How do YOU slot bolt holes?
 

So I've been thinking about it the last few days. With the resto work I do often I have to slot bolt holes for various things to get panels and so forth to line up correctly due to collision damage and poor factory fitment. The process always seems to take me forever or cost me a couple bucks.

If it's a thing piece of metal like sheet metal a lot of times I'll try a cutoff wheel on a dremel but I still end up chewing up a number of wheels.

On thicker pieces I'll either try a cutoff wheel, sometimes I try to hog it out sideways with a drill bit but that takes forever, and sometimes I just curse at it til it falls out on it's own!

What's everyone else's methods? How well do they work for you?

Like you said depends on the size & material. But a carbide bit in my rt angle die grinder works ok.

yeah a nice bit on the die grinder seems to work ok.

Where do you guys get your carbide bits from? All the ones I've ever bought are junk.

I grab them at swap meets (etown, carlisle, etc). IIRC ~$10 each

Plasma cutter.

I wish I had a plasma cutter.....I can't even tell you how many times that would come in handy for me.

:nod: One of the best investments I've made for my shop.

For opening up a bolt hole? LOL

Excuse me, I need to go shoot field mice.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...h-howitzer.gif

For slotting, there is a difference. :wink:

die grinder and patience. i get my bits and wheels from the snap on/matco guy

i usually drill 2 holes next to each other and grind out the middle with a die grinder

matco/snap on

For heavy cutting I use either Eastwwood or Standard Abbrasive's bits, for lighter cutting the swapmeet ones will work, but if you apply too much pressure or get them too hot they tend to self-destruct with the bit seperating from the shank! Not a good thing having razor sharp metal flying around!

The bits come in course to fine cutting as well

Not sure who in NJ carries S-A, but there is a place close in PA

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

For the die grinder itself, I had a Craftsman but it didn't work so well, so I bought a snap-on (straight), I also have a grizzle angle die grinder, the grizzle is actually a nice peice.

The grinder requires allot of air volume so you need a good compressor ( I'm sure you already have one ).

John

+10000 for carbide bits and diegrinder.

dremel and grinding stones!!!!11