Want to add rivnut, no space for drill.

mongrol

100 mW
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
38
Hi Folks,
For my latest build I want to use a DS-9 style battery (with 21700's) in it. This style needs bottle cage bolts quite high up in the triangle and in my frame only one of them would line up. I want to add two more but further up the triangle my standard power drill won't fit so I can drill the holes vertical. I presume in metalwork there's a solution to this problem? Hopefully not requiring a $1000 jig with strange angular CV style rotating doohickeys.

As an alternative I seen Chalo link to some lovely chrome clamp things in another thread once. They look nice (going for the brushed metal look here) but balancing such a big pack on 3 clamps with what looks like 15mm diameter surface area looked a bit iffy. If there's no reasonable way to drill extra holes (i've done this before on my last build with no structural consequences) I guess I'll need to get creative.

TIA.
 
You could try a 90 deg drill adaptor like this..
https://www.amazon.com.au/Adapter-90°Degree-Extension-Screwdriver-Attachment/dp/B07BPSZWZX
They are available with a normal chuck also, .
You may well need a special short drill bit also.
 
Loved this ever since I bought it fits great. Sometimes you gotta use a short drill bit too
Amazon has them

IMG_20210710_113447117.jpgIMG_20210710_113722232.jpgIMG_20210710_114235356.jpg
 
Hillhater said:
You could try a 90 deg drill adaptor like this..
https://www.amazon.com.au/Adapter-90°Degree-Extension-Screwdriver-Attachment/dp/B07BPSZWZX
They are available with a normal chuck also, .
You may well need a special short drill bit also.

those work well but that's a ridiculous price. you can get a dewalt one for ~$20 if you find a sale. keep an eye on slickdeals, they pop up fairly often
 
Garage sales and pawn shops to.

COAR said:
those work well but that's a ridiculous price. you can get a dewalt one for ~$20 if you find a sale. keep an eye on slickdeals, they pop up fairly often
 
mongrol said:
As an alternative I seen Chalo link to some lovely chrome clamp things in another thread once. They look nice (going for the brushed metal look here) but balancing such a big pack on 3 clamps with what looks like 15mm diameter surface area looked a bit iffy.

Hard mounting a large weight from 5mm threads brazed or riveted into thin tubing is also pretty iffy. In either case, I like to use a thin aluminum plate or angle to bridge the frame bosses and better distribute the load. This also prevents the battery's plastic mounting plate from being flexed by hand far enough to slide the battery out when it's locked.
 
I'm about an hour away from having the exact same problem. The last time I ran into this complication I solved it with this -
https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-variable-speed-reversible-close-quarters-drill-60610.html
It came in real handy until I snapped it in half. Although I was drilling into wood with a 2" spade bit at the time.
 
If nothing else works look at Wolf Tooth's BRAD mounts, in conjunction with a strap around the battery. In this instance the battery was relatively small at about seven pounds. For those who decry, it solved my problem!
 
2old said:
If nothing else works look at Wolf Tooth's BRAD mounts, in conjunction with a strap around the battery. In this instance the battery was relatively small at about seven pounds. For those who decry, it solved my problem!

this thing here?
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/b-rad-system/products/b-rad-everywhere-base?variant=39313573740579

Everything else seems to require pre-exisiting watter bottle mounts.
 
COAR said:
2old said:
If nothing else works look at Wolf Tooth's BRAD mounts, in conjunction with a strap around the battery. In this instance the battery was relatively small at about seven pounds. For those who decry, it solved my problem!

this thing here?
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/b-rad-system/products/b-rad-everywhere-base?variant=39313573740579

Everything else seems to require pre-exisiting watter bottle mounts.
It sounded to me (from the first post) that there were mounts, but they were in the wrong place, so the "normal" BRAD was recommended. If there were none, it's possible to place a couple where they can be installed, then use the kit to move the mounts to the desired area. I had pre-existing mounts, but the battery wouldn't fit using them.
 
