So now I'm wondering, how would you make/enlarge bracket holes?

[Chris23]

This is still the same question as before. Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom.. This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

[Steve Turner]

Post by Chris23
This is still the same question as before. Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom.. This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

Yes. If you're not familiar with all the various types of drill bits, have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit

Regular ol' drill bits in those sizes are going to be hard to come by and very expensive,
but you can do this with a "spade" bit, which would be the most affordable option. If you
want a better and safer option, look into "forstner" bits, which should be available at Home
Depot (or wherever) at a reasonable price.

However, you don't simply want to attack the existing 5/8" holes with a 7/8" spade bit (or
any drill bit really), or you'll tear them to shreds; drill bits really need existing virgin
material for the pointy tip to bite into and guide the cut. My suggestion would be to plug
the existing holes to simulate virgin material, then re-drill them with the bigger bit. I
would use a two-part catalyzed polyester filler, like this:

http://doitbest.com/Main.aspx?PageID=64&SKU=776459&utm_source=Froogle&utm_medium=FREECSE&utm_term=776459&utm_content=6790&utm_campaign=DATAFEED

to fill the holes (also available at Home Depot, but it's pretty much the same as regular
"Bondo" auto body filler available at any auto parts store). File it smooth after it cures,
but you don't need to get fancy because you're simply going to drill it back out again. BE
SURE to use a scrap "backing board" on the back side of the area being drilled so the drill
bit doesn't mutilate the inside of the shell as it passes through the material. Use a board
narrow enough so that you don't have to shape it to conform to the curvature of the shell (a
2x2, for example) and clamp it to the shell so it won't try to "get away" from you while
you're drilling.

If you use a spade bit you'll want to enter the cut carefully, and use a good amount of
drill speed and a light touch during the initial entry or the bit will want to hack away at
the material rather than cutting it cleanly. Practice on some scraps if you've never used a
space bit before, or just bite the bullet and pay the extra cost for a forstner bit.

Hope that helps.

[Chris23]

Post by Steve Turner

This is still the same question as before.  Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom..  This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_bit
Regular ol' drill bits in those sizes are going to be hard to come by and very expensive,
but you can do this with a "spade" bit, which would be the most affordable option.  If you
want a better and safer option, look into "forstner" bits, which should be available at Home
Depot (or wherever) at a reasonable price.
However, you don't simply want to attack the existing 5/8" holes with a 7/8" spade bit (or
any drill bit really), or you'll tear them to shreds; drill bits really need existing virgin
material for the pointy tip to bite into and guide the cut.  My suggestion would be to plug
the existing holes to simulate virgin material, then re-drill them with the bigger bit.  I
http://doitbest.com/Main.aspx?PageID=64&SKU=776459&utm_source=Froogle...
to fill the holes (also available at Home Depot, but it's pretty much the same as regular
"Bondo" auto body filler available at any auto parts store).  File it smooth after it cures,
but you don't need to get fancy because you're simply going to drill it back out again.  BE
SURE to use a scrap "backing board" on the back side of the area being drilled so the drill
bit doesn't mutilate the inside of the shell as it passes through the material.  Use a board
narrow enough so that you don't have to shape it to conform to the curvature of the shell (a
2x2, for example) and clamp it to the shell so it won't try to "get away" from you while
you're drilling.
If you use a spade bit you'll want to enter the cut carefully, and use a good amount of
drill speed and a light touch during the initial entry or the bit will want to hack away at
the material rather than cutting it cleanly.  Practice on some scraps if you've never used a
space bit before, or just bite the bullet and pay the extra cost for a forstner bit.
Hope that helps.
--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

That's some serious advice, thanks.

[-MIKE-]

Post by Chris23
This is still the same question as before. Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom.. This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

A few suggestions.

1. a step bit. google it... don't be afraid of the price.
They are expensive because they are meant for steel.
This one is cheap and wouldn't last very long in steel, but would be
fine for wood
and several metal cuts, if necessary.....
<http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-96275.html>
They are sort of self-centering, because they align themselves to each
successively larger hole, as they drill.

B. This could get challenging, but figure a way to clamp a piece of
wood inside the shell, under the existing hole. Use a hole-saw with the
guide bit in the piece of wood you clamped to the shell.

III. Mount the new bracket to the shell, first. Then use the hole in
the mount and a guide bushing for a 7/8" Forstner bit. It is likely
that the actual size of the bracket hole is 23mm and they do make metric
Forstner bits. You could also just use the bracket hole to insert a
cheap 7/8 bit (ie: spade bit), simply to mark a center hole. Then take
the bracket off, and bore a clean hole with whatever bit you go with.

