straight shank adapter for MT2/MT3 drill bits

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

I am struggling to find a straight shank adapter (1/2" shank would be good) for holding my MT2/MT3 drill bits to use in portable drill – can anyone steer me in the right direction please?

[peak4Participant @peak4]

When I needed one for my old AEG/Unifix drill, I made one out of an old MT2-MT2 extension that I had in stock.
ARC sell them, new but there are obviously many other sources.

Mine was slightly more complicated as I also needed a threaded section, to screw in to the hammer mechanism of the drill to disengage it and make the drill rotary only.

From past experience, just be a wee bit careful using large metal cutting bits in a hand drill; even in just hardwood.

Bill

[Pete RimmerParticipant @peterimmer30576]

Posted by Adam Harris on 05/01/2021 20:15:12:

I am struggling to find a straight shank adapter (1/2" shank would be good) for holding my MT2/MT3 drill bits to use in portable drill – can anyone steer me in the right direction please?

1. Buy a AEG/Wolf gutbuster which has a MT socket.

2. Hang on tight (or pay someone else to).

Here's an example

Edited By Pete Rimmer on 05/01/2021 20:55:57

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

Posted by Pete Rimmer on 05/01/2021 20:49:16:

1. Buy a AEG/Wolf gutbuster which has a MT socket.

As an alternative to busting his gut, he might consider something that will help reduce his gut and keep him warm on those long winter workshop evenings:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/packer-boiler-ratchet-drill/224023213046

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Parallel od sockets are available, I have two, 1" and 2" for MT2. Capstan lathes use them. The taper part of the drill is not as hard as the rest and if you can hold them using the centre at the end of the tang to steady them you can turn down the taper. I turned parallel shanks on some of the smaller MT3 drills, and one of the volunteers took a MT3 26mm drill home to turn as his lathe could just pass about 28mm through the spindle.

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Pete that Wolf drill link is sold. Struggling to find on ebay any electric drill that says it takes Morse Taper. Only found a Metabo which was £250 odd and at that level I'd rather get a Mag Drill. Is there a particular Wolf model you know that takes MT bits (and the seller may not know)? Other Wolf Sapphire drills do not seem to have any MT extension on the nose

Edited By Adam Harris on 05/01/2021 21:43:46

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

BIG handheld drills are affectionatly known as gut busters, but it's not your gut that gets broken it is more likely to be your wrists or fingers. Much above 1/2"dia be very careful. For larger sizes if not needing deep holes a slowspeed drill and hole saws can work. and much safer. Good Luck Noel

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Why would you risk injury from an old Gut Buster, Modern SDS plus machine with a clutch and set to rotary only is a lot safer and the if you get one with vari speed even nicer to use. 1/2" chuck on SDS+ arbor will then hold your parallel shank adaptor.

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

Posted by JasonB on 06/01/2021 07:02:57:

…Modern SDS plus machine with a clutch and set to rotary only is a lot safer and the if you get one with vari speed even nicer to use. 1/2" chuck on SDS+ arbor will then hold your parallel shank adaptor.

There are some challenges with this idea.

The major dia. of the SDS shank is circa. 10mm, with its cross-sectional area reduced by grooves and slots. Its torque-transfer ability is therefore limited. Compare with the traditional way of holding oversize drills in a standard 1/2" capacity chuck – blacksmiths's drills (Silver and Deming). They have a full dia. 1/2" shank.

The adapters from SDS to 1/2" UNF for drill chucks are often made of low quality material, so when overloaded, they twist, making them very difficult to remove from the SDS chuck. This is especially a problem in rotary-only mode where the chucks's drive key bears on the same part of the adapter all the time, as there is no reciprocating action to create uniform destruction.

Your idea has merit if he wants to stand in his own house and drill a hole in his neighbour's one. There is a big issue with length. A Jacobs chuck on an SDS adapter sticks a long way out from the nose of the drilling machine. To that you want to add a straight shank to Morse adapter (minimum length slightly over the tapered length of the bit's shank) and into that you want to poke a relatively long Morse taper drill bit.

This one on eBay has suffered some bodgery but it has Morse taper (the ejection slot is shown in one of the pictures) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-very-large-Wolf-Drill/323818987520

It seems Wolf and Kango had some connection so a search under that brand could help.

Also made by Black and Decker, when that was a good brand:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-and-Decker-2-Speed-Industrial-Drill-240v-3-4-22mm-Chuck/324400611399

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRILLING-MACHINE-BLACK-DECKER-HIGH-TORQUE-INDUSTRIAL-3-MORSE-TAPER-240-volt/224009296517

I have also seen an old DeWalt version of the same, in 110v.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

From using large wood augers I would say the clutch will cut in long before a drill or adaptor fails, or you could go upto SDS MAX. The whole reason for using something with a clutch is it will slip before there is enough load to snap the drill bit or your wrist which will likely come first.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Look up Rotabor cutters a lot safer than drills in a hand held drill.

David

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

DC31k, my Bosch SDS drill has interchangeable SDS chuck and keyless 3 jaw chuck (which I think is Ø13mm). It has a clutch which is easy to trigger, if using a 4" core drill on hard bricks for example, if pushed too hard. The clutch operating point is set at a good value because the kicks that occur just before it operates are quite high but manageable. Useful if you are up a step ladder.

Martin C

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Adapters are available – here is an example but rather pricey: Link

I am sure I bought one from Arc but can't find one in the current catalogue.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I think your mag drill idea would be the best way to go with some Rotabroach cutters if you are drilling steel. I don’t like using decent drills in handheld equipment as the lands of the drill will almost certainly get worn. You haven’t said what you will be drilling but I am assuming steel. If the taper shank drills are expendable then the shanks can be turned down quite easily.

