Question about bolts..

[Dobby7]

I think Cranford screw in steps might be a better option if you don’t want to keep the bolts in. I started using tree hopper bolts but it takes a lot of work and your holes close up. Now I preset trees with paracord and use SRT climbing. It’s a lot easier and doesn’t harm the trees. If you leave the bolts in too long it will be hard to get them out. Paracord is a lot cheaper then bolts. Plus it’s safer to climb and you can repel down.

 

[Cajunyankee]

"Any reason going up a size on the drill bit to compensate would be an issue?" That is a great question! I'd like to hear the results of a test like that>

It may solve one problem but adds another. I don’t leave my bolts in the tree from year to year, but I usually redrill the same hole. I noticed this past year that a few of the bolts were just slightly lose. I didn’t figure it would be an issue. One morning, I must have twisted my foot slightly while climbing because I kicked one bolt out. Good thing about bolts is that you always have a hand hold above to help lift your weight. I ended up just using my foot against the tree to get down to the next bolt below it and stuck another one in the hole.
hope that helps!

 

[Buckhole75]

I get it Some guys have physical issues that cause them issues with bolts but if you do not it just takes a little practice The more you do it the better you get at it I am 6’2 and just shy of 290 and don’t even break a sweat getting in the tree with them Plenty easy Ultra compact and very quiet

 

[Micneador]

I've only drilled with the hand drill. As easy as the hand drill is I could only imagine how quick and effortlessly a power drill would bore out a hole.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

..... If you leave the bolts in too long it will be hard to get them out.....

Absolutely not. Carry mini vice grips (only 4" long and 3 ounces) and stuck bolts are never a problem. Even freshly drilled holes can be tight on a bolt.
One thing seldom mentioned with questions and answers about bolts is the tree species. Different species drill differently and they also have different rates of regrowth. Even on an individual tree...some bolts will slide in and out with 2 fingers and 2 feet up, a hole might be extra snug. I have bolts in some trees for 2 or 3 years and one bolt needs turned with vice grips to remove it and a few feet away the next bolt still pulls out with fingers.

IME, you have 2 choices with bolts...1) Preset with either hand drill or cordless and leave bolts in, or 2) Run and gun drill. And some guys actually run and gun drill with a cordless. They cover the drill with a sound absorbing cover of some sort.

I have thought about trying to make some type of "ghillie bolt" if I really felt the need for more concealment, but I have not had any issues with people seeing my bolts.

 

[TNbowhunter]

Absolutely not. Carry mini vice grips (only 4" long and 3 ounces) and stuck bolts are never a problem. Even freshly drilled holes can be tight on a bolt.
One thing seldom mentioned with questions and answers about bolts is the tree species. Different species drill differently and they also have different rates of regrowth. Even on an individual tree...some bolts will slide in and out with 2 fingers and 2 feet up, a hole might be extra snug. I have bolts in some trees for 2 or 3 years and one bolt needs turned with vice grips to remove it and a few feet away the next bolt still pulls out with fingers.

IME, you have 2 choices with bolts...1) Preset with either hand drill or cordless and leave bolts in, or 2) Run and gun drill. And some guys actually run and gun drill with a cordless. They cover the drill with a sound absorbing cover of some sort.

I have thought about trying to make some type of "ghillie bolt" if I really felt the need for more concealment, but I have not had any issues with people seeing my bolts.

^we don’t call him the Boltfather for nothing!

 

[JFin15]

I bought some shrink tube for the section of bolt that sets outside of the tree and it deadens them down tremendously.
Drilled a tree at my grandparents house thanksgiving day just to give my sister a crash course in the saddle to see if she wanted to try it. Forgot how easy it really is drilling and setting bolts.

Exactly what I do. Not only does it help from a noise standpoint, but it also makes the bolts alot more comfortable to stand on, especially important if you use em for a 'bos' like I do. Also makes em camo without the hassle of painting (like I used to do).

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[JFin15]

I bought some shrink tube for the section of bolt that sets outside of the tree and it deadens them down tremendously.
Drilled a tree at my grandparents house thanksgiving day just to give my sister a crash course in the saddle to see if she wanted to try it. Forgot how easy it really is drilling and setting bolts.

Exactly what I do. Not only does it help from a noise standpoint, but it also makes the bolts alot more comfortable to stand on, especially important if you use em for a 'bos' like I do. Also makes em camo without the hassle of painting (like I used to do).

