# Drill to Auger adapter for under 5 bucks



## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

I Have a Dewalt 18V XRP drill and last year thought of purchasing an adapter to punch some holes. Well after seeing prices from 30 to 60 bucks on them and drilling tons of holes by hand last year I decided I'd try to make my own. Pretty much all the ones I saw online you could fart out on a metal lath in about ten minutes. Problem being I don't have a lath and I'm cheap I decided to look around the garage to see what would work.
I quickly found out a deep 13mm Craftsman fits perfectly inside the handle with no slop (13mm standard was to big) The socket paired with a 3/8th to drill adapter(harbor freight 3 bucks for a 3pcs set) I didn't wan't the socket falling off the adapter so I used some JB Weld and caked in on there before pushing the adapter into it. Then I applied some more to the top to really hold it in there. Then I drilled a hole through the socket to fit the pin.
Just in case the auger still decided to to fall off the drill. I made a hole through the center of a piece 1x1 thats 12" long. If the Auger drops off the wood will catch on the pin and then the outside of the hole. 
My results with an 8" Auger (second season on blades) I was able to drill 11 holes IN A ROW on a cold battery. Ice was 13" (10" of real ice 3" of slush junk)

I probably could of got a few more had I not done them all at once and the battery was warm but I wanted to see what this baby could do. I have three batteries so I think I'll be set though. 
Best part is,the only tool you need is the same drill you'll be using for the auger


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## jbrown (Jun 4, 2008)

Dude... Awesome idea and thank you! I was thinking about buying an adapter but now I'm convinced I can make one for myself.


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## meats52 (Jul 23, 2014)

That is a great idea. You sound just like me. If I think I can make something for pretty cheap I'll try it. My buddy and I made 2 submersible crappie lights this summer for $17.50 each and they worked pretty good. Good job on the adapter and I'm glad it worked like you wanted it to. It's amazing what we can do when we put our mind to it and we know we will save money by making it.


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

What brand or model of auger is the adapter for? Mora, Lazer, Nils, other? My Mora and my Lazer are both at the house and I'm at work. I could whip up an adapter in about 20 minutes if I knew the OD of the post (handle) or the ID of the auger tube.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Im out to eat now... its a strike master auger. Od is 1-1/16th dont know the inside. I can measure it when i get home for ya.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Od of the auger! Sorry not measurements of the handle. Ill give ya that when i get home.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

The handle is 1/32 shy of 3/4" i had about 5 beers you can reduce it  (sure you can if you're at work going to make one )if only i had the right tools...


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## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

Great idea Rob, I may have to give it a try... Worked like a charm Saturday!


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

dblpst oops


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

How many bits did you go through drilling that hole lol? Looks pretty darn centered, nice job. Hope the steel in a tube holds up for ya.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Eliminator said:


> How many bits did you go through drilling that hole lol? Looks pretty darn centered, nice job. Hope the steel in a tube holds up for ya.


I started with a 1/16" to 1/8" step bit then reamed it out 3/16" (I think???), I have some good bits. And was almost sad at how fast I punched through a Chinese made Craftsman socket 
I got it centered by marking a line on outside of the socket on the point so when I got through the first side the bit would rest in the center of the point on the other side and punch through. 
As for the JB I don't trust it, But I do trust the wood cross bar. The actual measurements of it are 1-1/2" x 12" not 1x1.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Get one of those six pack coolers, line it with additional "bubble wrap"and put a hand warmer under and along the sides of your spare battery and it will hold it's charge for hours.


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## Stampede (Apr 11, 2004)

Great tips. I am a machinist and thinking of buying a 18 volt from harbor freight for 25.00 and making a adapter. No way am i taking my good drills out. Ive made my own "ice chipper " works like a charm. Not as heavy as the ones you buy but what it lacks in weight it makes up for in sharpness.And great cooler idea. Be trying it out sat.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

I hope what I heard was wrong - I was thinking of getting an adapter, but then some people told me they only work well for 4" augers. Not true? I would love to get away from having to hand-drill the holes. I have a mora - either 7 or 8 inch hole hand auger. It can be separated below the crank part and that's where I would put the adapter. Also, has anyone had success sharpening auger blades? If so, what technique / tool did you use to do it?


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

I have an 8" mora and i have to almost lift it while drilling to keep it from digging in so much. Maybe 20 seconds a hole on slow speedand torque all the way up. Do not use the hammer if your drill is equipped! Here's a pic with the adapter attached to the auger and the safety board.


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## jbrown (Jun 4, 2008)

I started on this project. Got about half finished. Couldn't completely drill the hole in the socket! I started with a smaller pilot hole and drilled through without too much difficulty. But when I bumped up to the full size she just wouldn't go. Even using cutting oil and a brand new bit, it just spun and smoked. Dang hardened steel of that socket. Need to put it under a drill press!