[Chris23]

Post by -MIKE-

This is still the same question as before.  Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom..  This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

A few suggestions.
1. a step bit.  google it... don't be afraid of the price.
They are expensive because they are meant for steel.
This one is cheap and wouldn't last very long in steel, but would be
fine for wood
and several metal cuts, if necessary.....
<http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-spe...>
They are sort of self-centering, because they align themselves to each
successively larger hole, as they drill.
B.  This could get challenging, but figure a way to clamp a piece of
wood inside the shell, under the existing hole.  Use a hole-saw with the
guide bit in the piece of wood you clamped to the shell.
III.  Mount the new bracket to the shell, first.  Then use the hole in
the mount and a guide bushing for a 7/8" Forstner bit.  It is likely
that the actual size of the bracket hole is 23mm and they do make metric
Forstner bits.  You could also just use the bracket hole to insert a
cheap 7/8 bit (ie: spade bit), simply to mark a center hole. Then take
the bracket off, and bore a clean hole with whatever bit you go with.
--
  -MIKE-
  "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
     --Elvin Jones  (1927-2004)
  --
 http://mikedrums.com
  ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

What kind of drill am I using for this?

[-MIKE-]

Post by Chris23
What kind of drill am I using for this?

Anything. Cordless is fine. You don't need a lot of power.

[Steve Turner]

Post by -MIKE-

This is still the same question as before. Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom.. This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

A few suggestions.
1. a step bit. google it... don't be afraid of the price.
They are expensive because they are meant for steel.
This one is cheap and wouldn't last very long in steel, but would be
fine for wood
and several metal cuts, if necessary.....
<http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-96275.html>
They are sort of self-centering, because they align themselves to each
successively larger hole, as they drill.

Whether or not you could use that bit would depend on how thick the shell is; each step will
only cut so much depth. I've never used one of those bits, but I'd have to wonder how clean
that cut would be...

Chris, I presume the shell has a plastic wrap on the outside?

[Chris23]

Post by Steve Turner

Post by -MIKE-

This is still the same question as before. Changing over CB700 5/8"
brackets and arms to 7/8" by reengineering the brackets in the bass
drum, a 10" tom and a 13" tom.. This is not domain of a 1/4" drill.

A few suggestions.
1. a step bit. google it... don't be afraid of the price.
They are expensive because they are meant for steel.
This one is cheap and wouldn't last very long in steel, but would be
fine for wood
and several metal cuts, if necessary.....
<http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-spe...>
They are sort of self-centering, because they align themselves to each
successively larger hole, as they drill.

Whether or not you could use that bit would depend on how thick the shell is; each step will
only cut so much depth.  I've never used one of those bits, but I'd have to wonder how clean
that cut would be...
Chris, I presume the shell has a plastic wrap on the outside?
--
See Nad.  See Nad go.  Go Nad!
To reply, eat the taco.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

Yes there is a glossy blue wrap around the outside of the shells.
Again - 3/8" drill?

[-MIKE-]

Post by Chris23
Yes there is a glossy blue wrap around the outside of the shells.
Again - 3/8" drill?

Yes, that will work fine.

I can't read Steve mind.... I'm not his wife, afterall :-)......
but he might be suggesting you use a good masking tape around the area
of the hole.

And depending on what the material is, it may be better to go real
fast... or real slow.

If it's all plastic, real fast may melt it. If it's a vintage, thick,
wrap with real glass particles, real slow may blow it out. In either
case, it may be prudent to score the surface of the wrap with a
utility/exacto blade, before drilling.

But, don't forget, it's going to covered with the mount, so there's some
forgiveness.

[Steve Turner]

Post by -MIKE-

Post by Chris23
Yes there is a glossy blue wrap around the outside of the shells.
Again - 3/8" drill?

Yes, that will work fine.

In terms of power, the size of the drill isn't going to matter much, and assuming you don't
buy a 7/8" bit with a 1/2" shank and try to use it in a 3/8" drill (watch out for this if
you buy a forstner bit) you should be fine. Bits smaller than 3/8" will typically have
shanks the same size as the cutting diameter. Bits bigger than 3/8" will usually have a
shank (or more accurately, *shoulder*; the part that goes in the chuck) sized to either 3/8"
or 1/2", according to which size drill you intend to use them in.

Bottom line: If you have a 1/2" drill, don't worry about it. If you have a 3/8" drill,
make sure the bit does not require a 1/2" drill.

Post by -MIKE-
I can't read Steve mind.... I'm not his wife, afterall :-)......
but he might be suggesting you use a good masking tape around the area
of the hole.

Yes, my concern here would mainly be with a spade bit running too slow or with too much
entry force; it might "grab" the plastic wrap and rip it to shreds rather than cutting
through it.

