I turn to you all once again for tool advice... wood boring for flush tie downs.

[Toliver]

I just got this set of 4 tie downs. They were free so why not? I've never installed tie down brackets like this and never needed a tool to make large holes in wood. I'm putting these on a 16 foot utility trailer. I have found several tools that might work but I don't want to pay more than I have to for something that will be used once to make 4 holes.

The overall size of the bottom plate is 5" x 5". The hole is 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

For the top plate, the recess needs to be right at an inch deep. Suggestions for the proper bit would be great. Thanks!

 

[Toliver]

This is the one I'm currently looking at but would rather hear from people that actually know what they're doing with stuff like this.

NICAVKIT 3-1/2 Inch Carbide Forstner Drill Bit, Carbide Tipped Forstner Bit for Hard Wood, Wood Drilling Bit Woodworking Hinge Cutter Tool Kits for Wood Plywood Plastic https://a.co/d/i6GOxgI

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

What are you planning to secure with them ? For the hole you could use a jig saw

 

[Toliver]

The hole doesn't need to go all the way through. Just the bolt holes will. I just need to bore out a 3 1/2 inch hole down to 1 inch deep. This will just be for tying down stuff like a John Deere Gator or a 4 wheeler. Or maybe just houshold stuff. Nothing particularly heavy.

My trailer has a multitude of tie down points along the rails but it never hurts to have extra on the decking just in case.

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

That bit you posted would work. May have to just go and stop and check fit. To get depth correct.. the other thing to consider is. Your typical boards will be 1 1/2 inch thick unless you have ruff cut sawmill lumber or something like that. If it’s standard lumber you will most likely have to drill all the way through it anyways to mount it. Might check the depth of the plate to see how much it would require

 

[F.A.R.R.]

That 3 1/2 Forster bit is what you want. They work best in a drill press- but just go slow with your drill and clear the hole/chips as you go till u hit your depth

Drill a test hole in scrap 1st just to make sure the hardware will go in it

 

[Toliver]

That bit you posted would work. May have to just go and stop and check fit. To get depth correct.. the other thing to consider is. Your typical boards won’t be 1 inch thick unless you have ruff cut sawmill lumber or something like that. If it’s standard lumber you will most likely have to drill all the way through it anyways to mount it. Might check the depth of the plate to see how much it would require

I keep my trailer at my other property so I'll have to go out tomorrow and check the boards. I never even thought to look at them before now. I just assumed they were standard pressure treated 2 x's at 1 3/4" thick.

 

[Toliver]

That 3 1/2 Forster bit is what you want. They work best in a drill press- but just go slow with your drill and clear the hole/chips as you go till u hit your depth

Drill a test hole in scrap 1st just to make sure the hardware will go in it

Thank you.

I'll definitely be testing and practicing before I jack up my brand new trailer.

 

[bigchiefchoctaw]

I keep my trailer at my other property so I'll have to go out tomorrow and check the boards. I never even thought to look at them before now. I just assumed they were standard pressure treated 2 x's at 1 3/4" thick.

They should be.. that’s what I would look at to see how much you will have to cut and what will be left

 

[Mike 65]

Router

 

[transfixer]

If you have a router you could make the indention with it and a good bit, set the depth where you want it ?

 

[Toliver]

No router but that would have been perfect to set the exact depth.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

routers are cheap, and that is what I would do. And I would back up the other side of the wood with some metal or at least some honking flat washers

 

[Toliver]

routers are cheap, and that is what I would do. And I would back up the other side of the wood with some metal or at least some honking flat washers

It has the flat plate for the bottom side of the wood. Are you talking about adding something additional to it or under the part on the top with additional metal?

 

[kayaksteve]

I’d say that drill bit would work just fine. But, I bet you could find a cheap router kit for not a lot more that would work fine for light duty and occasional work. It’d be a nice tool that may come in handy in the future more often than a single drill bit.

 

[Mike 65]

Ask around, maybe you could borrow one.
Where are you located?

 

[NE GA Pappy]

It has the flat plate for the bottom side of the wood. Are you talking about adding something additional to it or under the part on the top with additional metal

when you drill the holes for the bolts, put a big ole honking flat washer on the bottom side of the board to keep the nut from pulling back thru so easily

 

[F.A.R.R.]

If you decide to use the router definitely take a couple practice runs at it before trying it on your trailer .

Even if you’ve done an awful lot of free hand plunge cutting with a router it can get away from you pretty easy and once you have your cut for the hardware there won’t be a whole lot of wood left between the cut and where you gotta drill for bolts, and they can eat up wood in a hurry.

If you use the foster bit, you may have to clean out part of it with a chisel since the hardware isn’t a perfect circle, but it wouldn’t be possible to overrun your cut .

 

[Crakajak]

This is the one I'm currently looking at but would rather hear from people that actually know what they're doing with stuff like this.

NICAVKIT 3-1/2 Inch Carbide Forstner Drill Bit, Carbide Tipped Forstner Bit for Hard Wood, Wood Drilling Bit Woodworking Hinge Cutter Tool Kits for Wood Plywood Plastic https://a.co/d/i6GOxgI

If you decide to use this bit make sure you hold on to the drill tight.A little to much down pressure and you will twist a wrist.Slower is better with a free hand drill and that size bit.

 

[Crakajak]

I would buy this instead of a 3 1/2" bit