drilling holes for wires...

[Dixon Robertson]

I bought extra-long drill bits for servo control wires here:

http://www.sloanswoodshop.com/drill_bits.htm

They are perfect length for drilling through 2" of foam and a hollow core door.

[don246]

They do make plastic drill stops that stops the chuck from hitting your work.

[Medina1128]

Phoebe Vet

Have we forgotten that this thread is about drilling holes for wires?

[Phoebe Vet]

Have we forgotten that this thread is about drilling holes for wires?

[krupa]

selector

It may not be much of a consideration to some readers, but driving costs....plenty.  It also has a deleterious effect on the environment whether we appreciate it or not...the effect is still there.  So, if a local drive can be undertaken, assuming it is necessary at all, then go to the place where you can accomplish your aims while imposing the least on the environment.  If that is a Mom & Pop, great.  If it happens that Home Depot is closest............

-Crandell

a valid point. But then one may also want to consider the environmental impact of a large big box versus a small independent. Also if a person chooses to go farther he/she may then wait, make a list and go once a week where a closer store encourages people to "just run over and pick up the thing-gummy I need right now.". Also alternate forms of transportation can be used: hybrid or electric cars, public transportation, bicycles or enven walking (of course that depends on what you're buying). There is certainly no easy answer to this question one way or another.

[selector]

It may not be much of a consideration to some readers, but driving costs....plenty.  It also has a deleterious effect on the environment whether we appreciate it or not...the effect is still there.  So, if a local drive can be undertaken, assuming it is necessary at all, then go to the place where you can accomplish your aims while imposing the least on the environment.  If that is a Mom & Pop, great.  If it happens that Home Depot is closest............

-Crandell

[mfm37]

 My local hardware store is a Home Depot. Hechingers put many of the independent hardware stores in my area out of business years ago.

I still try to get hardware from independent stores when time permits. We're spending stimulus money at work which leaves HD and Lowes out for most items. Stimulus money can only be spent on American made products and they don't have too many on the shelf.

Martin Myers

[Phoebe Vet]

When people recommend a place to buy things in an international forum they have no idea what your local hardware store carries or if you even have a local hardware store.  They are not slighting the local merchant when they tell others about a large chain that they know does carry it.  If your local merchant also carries it, by all means buy it there.

I have both Home Depot and Lowe's within 1/4 mile of my house.  The closest locally owned hardware store is a 20 minute drive from here

 

[krupa]

oldschoolmarine

I know this may be off the track but I see alot of our posters said they found their drill bits at Lowes, Home Depot etc. Like our local hobby shops, our LOCAL hardware stores are owned by our friends and neighbors. You may spend a few more cents but your keeping your friends and neighbors in business...not some multi gazillionaire. I always go 2 miles west to the town hardware store. If he doesn't have it and the local Carter Lumber(they sell nail and screws in bulk not the box) is out,then I head the other way to Lowes. Small business keeps America alive

 

I totally agree with this.  I always check local stores before going to "big box" stores.  The sad reality is, however, that more people choose the cheapest and/or most convenient option which usually brings them to the Big Box.

[jamnest]

I have no problems drilling holes for feeder wires.  I use cork roadbed on 1/2" plywood.  I have a drill bit the size of the wire that I use (18ga).  I use both my Dremel and Cordless Drill.  I drill from the top down to make sure I don't damage any of the track.

[oldschoolmarine]

I know this may be off the track but I see alot of our posters said they found their drill bits at Lowes, Home Depot etc. Like our local hobby shops, our LOCAL hardware stores are owned by our friends and neighbors. You may spend a few more cents but your keeping your friends and neighbors in business...not some multi gazillionaire. I always go 2 miles west to the town hardware store. If he doesn't have it and the local Carter Lumber(they sell nail and screws in bulk not the box) is out,then I head the other way to Lowes. Small business keeps America alive

[Medina1128]

rrinker

 On my previous layout I did use coathanger wire - the surface was 2" extruded foam with no plywood under it. If I was careful I could actually push the #20 solid feeder right through withotu makign another hole first.

 

                                     --Randy

 

Randy, I actually made a tool to feed wire through thick layers of foam. I straightened a wire hanger, then filed one end to a sharp point. I flattened the other end with a hammer, drilled a small hole in it. I strip off some wire, thread it through the hole like a big needle, then twist it a couple of times. It's just a matter of pushing the "needle" through the foam and pulling the wire through just like thread.

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

 I stopped using the battery powered drill for this task after catching one rail and mangling the heck out of it.

I now only use the dremel tool and I solved the problem completely buy making a drilling fixture, taking a block of delarn I had laying around and cutting two groves into it so the black lays on the rails and then drilled two hole in the block so the drill be goes in between the ties. I painted a red line on the side of the block so I just slide it on the rails move it so the red line is between the ties and drill my two holes.

