Installing a flush mount rod holder with a Forstner bit?

[jayhanig]

I intend to install a pair of flush mount Perko stainless steel rod holders on my boat but am worried about screwing up the job. Every description I've read so far has suggested I use a 2" hole saw vertically and then ream it out to the appropriate 25° angle so it will lay flat on the top of the gunwale. Well, I don't have such a bit but I do have Forstner bits... bits normally used to cut circles with flat bottoms. Would that be OK for the job or should I go out and buy the hole saw bit?

I was planning on inserting a foot long piece of pressure treated 2 X 4 underneath the gunwale to use as a backplate and towards that end milled a couple of pieces to the right size and drilled the 25° hole on my drill press. My reason for all this is because I intend to use the rod holders as insertion points for a boarding handle rather than for fishing. I mentioned this to my local boat guy and he looked at me as if I was crazy. He just recommended using stainless steel #10 machine screws along with nylon lined retention nuts and fender washers.

I know I'm way overthinking this but I'm intimidated by the thought of possibly messing up the job... I can see the bit skipping and dancing over a wider area than what the flange can hide... disaster. One other thing: the underside of the flange is a little bigger than the diameter of the tubing so I had to drill using a 2 1/8" Forstner bit to get things to lay flat. With hindsight I probably should have just drilled a 2" hole all the way through the board and then made a shallow 2 1/8" hole to accommodate the underlying lip of the flange.

Even if I don't use the wood as backing plates, I suppose I could use them somehow as jigs to help me drill the proper angle by just laying them on top of the desired hole.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Get a hole saw. Using a 1/4" bit drill a pilot hole at the angle you want and all the way through. Then put a 1/4" rod in the hole saw instead of the pilot bit and drill away. The rod will hold the hole saw better at the angle because its much stronger than the hole saw pilot bit.

 

[kjsAZ]

+1 and until you are through the gel-coat run the drill in reverse. I'd also put some tape over the area as that will reduce the amount of chipping.

A hole-saw is around $5 at your local home improvement store and much better suited for this type of job than a Forstner bit. If you aren't in a rush get one from ebay cheaper and buy one which is intended for aluminum and not wood. However, I prefer the bi-metal ones bought locally.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Make a guide by drilling through a 2x4 at the desired angle using your drill press (I don't know anyone that has Forstner bits and no drill press...) and the Forstner bit, then clamp the guide to the gunwale and drill away. The guide works well with a holesaw too, but then so does an extra long pilot bit.

 

[jayhanig]

Make a guide by drilling through a 2x4 at the desired angle using your drill press (I don't know anyone that has Forstner bits and no drill press...) and the Forstner bit, then clamp the guide to the gunwale and drill away. The guide works well with a holesaw too, but then so does an extra long pilot bit.

This is what I finally ended up doing: I went to Lowes and bought a 2" hole saw, measured, taped the spot with masking tape, and marked an X for the pilot bit. Then I crawled around to make sure I wouldn't hit a steering linkage or clip a wire. I started the cut with the hole saw, then placed the 2 X 4 jig I'd cut yesterday to guide the bit. It ended up being a lot of unnecessary extra work because as it turned out, I rapidly punched through the fiberglass and only encountered foam underneath. The rod holder wouldn't lay flat until finally I filed some material off the forward part of the hole. Then it was a matter of drilling the three screw holes, laying down the rubber gasket, and trying to start a fender washer and SS nylon locknut from underneath. I got one done but the heat started to get to me so I'll go back to it after it cools down later this afternoon. I've got to carve out some more foam to make room for my big hands.

 

[crabby captain john]

Great ~~ sounds like no chipping of gel beyond what the holder covers!

 

[jayhanig]

No Title

There was not. i did note some slight flexing in the skin of the gunwale topside if I applied moderate lateral pressure to the inserted boarding handle (the point of this entire exercise). I'm hoping that won't be a problem in actual real life use.

I've been needing a little help getting into the boat from a dock. My usual arrival isn't particularly dignified and involves falling in quite frequently. I just needed something to hang onto as I step in. The picture, btw, isn't of my boat but it should give you a clear image of what I installed the rod holders for.