# star drills



## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

how many people use star drills still? 

i understand they might be more expensive to operate labor wise than a cordless drill with a masonary bit but what happens if the batteries are dead or you dont have a bit but have a star drill? would any of you guys use it or just wait till the next morning

i just bought a 1/2 inch star drill but i dont have a drilling hammer. i tried with a claw hammer and got in about 1/4 inch before i given up. taken about 5 minutes or so to do that. im going to buy a 1/4 inch one to keep in my tool box. sometimes the batteries die, bits wear out, bits break or gets lost i would use the star drill in a second.


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

might as well get a brace too!!!


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

paul d. said:


> might as well get a brace too!!!


 i was thinking about it but the odds all my batteries would be completly drained are not that good. it might be a possibility they all will be drained. i would probably buy one just to have one :laughing:


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

I have a couple but I haven't looked at them in years don't think I'd ever use one again.
I'll find power or wait until a battery charges. :thumbsup:


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

back in 1976 i worked with a guy that used star drill and WOOD plugs to fasten to block/concrete. i did'nt last long with him. i knew even then there had to be a better way.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

The guy I started with still had me use one quite often for putting toggle bolts in concrete block. I have never tried using one on poured concrete.

I did buy a star drill about 5 years ago when I did not have all my tools with me and needed to put 3/8" toggles into block for a wall pack repair.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

paul d. said:


> back in 1976 i worked with a guy that used star drill and WOOD plugs to fasten to block/concrete. i did'nt last long with him. i knew even then there had to be a better way.


 maybe thats why the last sentence of 110.13A exists


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Saw a lineman use a star drill to put three lead anchors in brick for a 3-point rack. The guy was in his mid to late 50's, and he put them in; nothing flat. Bang, twist, bang, twist, bang, etc. Had those three lead anchors installed in about 2 minutes. Mind you, linemen are built out of different stuff than your ordinary electrician. Strong back, weak mind sort of thing.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Strong back, weak mind sort of thing.


Or, to put it another way, "Strong as a bull and twice as smart."


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

Peter D said:


> Or, to put it another way, "Strong as a bull and twice as smart."


 i heard peter is so good he can drill a lead anchor hole in 1 hit


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> i heard peter is so good he can drill a lead anchor hole in 1 hit


I heard he could install a lead anchor just by thinking about it.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

how long does it take for somebody who knows what there doing to drill a hole using a star drill for a 1/2 lead anchor? 

i was googling star drills and some guy said it takes him 1 minute to drill a 3/4 inch hole 3 inches deep with a star drill


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

It really depends on what you drilling.

30 day old concrete?

Concrete block?

Lightweight block?

100 year old concrete with large stone aggregate?

Stone?


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

Bob Badger said:


> It really depends on what you drilling.
> 
> 30 day old concrete?
> 
> ...


 the hardest concrete i ever had to drill was in a septic tank that was designed to have tractor trailers drive over it. i burned through 1 quater inch masonary bit for every hole. i was wiring up the motor and controls for the septic system


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Go ahead and do a few tests and report back to us. :thumbsup:


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Bob Badger said:


> It really depends on what you drilling.
> 
> 30 day old concrete?
> 
> ...


And that is the answer to that in a nutshell.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> the hardest concrete i ever had to drill was in a septic tank that was designed to have tractor trailers drive over it. i burned through 1 quater inch masonary bit for every hole. i was wiring up the motor and controls for the septic system


Bosch makes a line of bits (anchor hole sizes) called "blue granite" bits. They're not intended to drill granite, of course, but they hold up better than any other in those super-hard materials. There are homes built around here with large bricks called "random rock". The brick has a bit of a sparkly appearance. I'm not sure what that stuff is, for real, but it's super hard. 

The drill itself makes a world of difference. Take a 1/4" anchor hole bit in a cordless hammer drill and you'll burn up bits in a given material, but put that same bit in an SDS drill that actually hits more than it spins, and it'll go in like butter.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

tommorw im going to use this drill and see how i do. ill drill a hole for a lead anchor and tell you how i do


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> tommorw im going to use this drill and see how i do. ill drill a hole for a lead anchor and tell you how i do


...after which we'll proceed to make fun of what a big wuss you are. :laughing:


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

MDShunk said:


> ...after which we'll proceed to make fun of what a big wuss you are. :laughing:


 well how long can it take the mighty shunkster to do it?:laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> well how long can it take the mighty shunkster to do it?:laughing:


I've never made it without biting. Ask Mr. Owl.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

ok today after work i started at 4:56 and had a hole deep enough for a lead anchor at 5:03

i used a half inch star drill with a 3 lb drilling hammer

how fast does it usually take? i thought it would take a lot longer since i used a claw hammer last time. i was really whacking that drill


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