I made a similar fixture for centering the throwbar on turnouts and drilling the hole for the switch machine wire.

[rrinker]

 On my previous layout I did use coathanger wire - the surface was 2" extruded foam with no plywood under it. If I was careful I could actually push the #20 solid feeder right through withotu makign another hole first.

 This time I have 1/4" plywood underneath, so I did get one of those long drill bits. But they tend to be a little large, at least all the ones I could find at the local Lowes and Home Depot. I did manage to get a 5/32", but 3/32" or 1/16" would have been better.  I have a larger one o drill holes for the wire from my servo switch motors to the turnout. Plus there is a slight problem down one side of my layout, the roof slopes and there's not enough room to get the drill in with the long bit attached. So i end up manually turning the bit to get into the foam and then attach the drill to do the final part through the plywood. No way even this was going to work for the staging tracks but since this was all going to be hidden behind a removable backdrop I just ran the feeders over the back edge of the benchwork on the surface.

                                     --Randy

[krupa]

boatman909

Another, cheap way, is to use some thick stiff coat hanger wire, such as you get from a dry cleaners.

<snip>

The advantage is that the coat hanger wire should fit between the sleepers, allowing you to drill quite deep holes without risking damaging the rail with the drill chuck, and the 22g wire, after it has been soldered to the side of the rail, should be almost invisible when painted.

John 

I really like this idea.  However, I happened to be driving by a Lowe's this afternoon and picked up a couple drill bits.  (Technically, I was in an unfamiliar town and literally drove into Lowe's parking lot accidentally.)

One problem with the door (not the method of drilling) is that since it's hollow, the wire has a tough time finding the egress hole on the underside of the door.  I solved that buy just taking a utility knife and cutting a much larger exit hole in the door. 

Tonight I was able to run my first train in a *very* long time.    Surprisingly, a couple engines actually ran pretty smoothly after being in boxes for 20+ years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZMknWEo06A

 

[Phoebe Vet]

If your only concern is hitting the rail or ties with the chuck, just take a scrap of Masonite, drill a quarter inch hole in it, place it over the track and then drill your wire holes through the hole.  It will not be possible for the chuck to hit anything but the Masonite.

[boatman909]

Another, cheap way, is to use some thick stiff coat hanger wire, such as you get from a dry cleaners.  Cut a straight length (8 - 10") and then file one end to a chisel edge, so you have a sharp cutting edge across the width of the wire - like this:

    | |
    | |
    | |
    V

Put the other end into a drill chuck and then carefully drill through the foam and the plywood skin of the hollow core door.  The chisel edge will cut through the door ply easily, and will, with care, even cut through the solid door edge. You can then feed some stiff 22g wire through.

The advantage is that the coat hanger wire should fit between the sleepers, allowing you to drill quite deep holes without risking damaging the rail with the drill chuck, and the 22g wire, after it has been soldered to the side of the rail, should be almost invisible when painted.

John 

[krupa]

 Thanks for all the great tips!

 -matthew

[johncolley]

 

I like to use Joe F's method, drilling the holes on the back side of the rails, using a 3/32 bit. Actually 1/16th is OK for the paired 20 guage thermostat wire I use for drops. I tin the wire, flatten it and bend it over 90 deg. I tin the bottom track flange then attach the wires to the edge of the flange. then I use suitcase connectors to attach them to the bus. Hint: the drop wires are so small I doublr them over and twist it before inserting into the suitcase connector, I also cut the insulation on my 12 ga. stranded bus wires.When you add ballast the feeders disappear and can't be seen from the aisle side. John

[selector]

Keep the sub-roadbed as thin as possible.  Three-quarter inch ply is tons.  I used 5/8ths.

I situate my rails, run stuff across the nearest joints on either side, and only then drill my feeder wire holes.  I use a 1/16 inch 2" bit and ease up as the depth of the sub-roadbed is taken up along the shank.

I use a 18 volt hand-drill with the chuck positioned so that the drill bit enters the wood at the inside base of the rail, the rail foot, and so that it runs through the wood vertically.  I let the weight of the drill do the 'talking', but I still ease up so that the chuck doesn't encounter the rail or the ties when I estimate that the bit must be about to come out below the plywood or spline roadbed.

I have never mangled rail lengths doing this, but I have gotten some solder on the rail tops.  I try to wick it away with the hot iron, but that is iffy...it can lead to your last solder job letting go if it is nearby.  Usually I just use a needle file and dress the running surfaces.

-Crandell

[Eric97123]

I am like rrinker. Made wire soldered to rail joiners. Lay my track, the drill a hole in the middle and feed my wires through. Vacuum up the wood drill dust, glue the track down and then ballast. Never see a thing when all is done.