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[MJH]

Ya that is too early. You will need to chase those holes for sure.

 

[MJH]

Absolutely not. Carry mini vice grips (only 4" long and 3 ounces) and stuck bolts are never a problem. Even freshly drilled holes can be tight on a bolt.
One thing seldom mentioned with questions and answers about bolts is the tree species. Different species drill differently and they also have different rates of regrowth. Even on an individual tree...some bolts will slide in and out with 2 fingers and 2 feet up, a hole might be extra snug. I have bolts in some trees for 2 or 3 years and one bolt needs turned with vice grips to remove it and a few feet away the next bolt still pulls out with fingers.

IME, you have 2 choices with bolts...1) Preset with either hand drill or cordless and leave bolts in, or 2) Run and gun drill. And some guys actually run and gun drill with a cordless. They cover the drill with a sound absorbing cover of some sort.

I have thought about trying to make some type of "ghillie bolt" if I really felt the need for more concealment, but I have not had any issues with people seeing my bolts.

You just made me think that the treehopper drill could be improved (which seems impossible) by adding a 9/16" socket or simple gapped slot that would received to head of a 3/8" bolt so that the drill could be used to back out a bolt if needed...

 

[JFin15]

@Allegheny Tom I am glad you posted that about the 'cover' for the cordless drill. I had never considered covering a small power drill for noise, only for protection from rain.

That is an AWESOME idea and I will most definitely be putting my diy skills to use on making one for myself.

I'm thinking I'll go out searching for the smallest 12v (?) drill 1st. I have a 24v and a 20v drill but those are too big for this purpose. Only need enough juice to drill about 10 holes with my aider, or 20 if doing both sides. That said, if I can find a way to make it quiet, I'll have no reason to use the aider really as 'my' reason for it is the ability to cut the # of holes needed in half.

Theres alot of good materials used to sound proof vehicles with big stereo systems. I'd imagine these would work great.

If you have any leads on more in-depth info regarding the subject, you'd be even more of a rock star, if that's even possible!

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[BackSpasm]

@Allegheny Tom I am glad you posted that about the 'cover' for the cordless drill. I had never considered covering a small power drill for noise, only for protection from rain.

That is an AWESOME idea and I will most definitely be putting my diy skills to use on making one for myself.

I'm thinking I'll go out searching for the smallest 12v (?) drill 1st. I have a 24v and a 20v drill but those are too big for this purpose. Only need enough juice to drill about 10 holes with my aider, or 20 if doing both sides. That said, if I can find a way to make it quiet, I'll have no reason to use the aider really as 'my' reason for it is the ability to cut the # of holes needed in half.

Theres alot of good materials used to sound proof vehicles with big stereo systems. I'd imagine these would work great.

If you have any leads on more in-depth info regarding the subject, you'd be even more of a rock star, if that's even possible!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I’m interested in a compact 12V drill for this application as well… lots of cheap options on Amazon but mostly made of chinesium

 

[Jtaylor]

That said, if I can find a way to make it quiet

A hand muff maybe for dual purpose? I'd have to bring someone along with me so I could get an idea how loud a drill really is in the woods. I wouldn't want to block the cooling fins on the drill either and burn it up...

 

[Allegheny Tom]

You just made me think that the treehopper drill could be improved (which seems impossible) by adding a 9/16" socket or simple gapped slot that would received to head of a 3/8" bolt so that the drill could be used to back out a bolt if needed...

I can't imagine that anything could be better than mini vice grips.
My bolt assortment for example is a mixture of hex head, allen head, and even modified heads. No single style of wrench can accommodate all of my bolts. A tree may end up with 2 or 3 different style bolt heads.
The best tool is the crappiest Chinese-made mini vice grip. I've looked for higher quality v grips made somewhere other than China and the only ones that I can find are larger and heavier (more expensive too) than these tiny ones that I have.
The reasons why v grips are better is
1) they fit any/all bolts.
2) they clamp onto the bolt which makes them less likely to be dropped.
3) they can be pulled away from the tree while turning the bolt. If for some reason the hole strips out, you can just clamp onto the bolt and pull out. Even freshly drilled holes can swell slightly on a bolt making them a little difficult to just pull out with your fingers. Clamp the grips and tug it out.
4) with grips, I can turn a bolt with one finger. No need to hold a tool like a wrench would need. Grips can always be just clamped to a bolt to free up that hand for repositioning ropes etc...no need to repeatedly put them back in a pocket while climbing.
5) I have used them for tightening nuts on stands.

