Cabling and bracing tools

[Tom Dunlap]

I wonder if welding extensions is easy enough for a good welder to manage.

I consider myself an arborist who can melt metal together pretty well. My extensions never broke. I used my Lincoln buzz box and plain rod. Nothing fancy.

Now, with Internet sourcing, it's easier to find long bits and extensions.

I heard of one arbo who got hold of a gunsmith who took small caliber rifle barrel blanks as the base for extensions. Drilling out the barrel blanks and making up the ends then having a real weldor put them together was bomb proof.

 

[southsoundtree]

What did you do for the drill chuck end of the rod after welding. Was it round?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

My extensions were round.This gave me a little bit of slippage so that the drill didn't wrap and break my writst

With more engineering a proper alloy would be used for the extensions. A pro weldor using TIG and maybe some 'forged in fire' wizardry for the weld points would make it better. But, my 'good enough' shop builts worked fine for many feet of drilling.

 

[flushcut]

I ran into the same issue of my extension for 11/16" being 11/16" plus a tiny bit more, and then the set screw being proud by a fraction more. I ground the set screw down. Fought my way through it.


I considered making the bulb of the extension smaller, somehow.


I have ground level bolts to install, and tree house level bolts to install, so I would be standing, not hanging in a saddle.

I wonder if welding extensions is easy enough for a good welder to manage.

An easy way to skinny the bulge of the extension is to chuck up the extension and run it against a grinder while the drill is turning. It will take a while but will work.

A good welder can weld up some bits together.

 

[ATH]

American Arborist Supply is where I've seen the longest bits - they weld extensions.

Ship Auger Extension 27-48" | Arborist Supplies

www.arborist.com

Never bought one...just remember seeing them there.

 

[evo]

An easy way to skinny the bulge of the extension is to chuck up the extension and run it against a grinder while the drill is turning. It will take a while but will work.

A good welder can weld up some bits together.

Exactly how I did mine with the belt sander. Slow and opposite directions.
@southsoundtree i checked out the 60” drill bit at tree stuff, one thing to consider is that you will be cleaning the bit every couple of inches. And the fluting isnt any more than the longer standard bits.
Using a short bit to start the hole will be the easier way of doing it. I see little point when you can just add an extension as needed.