What’s the trick to drilling 30 or 60 degree holes for rod holders?
No trick to it! Drill the hole and start digging out foam, if you have any! You may not find a hole saw that is that big, so you will have to maybe use some smaller holes around the inside and use a saber saw to connect them into a circle! The mounting base will cover some small mistakes! Hardest part is digging the foam if any! Make sure you don’t place it where you have any discharge hoses exiting the hull!
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Lees-Stainless-Flush-Mount-Rod-Holder-Medium-30&i=93377
The few times I’ve done it, I started with 1/4" pilot hole at the angle I wanted, using a long drill bit. I also put a longer bit in the hole saw arbor to make it easier to follow that same angle.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
quote:
What's the trick to drilling 30 or 60 degree holes for rod holders?
There is a certainly a trick to it, contrary to the above 
The holes need to be drilled at the same angle as the rod holders are. The thicker the deck, the more important it is. You cannot put a 45 degree rod holder in a hole that is drilled at 90 degrees, it ain’t gonna happen 
And drilling a 45 degree hole with a hole saw requires a much longer than normal pilot bit. If the deck is thick, it requires a deeper than normal hole saw too, or it bottoms out before the hole is cut through.
Hole saws are available in every size, in about 1/16" increments. The problem is holding that big hole saw at the correct angle and position. I’ve fought this problem for 40 years, and finally figured it out. Make a jig that will perfectly position the saw and hold it steady, and keep me from hurting myself. Large hole saws can hurt me and the boat I’ve learned, and I’ve put in a lot of rod holders
I started my first jigs with a 2" thick piece of mahogany slightly larger than the rod holder. Clamp it in the drill press and set the table to 15, 30 or whatever degrees you need, then drill it with a hole saw. Drop the rod holder in the hole, mark the mounting bolt locations and drill those straight. Then screw the jig to the deck where you want it and let the saw follow the hole angle. This works pretty good for few holes but if the angle is severe, the hole saw will bottom out before drilling through.
Fortunately rod holder diameters are fairly standard and my buddy Raymond is real good with metal work. I presented him my problem and as usual he came up the perfect solution. We took 2 hole saws, cut the blade end off one and cut the back off the other and welded them together, making a double long hole saw, and put a triple long pilot bit in it.
That’s the difference between a pro answer and mine! I stand corrected:face_with_head_bandage:
As do I! It never occurred to me to weld two hole saws together like that. It’s a good thing I woke up this morning, because I learned something today!!
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
After I’ve drilled and cut a couple of hundred of them poorly, I eventually learned how to do it easier, safer and precise
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
But why can’t you drill the hold straight down and cut out the foam if any, at the angle you want and then fit it through the hole? You can enlarge the hole below the gunnel surface with a rasp once you get the initial hole drilled! For 2 rod holders getting the jigs made is overkill!
I bet Cracker and his buddy Raymond could reopen Charleston Naval Shipyard. No end to the talent hanging out around this forum.
Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250
That’s the difference between Pro’s and shade tree guys!
quote:
For 2 rod holders getting the jigs made is overkill!
For 2 rod holders I would just make a drilling jig from a block of wood as described above. Do NOT try to drill it freehand. If somebody was to talk to me real sweet, I might could arrange a short term loan of mine Never heard of a 60 degree rod holder though. Don’t have that size.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
I bought a cheap adjustable angle drill guide from harbor freight. With a coupon/sale you can probably pick one up for less that $15. Pretty crappy rig but works well enough if you’re careful.
http://www.harborfreight.com/angle-drill-guide-95622.html
Larry’s jig is slick! Definitely going on my list of tricks to try someday…
Angler 204 FX
Yamaha 150
Daaaam Larry, pure genius.
Larry never ceases to maze.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
Raymond is the one who never ceases to amaze me. I can always come up with special needs and ideas, but Raymond always improves and refines them for me and makes it happen. I’m not a metal worker, he is, and he always thinks outside the box. He’s built all sorts of things for me over the years. I can build about anything out of wood and fiberglass, but when I need any metal work done, or a fresh set of eyes and ideas on something, I call Raymond. I’ve got a pretty good welding machine, but I’m not even a pretty good welder. Haven’t even plugged it in since I’ve known him:smiley:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
This set up works well for trolling with planer boards, so when you hookup you can fight without other rods in your way on gunnels or stern.
First ever workplace violence incident, Wounded Knee,SD.
I built a special jig that holds a hole saw at 30 degrees. Works great.
Dang, all those rods cost as much as my boat.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?