 

[MJH]

I can't imagine that anything could be better than mini vice grips.
My bolt assortment for example is a mixture of hex head, allen head, and even modified heads. No single style of wrench can accommodate all of my bolts. A tree may end up with 2 or 3 different style bolt heads.
The best tool is the crappiest Chinese-made mini vice grip. I've looked for higher quality v grips made somewhere other than China and the only ones that I can find are larger and heavier (more expensive too) than these tiny ones that I have.
The reasons why v grips are better is
1) they fit any/all bolts.
2) they clamp onto the bolt which makes them less likely to be dropped.
3) they can be pulled away from the tree while turning the bolt. If for some reason the hole strips out, you can just clamp onto the bolt and pull out. Even freshly drilled holes can swell slightly on a bolt making them a little difficult to just pull out with your fingers. Clamp the grips and tug it out.
4) with grips, I can turn a bolt with one finger. No need to hold a tool like a wrench would need. Grips can always be just clamped to a bolt to free up that hand for repositioning ropes etc...no need to repeatedly put them back in a pocket while climbing.
5) I have used them for tightening nuts on stands.

All valid points.
I am just trying to carry less stuff into the woods. Now you have me packing more!! (I had some freeze in this year during an all day sit in some freezing rain - so my mind was already on this issue).

 

[Allegheny Tom]

@Allegheny Tom I am glad you posted that about the 'cover' for the cordless drill. I had never considered covering a small power drill for noise, only for protection from rain.

That is an AWESOME idea and I will most definitely be putting my diy skills to use on making one for myself.

I'm thinking I'll go out searching for the smallest 12v (?) drill 1st. I have a 24v and a 20v drill but those are too big for this purpose. Only need enough juice to drill about 10 holes with my aider, or 20 if doing both sides. That said, if I can find a way to make it quiet, I'll have no reason to use the aider really as 'my' reason for it is the ability to cut the # of holes needed in half.

Theres alot of good materials used to sound proof vehicles with big stereo systems. I'd imagine these would work great.

If you have any leads on more in-depth info regarding the subject, you'd be even more of a rock star, if that's even possible!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

The reason that I mentioned it was because I've read in other threads about guys using a cover to deaden the sound.
The only time that I use a cordless for presets is during the off season when noise is not an issue.
I like a 20v impact drill. The 20v will do several trees during a day of prepping. I'm not sure a 12v could handle drilling 75-100 holes.
I like the impact because it's smaller than the standard cordless drill and it has a quick chuck.

 

[JFin15]

I’m interested in a compact 12V drill for this application as well… lots of cheap options on Amazon but mostly made of chinesium

Would probably still be good enough for our purposes. Which they all had listed decibel levels ha

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[JFin15]

The reason that I mentioned it was because I've read in other threads about guys using a cover to deaden the sound.
The only time that I use a cordless for presets is during the off season when noise is not an issue.
I like a 20v impact drill. The 20v will do several trees during a day of prepping. I'm not sure a 12v could handle drilling 75-100 holes.
I like the impact because it's smaller than the standard cordless drill and it has a quick chuck.

Yeah I'm sure it wouldn't. But what I'm thinking of is maybe a small 12 volt with just enough juice in the battery to drill maybe 20 holes tops. Plan to use this the day of the hunt, then recharge that night. I've heard of people doing this, even making a cover to deaden the sound, but I've never seen a write-up or anyone talk about exactly what they did. I'll be looking into this further if I can find some information on which drill may be the quietest.

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[Allegheny Tom]

Yeah I'm sure it wouldn't. But what I'm thinking of is maybe a small 12 volt with just enough juice in the battery to drill maybe 20 holes tops. Plan to use this the day of the hunt, then recharge that night. I've heard of people doing this, even making a cover to deaden the sound, but I've never seen a write-up or anyone talk about exactly what they did. I'll be looking into this further if I can find some information on which drill may be the quietest.

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There's an extensive thread about bolts here on Saddlehunter. I think it's titled Bolts Revisited?? I think there is a little discussion in the thread about sound covers...not sure of the extent of that because I never had the need for silencing drills.

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