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Need to get yourself one of these, it's what I used to enlarge it.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

rjohnson - can you send a pic or two of how that wood piece is held on? You say you drilled a hole, but the pic I see it appears to be stuck to the shaft by glue or something - I don't see a hole. And is it to prevent the auger from going down the hole to davey jones' locker, as they say, or to keep your hands safe somehow?


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

RJohnson442 said:


> I have an 8" mora and i have to almost lift it while drilling to keep it from digging in so much. Maybe 20 seconds a hole on slow speedand torque all the way up. Do not use the hammer if your drill is equipped! Here's a pic with the adapter attached to the auger and the safety board.


Someday you may be able to help that guy with the stranded quad, snowmobile, or gas auger by lending him your spark plug socket lol.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

...oh...and for you machinist guys - what is the number that matters when considering a drill for this? Volt rating? Watts output? Torque? What I have is a 19.2 V Craftsman which has been fine for everything I have used it on, but I have never tried a bit designed for boring big holes, as in the ones made for can-light installation, etc. Do you think I would need to head to harbor freight and pick up something different than what I have in order to go ice fishing with a drill?
I can't find a pic of my exact one, but it is similar to this, but a couple of year models older - 
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...99E368F5D722FC2623EF56E33038&selectedIndex=11


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

The piece of wood is just along for the ride. Made it 12" on an 8" auger to get 2" on either side of the hole if i drop it. Anything 18volt and up should work fine


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

It just happens that 1/2" metallic conduit fits perfectly inside the lower part of a Mora auger, and a 5/8 bolt fits snugly inside the 1/2" conduit. I just finished an adapter in about an hour, all with common stuff. I'll try to post pics as soon as I figure out my new phone.

Hints:
1/2" conduit fits inside the auger (like the handle).
5/8" bolt fits inside the conduit
An old 3/8" allen wrench fits inside a 27/64" hole drilled in the 5/8" bolt, for chucking into the drill.
A little cutting, drilling, welding, a 1/4-20 screw and nut, a fender washer, and the bottom of a plastic 5 gallon bucket for loss prevention.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

Turns out my mora is screwed together somehow. I cannot budge the nut, and am not sure if the threads are on the silver part or of the nut is the very top part of something with threads that goes down into the blue. Also, looks like there might* be a rivet through the shaft. Ideas about getting it apart, anyone?


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

I got my auger last year and the handle set up looks different then yours??? The handle should be able to come off the auger because the handle is adjustable to drill deeper depths. The threads on my pin are on the opposite side of the plastic wingnut if that helps at all.
Is it a choke nut possibly if you can loosen the nut the handle may slide up and out ???


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

mine was bought and assembled by my dad, perhaps before my birth, and at the latest when I was 8 years old, so the thing is 25-30 years old. Wingnut was not in the design at that time, evidently.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Before my time too.... If that nut won't loosen then I have no idea on how to get it off.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

my brother is pretty handy - he suggested heating the connection with a torch. I don't know why that would help, but he must have done it at some point in a similar situation. Perhaps the expansion cracks the rust or something. I will report back with results - probably by Friday. I was hoping to get it apart by today so I could figure out what I need to make an adapter by the weekend!


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

Finished product. Turns out I was working on a Lazer, not a Mora.
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=65820&title=auger1&cat=500


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

heron153, a little heat and maybe a good soak with Kroil or PB Blaster penetrating oil first. The problem is that you can clamp or grip only so much before you collapse the tube.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

thanks for the pointer! I am glad I didn't try to He-Man it and crush the tube. Then I wouldn't have a hand OR drill-powered auger!!


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## HookSet Harvey (Aug 12, 2010)

I have on of the old screw on handle blue moras. Put the blue part in a vise and twist the handle in the opposite direction of drilling a hole. The handle is female and the threads are on the auger. 
Hope that helps.


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

strikemaster responded to my email shortly before you posted. They call that model an "oldie but goodie" and told me to apply heat and brute force. They said they stopped making the thread together ones since people leave them connected and the connection rusts together. On the up-side, it is rusted together in the position it needs to be in to work, so if I can't budge it, it still works!


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## heron153 (Apr 30, 2008)

well I put it in a vise, used liquid wrench, heated the joint, pounded on it, used a wrench... no luck. That thing may as well be a single piece of metal. Guess I won't be making my auger into a giant drill bit. :/


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## steelmagoo (Apr 13, 2004)

heron153 said:


> well I put it in a vise, used liquid wrench, heated the joint, pounded on it, used a wrench... no luck. That thing may as well be a single piece of metal. Guess I won't be making my auger into a giant drill bit. :/


Maybe, unless you want to cut the handle. I will bet a 5/8" bolt will fit inside it (the handle tube). If you have access to a lathe and/or welder, an adapter can be made. I have one of those "oldies bit goodies" Mora's. I can't remove the handle either.


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