Is there a tool that will......

[NealB]

I need to cut an 8mm hole through about 1.5 inches of oak.

Trouble is, the hole needs to be right in the corner of a right angle between two pieces of oak, and parallel to one of the surfaces, so there's no room for a chuck or the body of a drill.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[fireball]

Drill from the otherside?

 

[fergie_mac66]

flexible drive

a cheap flexible drive hex end, hex ended 8mm drill would be slw but possble better to pilot with a small drill first you migt have to grind the end of the 8mm to a hex shape

 

[electrosys]

I don't know how accurate this hole needs to be, or whether it just needs to be big enough to (say) pass a cable through - but if 'bush-engineering' would be acceptable, then there's always the "red-hot poker method" of making a hole in wood ...

 

[Gordonmc]

How about:
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/hand-tool...ttachments/DKGL3/right-angle-drill-attachment
Depends on the clearance between the parallel surfaces, I guess.

 

[ean_p]

go with fireball's idea for ease if possible.....if not just have the drill type of your choice brazed / welded /sleeved onto an extending mandrel/bar by a local engineer

 

[bbg]

something purpose built, like this

 

[aluijten]

I've used this (http://www.spectools.com/spec.htm) at several occasions.

 

[smonard]

A long bit would seem the most obvious suggestion

 

[Fr J Hackett]

There are right angle drive attatchments for drills.

 

[NealB]

Thanks for all the suggestions.......the flexible drive might work, though it will be working through a fairly tight radius.

Can't drill from the other side, and no room for an extended bit.

I'm intrigued by the 'red hot poker method'..........don't tell me......you get a poker, make it red hot and then use it to make the hole.......something like that? Bush engineering would be entirely acceptable.

 

[Bodach na mara]

"the hole needs to be right in the corner of a right angle between two pieces of oak"

The answer given by fireball is the only one that satisfies this requirement. If it is not possible to remove the structure to do this, then the OP needs to question whether the hole needs to be "and parallel to one of the surfaces" as it may be possible to drill in at a shallow angle using a bit held in a chuck. The chuck will need to be a small one and either an angle drive or flexible drive may provide this, or a small cordless drill could be used. The battery would need to be fully charged before starting to drill 1.5" of oak however!

 

[boguing]

1/4" chisel with the handle off?

 

[NOHOH]

Its all about ratchets

Have you thought of a ratchet version of one of these....

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...8yuAw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0

 

[Ruffles]

If you have no room for the chuck of a brace you could use an auger bit and turn it by hand with a spanner. It would take a while but would produce a very neat hole!

 

[Appleyard]

Have you thought of a ratchet version of one of these....

What's a ratchet?

 

[ukmctc]

I'd go with drill from the otherside, but failing that get a long drill, builders merchant.

 

[Ruffles]

What's a ratchet?

It's common for a brace to have a ratchet so that you can still drill holes when there is insufficient room to turn the crank a full rotation.
I'm a great fan of a brace and bit. Produces amazingly neat large holes with little effort. A brace with a screwdriver also works well.

 

[lenseman]

. . . . What's a ratchet?

It's a bit larger than a mouse shït.

 

[lenseman]

Blimey, the mice are breeding now!

Must be a Lakesailor mouse?