Ok guys, I decided to make some changes to the hand drill. It works great, but it's just too sloppy for my liking. So I picked up a piece of 3/4" 6063 channel from metals depot. It' not the ideal scenario, I'd rather 6061, but this fit what I was trying to do dimensionally (had an 1/8" wall).
If someone finds 6061 channel in these dimensions (3/4 X 3/4 X 1/8 6063-T52 Aluminum Channel (Sharp Corner) please share with us.
Edit - https://www.amazon.com/Web-48-6061-...pID=31KQkeGqzLL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I bought one - he's got 9 left in stock. If this material works, I'll cut myself 3-4 to keep and then i'll have a handful to sell for a few bucks and shipping - shoot me a PM if you don't want to bite off the whole chunk.
I took a flapper wheel to create two flats on the welded stop on the drill bit, the rotating sleeve, and the fixed sleeve the bolt goes through. I just held it with a pair of needle nose vise grips and ran over the wheel until it fit - a bench grinder, belt sander, or any flat fixed sanding device will make smoother work of this. The steel is soft and grinds quickly and easily.
I then drilled two holes and bolted the drill bit in, and then drilled a hole for the handle. Everything turns so much smoother now with flat surfaces at the joints.
I have a concern with the aluminum opening up at the bolt hole since it's 6063. If I can find shoulder bushings, I may drill out and add those. Only thing it needs now is round and sand all the edges, and a stealth strip treatment.
I currently have it with a friction fit even without the stealth strips. I suspect I will have to sand a little at a time until it slides in and stays in place how I want. One idea I had was to double layer the stealth strip on the lip of the channel so it "clicks" down into the channel for storage. Will give it a go. Weight is probably less than half an ounce difference, but will weigh this evening to confirm.
If someone finds 6061 channel in these dimensions (3/4 X 3/4 X 1/8 6063-T52 Aluminum Channel (Sharp Corner) please share with us.
Edit - https://www.amazon.com/Web-48-6061-...pID=31KQkeGqzLL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I bought one - he's got 9 left in stock. If this material works, I'll cut myself 3-4 to keep and then i'll have a handful to sell for a few bucks and shipping - shoot me a PM if you don't want to bite off the whole chunk.
I took a flapper wheel to create two flats on the welded stop on the drill bit, the rotating sleeve, and the fixed sleeve the bolt goes through. I just held it with a pair of needle nose vise grips and ran over the wheel until it fit - a bench grinder, belt sander, or any flat fixed sanding device will make smoother work of this. The steel is soft and grinds quickly and easily.
I then drilled two holes and bolted the drill bit in, and then drilled a hole for the handle. Everything turns so much smoother now with flat surfaces at the joints.
I have a concern with the aluminum opening up at the bolt hole since it's 6063. If I can find shoulder bushings, I may drill out and add those. Only thing it needs now is round and sand all the edges, and a stealth strip treatment.
I currently have it with a friction fit even without the stealth strips. I suspect I will have to sand a little at a time until it slides in and stays in place how I want. One idea I had was to double layer the stealth strip on the lip of the channel so it "clicks" down into the channel for storage. Will give it a go. Weight is probably less than half an ounce difference, but will weigh this evening to confirm.