Thanks everyone. The battery is ordered so I'll wait until it shows up to see how to go about this. Aesthetics are important here as I'm going for a clean, alu metal look. So the usual highly effective but ragtag solutions (straps etc) aren't an option. It looks like either drill a couple of extra rivnuts using a rightangle chuck thingy as above and likely add a thicker base plate as Chalo suggested might do it. I do like the look of the DMR clamps though. 3 of those, plus base plate between them would be sturdier as there's then no drilling and no stress on holes whatsoever.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/dmr-hinged-clamp/rp-prod745
 
mongrol said:
.... I do like the look of the DMR clamps though. 3 of those, plus base plate between them would be sturdier as there's then no drilling and no stress on holes whatsoever.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/dmr-hinged-clamp/rp-prod745
Yes , they look ideal even if you loose a little height/space...but Unless your frame bar is perfectly round and not tapered, they may not be such an easy fit solution.
 
mongrol said:
Thanks everyone. The battery is ordered so I'll wait until it shows up to see how to go about this. Aesthetics are important here as I'm going for a clean, alu metal look. So the usual highly effective but ragtag solutions (straps etc) aren't an option. It looks like either drill a couple of extra rivnuts using a rightangle chuck thingy as above and likely add a thicker base plate as Chalo suggested might do it. I do like the look of the DMR clamps though. 3 of those, plus base plate between them would be sturdier as there's then no drilling and no stress on holes whatsoever.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/dmr-hinged-clamp/rp-prod745

I used 3 of those with a normal 48V/13.5Ah shark pack, but with a 1/8" x 3" strip of aluminum underneath the pack. I drilled and tapped the plate for a fourth attachment point in the controller compartment of the pack. It seemed very solid, and it's still doing duty years later on my ex's e-bike.

You could use a fourth clamp the same way if you are concerned about stability and redundancy.
 
Those look really neat and I ordered one to try out; probably get more later. FME, I'll build some kind of bike around the mount, so it'll be an expensive purchase.
 
mongrol said:
Thanks everyone. The battery is ordered so I'll wait until it shows up to see how to go about this. Aesthetics are important here as I'm going for a clean, alu metal look. So the usual highly effective but ragtag solutions (straps etc) aren't an option. It looks like either drill a couple of extra rivnuts using a rightangle chuck thingy as above and likely add a thicker base plate as Chalo suggested might do it. I do like the look of the DMR clamps though. 3 of those, plus base plate between them would be sturdier as there's then no drilling and no stress on holes whatsoever.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/dmr-hinged-clamp/rp-prod745
 
mongrol said:
I do like the look of the DMR clamps though. 3 of those, plus base plate between them would be sturdier as there's then no drilling and no stress on holes whatsoever.

Chalo said:
I used 3 of those with a normal 48V/13.5Ah shark pack, but with a 1/8" x 3" strip of aluminum underneath the pack.

file.php
 
I have a plan! After much much searching and scheming I stumbled upon these "oil filter clamps" on ebay.

IMG_0341.jpg

I now have 3 of them and they fit perfectly with a suitable mechanical grunge look. To fit the battery I've went the Chalo route and fashioned myself an aluminium plate. To space the battery up from the clamp bolt heads I have some 5mm felt rubber. The battery will be fixed with 4 (yes! 4) m5 bolts as I"ve drilled an extra one inside the strange connector box at the rear.
IMG_0342.jpg

This should make it all pretty solid. Can be moved up and down the tube as I see fit and also gives a some clearance under the battery plate to hide the cable run. Sweet as a ninja!
 
So about 6 weeks of research and 1 hours work.

Like a wee skateboard.
IMG_0343.jpg
IMG_0344.jpg

Rock solid. Job's a good`un. In the end there's 4 M5 bolts through the base into the plate. Nylon locknuts all round.
IMG_0346.jpg
 
I literally took just a drill bit, duct tape, and my fingers. Maybe some pliers too. My finger tips got some bad callouses, but it can be done. I tried a full drill bit, it wasn't biting. Found a sharp one and it made quick work of it. Maybe 15min by hand.
 
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