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I need to drill a hole through my aluminum boat to mount a temperature sensor for my depth finder. Do I need a special bit for aluminum, or will any wood bit work fine? I'm a little hesitant about trying to drill this hole and thought someone could steer me right.
I just put one on my Bass Tracker & I just used a regular drill bit.
Jason
I used regular bits on my aluminum also. Good tip: mark your spots for the holes and start with the smallest bit you have (like 1/8th). That makes it easier to stay on the mark and to get the first hole started. Then work your way up to the size you want using larger bits each time. (****, I wish other things worked out that well!!)
Grumpy
Use a standard bit. Mark the center of your hole. Indent the center of the hole with a nail or screw. If you want to be really careful about location use a small bit at the location you "punched" with the nail or screw. Use a regular bit the size of the hole you want. Make sure you deburr the hole. Good luck.
bbhog;
Also I would put Silicon or some type of sealant around the screws as well as between the boat and the mounting bracket.
BKehl
All good info, and yes use the clear silicone for sure. Now I would like to add an additional tip if I may. The aluminum hull is very thin at best, and getting a screw to hold in it for long is often a chore. So I learned a tip from and old fisherman down south to fix this, and any other mounting fixture on aluminum.
Go to Wally world or any discount store and purchase a cheap plastic (Nylon) cutting board at least 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
Cut a section out (use a corse hack saw) about 4 inches high and six to eight inches wide. Use stainless steel flat head screws and self locking acorn nuts, (1/4" bolts are fine) and mount to the back of the transom with the bottom of the piece about 1/4" from the bottom of the boat. Secure all four corners and again use that clear silicone on all four holes inside and out. Now mount what you want, onto the nylon board with self tapping screws a little shorter than the thickness of the board. Use some plastic glue on the screws and it will stay on until you want to take it off.
This will allow you to apply other things like a speedometer pick up etc. and never have to drill your boat again. Also if something breaks and you have to replace it, we all know the holes never match up. This way it doesn't matter. With the piece firmly in place and siliconed around the edge it also strengthtens your transom and prevents a stress crack that can happen if you just drill the metal attach to it. And because it is 1/4" from the bottom it will not affect the performance of the boat or cause turbulance that will affect a depth finder transducer which you can also attach here as well. Good fishing Mates.
I read your problem on the message board. What you need to know is that a wood bit will not work. What you need is a good metal bit. I've done this two or three times on other boats that I have owned. It should work just fine with the metal bit.
If you already have a transducer or something else mounted on the stearn of your boat and its under the water line share a screw location and don't drill another hole at all. Just take out the screw and add the temp sensor beside it and replace screw.