Mike

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Arc do these:

**LINK**

but clearly supplied for precision – not a drill waving around about half a metre from the chuck.

The obvious alternative is one of these. Less extra length but has a groove down one side (not a problem with a 3 jaw chuck?). Not 1/2” but you can’t expect everything for a bodge like this?

**LINK**

I just hope you don’t intend drilling holes greater than the drill manufacturer recommends (the chuck size fitted is a good indicator) and it might appear your drill is only a 1/2 inch one?

Edited By not done it yet on 06/01/2021 10:33:21

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by John C on 06/01/2021 09:31:57:

Adapters are available – here is an example but rather pricey: Link

I am sure I bought one from Arc but can't find one in the current catalogue.

Hi John, Arc had a 1/2" to 2MT one in their No.10 catalogue.

I have used a 2MT to 3MT extension one in my 2MT gut buster drill on several occasions without any problems, it's all a mater of assessing the job and having the correct stance and keeping your mind on the job in hand allowing the drill to do the job and not forcing it. Gut buster drills were all you had to use on site work many years ago.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 06/01/2021 11:48:28

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Thanks for all the efforts to impart H & S advice with such zeal. I do have two drills with clutches. I also have a few blacksmith drill bits. I have wanted a Mag Drill for a while but still can't really justify the price based on the infrequent use. I was really simply looking for a signpost to a cheap adaptor for my very large number of Morse Taper drill bits over 10mm. I'm not going to spend much money because blacksmith drill bits are cheap. I suppose my alternative is to make a threaded shaft to screw into MT holders that take a drawbar.

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

Thanks DC31K for those links but they are all too expensive especially after postage .The first link looks promising but he seems to have welded the chuck shaft into the taper. I am really looking for a sub £30 adapter but if an appropriate old drill around that price with appropriate functions popped up then great. However I think clutches came into drills more recently

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

The only parallel sided MT Adaptors in the Arc Euro catalogue are 3/4 or 1" diametr for 1 MT and 1" diameter for 2 MT, so are far too big to fit into a 1/2 capacity chuck.

Arc sell MT taper shank extension sockets. It MAY be possible to shorten the external MT shank, and turn it down to 1/2" diameter (Depends on how hard the shank is! )

The internal taper has a slot for a drift to eject the MT drill.

They come in 1MT to 1MT, 1MT to 2MT, 2MT to 1 MT , 2MT to 2MT, and 3MT to3MT,.

So, IF the shank can be modified, you would need

2MT to 1MT, 2MT to 2MT and 2MT to 3MT (A 1MT shank will probably finish up at less than 1/2" by the time that it is parallell ) Cost of materials will be about £35..

If you have not already got drifts to suit the three MT sizes, you will need to buy these as well, adding another £6 to the cost of the project.

Total cost circa £45 including shipping in UK, plus .time and effort to modify the shanks.

Howard

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I think I'd be inclined to turn down the shank of an R8 – MT holder to 1/2" or maybe do the final bit by milling to give 3 flats or hex so it does not slip in the drill chuck. NDIY linked to a suitable R8 holder.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

In true Blue Peter fashion, here's one I prepared earlier; as per the second post in this thread
These were made for an old AEG-Unifix drill I'd acquired previously, which just came with a conventional drill chuck on a proprietary Unifix arbor.

Each style is for a different purpose; these drills don't have an on/off for the hammer action.

The chisel at the top has a round shank, so there is no rotary drive, the flat is for a half round key to save it falling out.

Middle is the item relevant to this thread; it looks like I mis-remembered, and it was made from an MT3 extension, rather than MT2.
The material turned absolutely fine when I made it. The threaded part (cut on the lathe) screws in to the main spindle of the drill and the round projection disengages the hammer mechanism, leaving rotary drive only.

The lower item is a home made SDS adaptor. I picked up a conventional Bosch SDS item and re-used the outer sleeve, spring and the oval locking dowels.
The new centre arbor is made from a broken Landrover half shaft; no idea of the steel alloy, but it's tough stuff.
Drive is via the hex at the end, which allows both rotary and hammer action.

Personally, If I were to make an MT-½" adaptor, for use in a hand electric drill's chuck, I'd make the end round rather than provide three drive flats.
That way, is something does bite, there is a chance it will slip before breaking any bones.

My version of the old Gut Buster has a 5/8" chuck on a Bosch 3HP plaster mixer.
Unfortunately it's an old one; the current models have safety clutches.
It's not something I would lend anyone else, and when I've needed to use it with a large drill, the big handle opposite the trigger handle has a long steel tube over it, braced to something very solid.
The only time I've had it bite seriously, it snapped a 7/8" bit like a carrot; please treat this sort of kit with the utmost respect, even releasing the trigger doesn't stop it straight away due the inertia of the armature and gearbox.

Bill
.

Edited By peak4 on 06/01/2021 17:05:34

[Adam HarrisParticipant @adamharris13683]

The R8 to MT adapter linked by NDIY does not take tangs. I have loads of MT-MT adapters and drifts thanks Howard. If I cannot find a cheap adapter as per the OP request, then of course there are many possibilities to turn down other styles of holders. Thanks everyone – it seems we have exhausted the value of this topic. However I do agree with Bill that allowing drill bit slippage in the chuck jaws is a must for H&S

Edited By Adam Harris on 06/01/2021 18:16:31

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Sorry Missed that NDIY's link was non Tang, this is the Tang one.

My suggestion of Hex or flats was to save chewing up the shank as you said your drills have clutches there should be minimal risk of injury.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I have R8 to MT2 adaptors for tangs and drawbars. I made the mistake of trying to drill out the restriction in the tanged one with a solid carbide drill and it ended badly for the drill. I could resharpen it, but it would mean removing 1/4" from the end.

[Author]

Posts