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What can I use in place of a #19 drill bit?

danielhv

danielhv

Well Known Member
I seem to be missing mine... When I look up the size, I get .166 :confused: I am by no means a math genious.... :eek:
 
.166 * 64 = 10.624

So 5/32 would be small and 11/64 would be big. Might be time to order some new drill bits.
 
Lionclaw said:
.166 * 64 = 10.624

So 5/32 would be small and 11/64 would be big. Might be time to order some new drill bits.
Click to expand...

Or find mine. :rolleyes: I had it just last night... And I've looked all over, its probably somewhere really obvious. :( Needless to say, I'm at a stand still right now without it.
 
Call Bob Avery.

Order several each of 1/4", #11, #19, #30, and #40 bits.
You will have them next day.
BTW, Have you looked in your drill and drill press chucks?
Sometimes it's the most obvious place.
 
Mel said:
Order several each of 1/4", #11, #19, #30, and #40 bits.
You will have them next day.
BTW, Have you looked in your drill and drill press chucks?
Sometimes it's the most obvious place.
Click to expand...

Yea, I need to get more anyways, I'll swing by there (again, I was just there Friday afternoon!) next week. And yes, I looked in the drill and the press... Im sure its somewhere obvious like that though, because I have looked everywhere it could be hiding... :rolleyes:
 
It's a long shot, but.....

look in the last hole you drilled with it.
 
Nope! Its not hanging out of the screw holes for the fuel tank.... :( Oh well, guess I'll be getting a full 8 hours of sleep tonight!!
 
What can I use in place of a #19 drill bit?

Since you asked, tapered reamers are nice items to have around.
 
Always have a Standby!

Mel said:
Order several each of 1/4", #11, #19, #30, and #40 bits.
You will have them next day.
BTW, Have you looked in your drill and drill press chucks?
Sometimes it's the most obvious place.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain! Can't tell you how much time I have spent looking for a tool that was "just right here"!
Order up at least 2 of the each, and I would get at least 6 of the #30 & 40 bits. They get legs, break, or lose their sharpness at the most inopprtune times!:mad:
Good luck!
 
Save the broken ones.

Save your broken bits. You may have to break a few of the larger ones (ie:1/4"). I found that I had to snap a few for 1" bits for tight spots. Put it in a vice a give it a whack with a hammer.
 
#18

Daniel,
I've been using a #18 for my #8 screw dimpled hole.( My theory is the dimple die is not stretching the hole as much as a #19..I think my #19 is tearing it)
I noticed early in my tank experience that the some dimples had very slight cracks in the large diameter side of the dimple. ( I ended up scotchbriting them completely out...they were only about .005" deep) I dont know if this is because of my dimple dies are on the large size limit or what, but I did several experiments using different size drills with parts set in an ice bag versus room temp and came to the conclusion that the #18 drill did not cause ANY cracks in a piece of scrap. I also went to a couple size holes larger than the #19 and almost all of the holes were cracked (by the way the ice did NOT differ from room temp as far as cracks go)
You cannot see the cracks with the naked eye (I cant anyway) but I have one of those magnifying lenses that attach to a head strap and you would be suprised. ( I Know..I know..I'm kinda anal examining the dimpled holes...but when I read here that someone had cracked dimples I started inspecting mine)
Very tiny but yet a crack is a crack and will grow over time with vibration.
This is just my opinion...YMMV
Good luck Daniel...your really kicking butt and I think you are going to overtake me soon...I've been working on my wings now for a year:eek:
Jim
Still on 7A wings
 
Work on something else....

You've probably moved on already by now Dan, but in terms of generic building practices, I personally found that every time I tried to "make do" with something that was almost, but not quite the right size, I regretted it later.

On the other hand, there are ALWAYS other things to work on when building an airplane - usually some tasks that you put off (fiberglass) because you don't enjoy them (fiberglass), or you aren't quite sure that you know what to do (fiberglass), or you just don't like to do it (fiberglass)....well, it all has to get done at some point before the airplane flies, so go work on one of those things, rather than messing up the part you'd like to work on.

There is one point where there is nothing else to work on BTW - the day before first flight! When you reach the point that you have no alternative tasks, it will be exciting.

Paul
 
Daniel,
I've found that anything with a cutting edge is one of those "You get what you pay for" situations. You can't buy 10 "good" drill bits for $10, much less 60.
Just my take. YMMV.
If you want to take a trip out to Farmersville today, I'll give you a #19 bit. Plus, as a bonus, you get to see my bi-plane with the engine & prop hanging on it.
972-784-7544
 
Last edited:
Drill Bits

danielhv said:
Anybody used these? Found them on HF's website:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34627
Click to expand...

Hi Daniel.

In my limited experience with building planes, I have found that the cheap drill bits will drill a hole as good as the expensive ones. They won't stay as sharp as long and you really should mike the bits for accuracy. However, I'm not building several airplanes and the bits I have work fine. I recieved sevreal "good" bits with my tool kit but I've used the other bits with no problems.

