Suppose that you need to drill a hole completely through a wall and that it’s absolutely critical to know precisely where the drill bit will exit on the other side. Well, a friend of mine swears that there is a tool made for exactly that purpose. He said that it uses a transmitter and receiver — via a radio signal — to align the entry and exit points. Supposedly, the reciever is “aimed” at the point where you want the drill bit to exit, then the transmitter is aligned with it on the opposite wall by locking in on an exact RF frequency. Once that is done, a reference mark can be established and the drilling can be completed with precision. My friend says that he saw the tool demonstrated on television but doesn’t know the name of the tool or the manufacturer. I haven’t been able to locate any such tool on the internet or anywhere else. Does anyone here know if such a tool really exists?
Thanks,
Michael
Replies
That would be really, really cool if such a tool indeed did exist. However, I think your buddy may very well be full of beans.
This would be the same technology that was used on Star Trek to insure that when a crew member is "beamed" to another location they arrive at exactly the precise point.
LMAO.....View Image
I think that boosch used to have one as part of metal detector and it has been discontinued.
These are not what I was thinking about.But I believe that you could start from one side and then use the detector to pinpout the drill bit from the other.http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=91372&MAN=Bosch-D-tect-100-Wallscanner
http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=133565&MAN=Bosch-Dmf-10-Metal-Detector
and mine died on me!It wasn't that kind of tool though. It would tell you exactly how deep in the wall or floor a piece of metal was within a quarter inch or so, same laterally, so I suppose if you held a chunk of steel at the desred exit on one side, you could get prety close.I'm sure the technology is available for a tool that can do as described, but I don't think it is on the market for carpenters and other tradesmen.I suppose if it is, it would be through the Professional Equipment catalouge
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There are a number of techniques that could be used to, say, locate a point to within about 1/4" on the far side of a conventional 4.5" frame/drywall wall, and somewhat fewer techniques that might achieve that accuracy across 8 inches of concrete. Getting much better accuracy than 1/4" across such a distance would be considerably more difficult -- likely microwaves or xrays would have to be used, and the wavelengths used would need to be adjusted based on the materials being penetrated.
But if you really need the hole aligned with some feature on the far side, why not just drill from the far side? Or just measure to the accuracy you need?
I assume you want to drill holes and know where it will come out without measuring, right? It's hard to send RF in a pinpoint pattern. Why, exactly, are you trying to do this?
It would seem likely that such a tool be available somewhere in that it is a scaled down version of the tool underground cable drillers use to tunnel for underground lines.
There is a suitcase sized electronic affair that is placed a distance from the drill rig and set at a certain depth measure.
The controls on the rig are set to the setting on the suitcase and as the drilling commences a viewer shows if the drilling starts to go off that line control setting and adjustments are then made to correct the horizontal depth and aim.
Within what critical do you speak? 1/2"? 1/4" 1/8"?
Find a window and plumb down with your level, measure from that line and repeat on other side of wall. You can use a 16" 1/8" bit to make the first penetration.
If you didn't have a window on that wall, you could at least find the level by using a tube with water (level is the same at both ends) and that would eliminate an axis in question. From there, you could use a stud finder to locate the studs... from there you can use the rafters to see how far over you need to go - rafters will allign over studs. If a non raftered wall, you can look in the attic for SOMETHING that translates from inside to out, like a vent. Then measure over from that.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
What?????? You got studs. Over on this side of the hills we've got brick liner brick plaster on all the older then ? 50s You do need to be fairly accurate cause the caulk just doesn't seem to match the brick.
Alright, a couple might have some wood.
Thanks for all the great responses. I don't have a present need for this tool, but I can imagine times when it would be a handy gadget to have around. My friend swears that this tool does exist and that it wasn't some costly high-tech instrument. Given all of the cool tools on the market today, I believe him. I just can't seem to find out who markets it.
Michael
"I can imagine times when it would be a handy gadget to have around."help me imagine - my mind is coming up blank.
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Are you kidding? Sounds like you've never had the pleasure of putting a misplaced hole in a cabinet, some finish work, a wire or a pipe. You need to follow me around for awhile. The only thing I haven't struck is oil. :)
Michael
The secret is out, it's called a telephone. And when it's answered the guy is calling you to fix the big Freakn hole he just put in the wall for the dryer. 2 feet from where it's supposed to be.
No tool is going to help a guy that gets the hole off by two feet.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
I saw a ducumentary on the digging of the chunnel. seems the french and english diggers met in the middle of the channel underground and were within a foot of eachother..same tool maybe?
For the Chunnel they used lasers. But several similarly remarkable (for their time) tunnels have been found to have been built by different cultures in both the Old and New Worlds 1000-2000 years ago -- started from each end hundreds of feet apart and meeting in the middle with only a few inches of error. No one knows quite how these were done.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
MMMMMMM I think the old sailors know.
Plumb bob, sun and a protractor. Can you dig it?
Caution! If you use the above method it can cause sever hickory backhoe fatigue.
The tricky part is keeping on a straight line inside the tunnel, and one that doesn't angle up, down, or to one side by the fraction of a degree that will screw things up. If I did my math correctly, a one-degree error will throw the tunnel off by almost 21 inches in 100 feet.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
It would seem to me that the further you go making a mistake it would be easier to see the error.
I'm just glad it wasn't me that refined the process. I wonder how many tunnels have 90s at the middle looking for your digging buddy from the other side.
> It would seem to me that the further you go making a mistake it would be easier to see the error.Not really. All you can see is the apparent angle, so 10 inches at 100 feet will look no different from 5 inches at 50 feet. In the up/down direction you can in theory partly flood the tunnel and check the water level, but that doesn't help you with left/right.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
Yea but I got a flag on the top of the mountain I'm diggin into. So as I look into the shaft I can see I'm not headed to the flag but I've included my 90 for ease of intersection. Hope the train won't mind the turn in the tunnel. I was going to use the 3 mile hose to get my elevation but I couldn't carry it. All these shovels are all I can tote.
Warning! I'd rather be BSn then be out in this fraking cold.
Even with a flag on the mountain (and assuming you can line up with it accurately) you haven't got the problem licked. You need two flags that can be seen from both sides to assure that the two tunnels are lined up with each other. And the accuracy with which you can line up the flags is a big issue if they have to be close together for visibility from both sides.Plus, the flags don't do anything to get you started on the right level. You could have two tunnels lined up perfectly in plan view and bored perfectly horizontally, and still end up with one passing under the other.
People never lie so much as before an election, during a war, or after a hunt. --Otto von Bismarck
The secret is out, it's called a telephone. Try it-give Piffin a call.
Oh wait maybe I miss-speeled it, it's called a tele--arggg-ephone.
But it's only called that when you miss by2'.
Must be a mental block on my end. I stioll can't imagine how a tool like this can help somebody who can do that!
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Piffen, I must be having a huge mental block here-------
cause i am thinking" if it is SO critical to know where the drill bit is going to EXIT through side "B"---why not just START on side "B" ?---problem solved?
Stephen
egg zactly
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Phaser or the ubiquitous "slaver disintegrator"
???untill the circumstances change, my answer will remain the same...
OPositional Intergrating ElementOpie for short
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It exists and I have seen an ad for it, darned if I can remember where.
Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
It exist.
I believe Grenlee has one.
Saw an electrician use it to drill through a 2' thick concrete wall over the summer. He had just gotten it, and was leary. It worked quite well I as remember.
I am unsure if I gave you the correct maker, but I know it exist.Friends help you move.
Real friends help you move bodies!
Was Billy May selling it? - lol
I've always had problems drilling peep holes in bathroom walls. If I could only drill the hole and not see just shoes....