What Type Of Drill Bit?

It's quite a work out

I've heard that using drilling grease for this will help keep the drill bit cool, but I didn't have any when I had to do this so I just used motor oil and dabbed the drill bit with oil every once in a while.

I also started by using a smaller bit and drilling all the way through, then coming back with the larger bit.

Good luck.

Get a cobalt steel bit. I got one for drilling my pj - unistrut mount. Cut like butter.

You might want to be sure that you are using a high quality metal drilling bits. Many of the cheap ones will quickly dull when drilling the thick hard steel of a beam. Be sure to keep it well lubricated with oil to prevent it from being dulled by the heat produced. I would also drill a smaller pilot hole as this will speed up the process. If you are drilling a large hole, you might actually want to drill it our slowly with two or additional holes-- each a bit large than the previous one.

Are you planing to drill into the flange of the I beam or the center part? If you're drilling into the flange why don't you just glue a 2X4 or 2x6 to the bottom of the beam and use that? Sounds a lot easier to me.

I guess a picture would help. I'm having a hard time trying figure out how you would attach the DC04 by drilling into the I-beam. This is what I would do.....

Attach (glue) a 2X whatever to the bottom of the I-beam, matching the width of the flange. Build your 2X4 stud wall to the 1/2 in or so below the beam. Turn the DC04 upside down so that you can attach the side with 4 holes and the two slots to the narrow side of a stud UNDER the beam and the then use a lag screw to attach the part with the grommet to the 2X. Then do the same thing for the other side of the beam making not only a decoupled wall, but a double wall as well. If you offset the stud walls by a 1/2 or 1/4 inch or so, you can then drywall all the way up the side of the I-beam to the ceiling and never touch it.

No sound through THAT baby. And no drilling through the I-beam.

How about something like this http://www.theclaw.net/index.htm

If you can do that with a DC-04 clip, you sure could do the same thing with a 2x4 secured to the beam.

Check out Cathan's build. He drilled his top plate into the beam and he used a few dril bits in the process.

CJ

Just throwing it out there, but you do realise that drilling your I-beam isn't exactly the right thing to do.

I know, I know...nothing is going to happen, and I agree I highly doubt anything negative will. However your beam wasn't spec'd to be drill for isolation clips.

If you have an option...why do it instead?

I only did that in the non-theater part of my basement. In the theater I use DC-04 clips and the 2x4 (2x6 in my case) against the beam trick. I should have a photo some where.

edit:
Here is a the beam looking into the room.



And on the flip side it looks kinda like this:

I agree with the above -- there is no reason to drill the beam when you can just attach the clips and still obtain decoupling in the process.

Drilling solid steel is not fun. I rather drill through a foot of concrete.

There is a 1/4" gap between the top of the top plate and the beam. The top plate is then attached to the side of the i-beam (well to a 2x4 that was nailed/glue to the side) via a few clips. I'll try to take a better photo in the morning.

Edit - I check and there is no way for me to take a photo. HVAC is in the way and I'm not taking it apart. Sorry about that. Hopefully what i did post gets the point across.

I know you said you don't want to spend more on bits, but I used one of these guys without fail on some seriously heavy steel. Although I suggest investing in some taping fluid.

http://www.mygreenlee.com/Products/m...c_number=34403

Oh and if you do end up drilling, rent a mag drill. The cool factor factor alone is worth the rental fees...

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/webapp/...0028&langId=-1

Tom -

I don't think that's it's intent. It looks to me like you clip that curved top part to the top of the flange and the bottom square part gives a metal surface below the beam that you can drill/screw into. So you would use those instead of gluing a 2X to the bottom of the beam.

Your photo is eactly what I had in mind, excpet instead drilling through the beam, you attach a 2X and use a lag screw instead of the nut & bolt. My other thought was to mount it so thath the long part of the DC04 is on the INSIDE of the wall t ogive a completely smooth stud surface t odrywall over. That probably doesn't really make a difference, though.

Polyurethane construction adhesive would do the trick. This is the stuff I have used for similar tasks: http://www.stickwithpl.com/Products/...PLProductID=14. I bought it at Home Depot.

You'll need to hold the 2x6 in position against the bottom of the steel beam while the adhesive cures. You can use a bunch of clamps if you have them, or you could cut some 2x4s to wedge between the floor and the beam/adhesive/2x6 sandwich.


Right.


It should work exactly as you originally planned, except that instead of fastening the RISC clips directly to the steel beam, you will be fastening them to the 2x6 that you have glued to the bottom of the steel beam.

I doubt it would provide any high degree of decoupling. If it were me, I would use them and then just attach the 2X under the beam to THAT instead of gluing it.

Hey, glad to help....us Toms have to (ahem) stick together!