good bits on lead)

I enlarged the hole which ended up being an oblonged kind of 3 sided cloverleaf shape. I was finally able to punch out the broken drill bit then grab it with needle nose pliars.

I melted some lead (blow torch and throw away pot) and poured it into the messed up hole creating a lead patch as it were. I made sure the lead was all the way though the hole and both side were sealed with new lead. I then filed down the excess lead that spilled up above the hole. I placed the the lead counterweight back into the counterweight skin/rib assembly. I then was very careful to drill slow and use a good drill bits enlarging the hole to final size slowly.

You can barely tell the hole was filled with new lead and it seems to hold well. I was concerned about the cold joint between the old and new lead, but the part is sandwiched between the ribs and skin so if the lead flakes off in the hole it will be held in place for sure.

Another solution I thought of was drilling two bolt holes on each side of the broken drill bit hole.

I had just spent a long time with a hacksaw and file shaping the right elevator counterweight and I wanted to salvage the part if I could.

Branden
RV-8 Empenage

Melt it down and re-pour it. We had to pour all of our balance weights back in the day.

Mel said:

Melt it down and re-pour it. We had to pour all of our balance weights back in the day.

Click to expand...

You beat me to it Mel.

Wrap the old one in some aluminum foil around the sides and bottom to make a mold and set this in some dry sand to hold it in shape. Now place the old one in a tin can on your camp stove until melted and pour away. Make sure you use the appropriate safety equipment when doing this.

All early RV's were poured by the builder directly into the elevator horns to form the balance weight. I used lead from old wheel balance weights.

Broken drill bit.

Old topic I know.. But I just did the same thing, broke a drill bit deep inside a lead part.

Turns out it was an easy fix - I exposed part of the broken drill bit by digging around the 'stump' using a small flat blade screwdriver, then I heated the broken part up using a small but sharp butane flame. The drill bit heated up and slid out of the lead using a pair of tweezers. It was then it was as easy as feeding a stick of lead through the butane flame into the pre-heated damaged hole, a quick file, and re-drilled as normal.

Hopefully this could be useful to someone else in the future - I never realised how grabby lead can be on a drill bit!!

Use silicon lube

Use a silicon based lube when drilling lead and go slow, don't let the heat build up. I use triflow it works the best for me.