Post by -MIKE-
And depending on what the material is, it may be better to go real
fast... or real slow.
If it's all plastic, real fast may melt it. If it's a vintage, thick,
wrap with real glass particles, real slow may blow it out. In either
case, it may be prudent to score the surface of the wrap with a
utility/exacto blade, before drilling.
But, don't forget, it's going to covered with the mount, so there's some
forgiveness.

True; the entry hole will be covered, so a little blow-out probably won't matter. Blow-out
on the back size of the hole would be visible and ugly, hence my suggestion to use a backer
board to support the inside of the shell as the drill bit passes through it.

[-MIKE-]

Post by Steve Turner

Post by -MIKE-
<http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-96275.html>
They are sort of self-centering, because they align themselves to each
successively larger hole, as they drill.

Whether or not you could use that bit would depend on how thick the
shell is; each step will only cut so much depth. I've never used one of
those bits, but I'd have to wonder how clean that cut would be...

They'll work, Steve. You can use one to cut a stepped hole in a tubafour.
Think of a pocket screw bit.

[Steve Turner]

Post by Steve Turner

Post by -MIKE-
<http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-96275.html>
They are sort of self-centering, because they align themselves to each
successively larger hole, as they drill.

Whether or not you could use that bit would depend on how thick the
shell is; each step will only cut so much depth. I've never used one of
those bits, but I'd have to wonder how clean that cut would be...

They'll work, Steve. You can use one to cut a stepped hole in a tubafour.
Think of a pocket screw bit.

Don't try and cornfuse* me now (it's easily done). Because Chris needs to drill a 7/8"
hole, then assuming he used the bit whose largest diameter is 7/8" (the one on the right),
there would be no issue. I hadn't really paid attention to that in my first response, but
my point was that if he used a stepped bit that went up to larger sizes (like the one on the
left), he could only drill a 7/8" hole as deep as the length of the 7/8" section of the bit
before the bit would want to jump up to the next size. If the thickness of the shell
exceeded the depth of the sections on the bit, that would be a problem.

(*) TM, JMT

[-MIKE-]

They'll work, Steve. You can use one to cut a stepped hole in a tubafour.
Think of a pocket screw bit.

Don't try and cornfuse* me now (it's easily done). Because Chris needs
to drill a 7/8" hole, then assuming he used the bit whose largest
diameter is 7/8" (the one on the right), there would be no issue. I
hadn't really paid attention to that in my first response, but my point
was that if he used a stepped bit that went up to larger sizes (like the
one on the left), he could only drill a 7/8" hole as deep as the length
of the 7/8" section of the bit before the bit would want to jump up to
the next size. If the thickness of the shell exceeded the depth of the
sections on the bit, that would be a problem.
(*) TM, JMT

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're totally right.
Some of those bits have deep steps, other don't.

In any case... for a 7/8" mounting bracket, there would be no hard in
using a bit that went up to one inch. You need some wiggle room,
anyway.... and actually, 7/8" wouldn't give you any.

[Sean Conolly]

Post by -MIKE-

They'll work, Steve. You can use one to cut a stepped hole in a tubafour.
Think of a pocket screw bit.

Don't try and cornfuse* me now (it's easily done). Because Chris needs
to drill a 7/8" hole, then assuming he used the bit whose largest
diameter is 7/8" (the one on the right), there would be no issue. I
hadn't really paid attention to that in my first response, but my point
was that if he used a stepped bit that went up to larger sizes (like the
one on the left), he could only drill a 7/8" hole as deep as the length
of the 7/8" section of the bit before the bit would want to jump up to
the next size. If the thickness of the shell exceeded the depth of the
sections on the bit, that would be a problem.
(*) TM, JMT

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're totally right.
Some of those bits have deep steps, other don't.
In any case... for a 7/8" mounting bracket, there would be no hard in
using a bit that went up to one inch. You need some wiggle room,
anyway.... and actually, 7/8" wouldn't give you any.

OK - if this thing landed in my hands to do, here's how I would do it.

We're going from 5/8 to 7/8, and the edges will be covered by the mount on
the outside, and possibly a backing plate on the inside.

Take a set of dividers and set them to a shade under 1/4". Use that to score
around the existing hole, using the edge of the hole as a guide. Then take
the handy-dandy Dremal tool and grind out the hole to the scored line. Use a
coarse bit to remove the bulk and finish up with a fine bit.

I know I could do this and end up with an acceptable hole on the first pass,
but I'd probably go a little undersized and make the final passes as needed
until the 7/8 pipe passes through easily. Once the pipe will pass through,
clamp the mount to it and use it as the guide for drilling the new holes (if
needed).

Of course the reason I'd use this approach is because I happen to have all
the tools at hand - literally within reach as I'm typing this. I'm too cheap
to buy a stepped bit :-)

Sean