I've found that anything with a cutting edge is one of those "You get what you pay for" situations. You can't buy 10 "good" drill bits for $10, much less 60.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above satement, but I didn't buy the most expensive tools because I'm not in an aircraft factory building multiple aircraft year after year. The tools I have will be perfect for building my airplane. If my air drill dies sometime in the next week or so I can replace it twice more for what some people have paid for the one drill that they won't replace. The money I have left over will go towards somethng I don't have.
 
Good God!!! I found my #19!!!! :rolleyes: It was in the pile of stiffeners I sat on the spar to clean the table off.... Man, what a waste of time!! :mad: Thanks for all the help guys! Back to work I go!
 
Been There!!

danielhv said:
Good God!!! I found my #19!!!! :rolleyes: It was in the pile of stiffeners I sat on the spar to clean the table off.... Man, what a waste of time!! :mad: Thanks for all the help guys! Back to work I go!
Click to expand...

Daniel,
Good Job sleuthing out the whereabouts of your wayward bit. Wish I could say that you will never do that again, buuuttt......
For what it is worth, I agre with Mel.When it comes to reamers, drill bits, etc., step up for the good ones. I bought my expensive bits a long time ago, and they did yeomans work for years. Also invest in a good sharpener!
 
skyyking56 said:
Daniel,
I've been using a #18 for my #8 screw dimpled hole.( My theory is the dimple die is not stretching the hole as much as a #19..I think my #19 is tearing it)
I noticed early in my tank experience that the some dimples had very slight cracks in the large diameter side of the dimple. ( I ended up scotchbriting them completely out...they were only about .005" deep) I dont know if this is because of my dimple dies are on the large size limit or what, but I did several experiments using different size drills with parts set in an ice bag versus room temp and came to the conclusion that the #18 drill did not cause ANY cracks in a piece of scrap. I also went to a couple size holes larger than the #19 and almost all of the holes were cracked (by the way the ice did NOT differ from room temp as far as cracks go)
You cannot see the cracks with the naked eye (I cant anyway) but I have one of those magnifying lenses that attach to a head strap and you would be suprised. ( I Know..I know..I'm kinda anal examining the dimpled holes...but when I read here that someone had cracked dimples I started inspecting mine)
Very tiny but yet a crack is a crack and will grow over time with vibration.
This is just my opinion...YMMV
Good luck Daniel...your really kicking butt and I think you are going to overtake me soon...I've been working on my wings now for a year:eek:
Jim
Still on 7A wings
Click to expand...

Daniel,
I've had the same problems that Jim mentions above when dimpling for a #8 screw. I asked my local RV Guru (A&P, IA and built an RV4) He told me that professional aircraft mechanics always use a #17 drill bit for #8 screw holes which will be dimpled. He said that there is to much stress induced by the dimple die. The larger, #17 hole allows the dimple to be created without any cracking. I had not known this prior to dimpling the right fuel tank skin. I had used the #19 drill bit recommended by Vans. I had 5 holes which had hairline cracks (visible with a magnifying glass) around the #19 holes.
I carefully filed out those cracks using a set of jeweler's files. On the left tank I switched to a #17 drill bit and had no problems. I've been using a #17 on dimpled sheet ever since.
Charlie Kuss
 
Daniel,

Now that you have found your missing bit, could you come and find my missing cleco pliers and 1/4" ratchet-wrench and socket? They have been missing since before I moved the plane to the airport last June.

I figure they aren't in the plane because I would have heard them bouncing against the skin when pushing the plane round. Plus I have ran a magnet on stick in every wing bay and under the floors, all with no luck. :(

Regarding using a different tool when you don't have the correct one at hand. I learned early on that when I caught myself saying, "I can make so-and-so work." I stop, order the correct tool and wait two days for it to arrive.

Otherwise, not only do I end up ordering the correct tool, but a replacement part or two, waiting a week for that part to arrive, and then spending another week reworking the damaged part.
 
Cleco Pliers

N941WR said:
Now that you have found your missing bit, could you come and find my missing cleco pliers and 1/4" ratchet-wrench and socket?
Click to expand...

Cleco pliers are like screwdrivers in that "You can't own too many". :D

I have 4 or 5 pair of pliers and I have still caught myself swearing that I could not find one when I needed it. This was usually the signal to clean the place up. :eek:
 
I have 5 pair of cleco pliers. I try to keep one pair in the 3/32" cleco bucket, one in the 1/8" cleco bucket, one in the 5/32" cleco bucket, and the other 2 on the bench.
Doesn't always work, but it's a start.
 
I have found that Clecoe pliers are like money in the checking account. There is never enough! There are days when I can't find any of them! I think the person who can come up with a little beeping device that works like finding your remote phones at home and we can attach to our tools will be a hero, and probably make a fortune!

Vic
 
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