Cleanly drilling Holes through dense Rubber - Advice?

[Wildatlanticwelder]

Id agree with the punch , good sharp punch and press it tru on the press. Never got along with drilling rubber

 

[bricol]

As already mention, drill new holes for the bolts holding the wheels on. Then space the rubber feet the other end the same amount with anything to hand.

Or just stand it on four bricks/woods

 

[Submariner1]

Why not just drill new axle holes?

Stays in unheated garage so prefer not to breach powder coating re rust.
plus no room around compressor re access

 

[Submariner1]

Heat a piece of steel of the correct diameter and wiggle it thru.This was 25mm thick,but only 10 diameter.View attachment 279956

Just adore the look on the kids faces ... like “ wow my Dad is awesome”
are they twins?

 

[Alan Reynolds]

Just adore the look on the kids faces ... like “ wow my Dad is awesome”
are they twins?

I like the spooky metal vice floating in mid air.

 

[bricol]

Stays in unheated garage so prefer not to breach powder coating re rust.
plus no room around compressor re access

Drag it out - its on wheels, flip it on its side, remove wheels, drill new hole as low as you can get and still get the nut on - or rather, get the nut in there, and turn the bolt into it as that will be lower than still being able to spin the nut.

If you've used it, the inside of your tank already has more rust than drilling new holes in those brackets will cause in the next decade - paint the holes, smother the bolt in grease if it bothers you.

 

[Perry Owens]

These are the standard drills for rubber bungs

They are just thin wall tube sharpened on the outside. You could make one to mount in a drill. use washing up liquid as lubricant.

 

[DAPPH]

Looking at the first picture I'd make &/or use a small hollow box tube as a spacer for the original antivibration pad mount and bolt it in place at the front end using washers nylock nuts to help prevent things coming loose

 

[Windy Miller]

I used ice hockey pucks to make up some feet for the kiddies swing in the garden.
Drilled the holes in the lathe with a normal twist bit. No problems at all!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Just adore the look on the kids faces ... like “ wow my Dad is awesome”
are they twins?

I liked that too, but I notice Dad's wearing a face mask but the kids aren't.... He does have a good grip on that fire though

 

[Mike B]

Best I’ve used is a piece of copper pipe offcut. Cut it neatly, then put a slight bevel on the inside lip with a file. Find something to insert as a bung in the drill end of the pipe to stop it crushing in the chuck. Drill away! Usually leaves a nice near cut instead of a tear.

 

[Submariner1]

Think I am sorted, thanks to one of the above ideas.
I remembered that I had a set of wood drills ... never used, as I bought a router.

Tried this on an erasing rubber ... just hand held ... pressed trigger on pillar drill, and released, and then brought down about 3 times.

It seemed to cut really well, actually the bore seemed jolly smooth and that was without lubrication, other than they were stored oiled. Defo good enough cut to push the 8mm Bolt through for me.

so assuming it cuts as well on a puck, I am sorted

.

 

[Screwdriver]

Don't expect to be able to hand hold that puck. Looks very grabby to me...

 

[8ob]

I wondered if there was such a thing as a rubber drill, apparently there is, never seen one

Rubber Core Drills | Tennessee Tool & Engineering

Rubber Core Drills for Making Holes in Soft Materials | Wide Selection for Many Applications

www.tenntool.com

 

[500e]

A posh version of what I & a couple of others suggested @8ob, nice to know there is a commercial supply /sizes would never have thought of searching for a rubber drill, lateral thinking