[rrinker]

 Don't let the drill break through under pressure, otherwise the chuck tends to hit the rails and this is what marks up the railhead.

 I cheat - I solder feeders to every single rail joiner and drill either 1 hole in the center or two smaller holes closer to the rails, BEFORE fastening the track. I spot the holes and use a nail or another drill bit to mark the cork roadbed where the holes need to go, then set the track aside and drill the holes.

 For curves I solder the tracka nd joiners plus solder the feeder wires. If a double length of flex is too long for the curve I cut off both ens to get the proper length.

 For the naysayers who insist this will break down - I had zero trouble on my previous layotu even after paiting the rails - and the paint WILL run in the joints. ANd when I say EVERY rail joiner - I mean EVERY. A turnout ends up with 3 sets of feeders. Even if I have to use a short 1" or so filler piece - the joiners on both ends get feeders. No skimping. I make up multiple sets every so often in sort of a mass production effort (cut lots of wire to length. Strip all wires, solder to joiners.) and build up an inventory so I don;t have to stop in the middle of tracklaying to make more - or be tempted to skip just this one.

                                             --Randy

 

[Hamltnblue]

If the track hasn't been permanently laid yet take it up and flip it over.  Solder the feeder to the underside of the rails. If you are using flex they actually have a spot cleared in the center for the task.  When you flip it back you can drill a 1/8 inch hole for the wires directly under the rail. It should hide well.

[retsignalmtr]

I only drill holes for the wires after the roadbed and track are glued down. I use a 1/8" bit to drill the holes. I bought a 12" long 1/8" drill bit and make sure the drill and bit is verticle while drilling. I use several inches of foam board on my layout. when the hole is drilled I insert a plastic coffee stirrer to line the hole in the foamboard.

[mfm37]

 First, get a piece of plywood or whatever thickness the actual sub bed will be on your layout. I'm betting it won't be 1 1/2 inches of lumber to drill through. You will have much better control of the drill and be able to stop it before striking the rails with the chuck. I use an 18 volt 1/2inch Dewalt. Control is the key. Don't force the drill, let it do the work. Believe me it's heavy enough to push the bit through the wood. You just need to guide it.

Martin Myers

[BATMAN]

 I have my track pinned down with "T" pins. I get the track right where I want it to be. Where the feeder holes are to be drilled I place the bit in the spot under the rail and gently push the track to one side and drill the hole. I repeat the process on the other side. My feeders have the ends stripped and are bent to shape before I push them into the hole. If I have bent the wire right, the wire holds itself on the rail while I solder. The "T" pins go back in until everything is checked and running well. After a few weeks if no bugs show up I caulk the track down.

 

                                                                                   Brent

[mobilman44]

Hi!

Congratulations on doing the practice section for tracklaying/wiring.  That is something more of us should do when "its been awhile".

I'm building an 11x15 two level HO layout, and it replaces the previous one built in the early '90s.  My benchwork is 2x2 legs, 1x4 laterals, and 1/2 inch 5 layer plywood.  I build for strength (as I have to get on the layout to reach some of the perimeter (it fills a room), and this means there is a lot of lateral supports where I want to drop wires.

Rather than messing around with it, I went to Lowes and picked up a couple of small diameter 8 inch long drill bits.  They were about $4 each, but worth every penny.  My drill power comes from a DeWalt 12v, which is perfect for this kind of work.  I drill my holes from the top down, between two tie ends.  After drilling, I run the shop vac over it to pull out the cuttings. 

One more thing, I learned that removing the cuttings also can remove the hole from sight.  So, I run an 8 inch piece of 20 gauge wire into the hole (and bend the top so it doesn't fall in) right after vacuuming.  This does two things......  It keeps the hole easily identifiable, and lets you know real quick if the hole is a success or not.

Mobilman44

[krupa]

I feel like this is a silly question but...

I wanted to practice my soldering before attacking the layout so I glued a strip of roadbed to a 2x4 and then glued a section of old track onto that.  When it was all dried, I started drilling holds next to the rail, between the ties for the wires.  

 My soldering was acceptable (well, it doesn't look terrible and a hopper run over the spot didn't seem to notice it) but I could not drill a hole without affecting the rail to some extent.  In some places, it seems to be cosmetic; I ran my finger and finger nail back and forth over the spot and couldn't feel anything.  Other places, however, I seriously mangled the rail with my drill.

What do you guys use to drill the holes for your wiring?  I tried using my Dewalt 12 V drill and my Dremel with about equal success.   I measured the width of the layout (hollow core door with some foam on top) and it's about 2 inches, same as my test set up.  My bits are maybe 3 inches max. in length.  Do they make slightly longer drill bits for small diameters?

Thanks

-matthew