Installing 2 River County 3" Therms

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thebig1

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
May 3, 2016
371
89
Kingston, PA
So I picked up two River County 3" thermometers with a 4" stem.  I went to install them and found out that the holes which are already there for the current thermometers are too small.  The River County therms call for a 13/16" hole.

What kind of drill and bit do I need to drill through my New Braunsfel smoker lid to open up these holes?

Oh btw, I've looked at Lowe's for such a drill bit and there's nothing for any drill that I currently have.

Chad
 
A 7/8" hole saw will do nicely also.

Those River Country therms are very nice. They're user calibratable which is a must with me.
 
I like that feature too Hillbilly.  So fellas, I can use my 18v cordless drill with a 7/8" bit to drill this hole?
 
With a fully charged battery, you should be able to. When the pilot bit breaks through, be prepared for the hole saw to catch and hang, twisting the drill. Don't push too hard, just go steady.
 
Howe big are the existing holes? If they are bigger than the pilot bit on the hole saw, the hole saw will walk on you. Your best bet is a 7/8" HSS or Titamium HSS bit, or a step bit. My step bit set came from Harbor Freight and it was less than $30 for two bits.
 
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Yes, I believe that the holes there now are probably somewhere around 1/2" to 7/16" as I'm not measuring them at the moment.  Maybe a step bit is the way to go on this.
 
A single HSS bit 7/8" in size should run you around $8.00. Lube it up with some light oil and drill away. The exiting holes will work as a pilot. I drill steel and wood all day long with my 18 volt Makita drills no problem.
 
 
A single HSS bit 7/8" in size should run you around $8.00. Lube it up with some light oil and drill away. The exiting holes will work as a pilot. I drill steel and wood all day long with my 18 volt Makita drills no problem.
Where do I buy this at, Lowe's?  I found a 2 piece set of step bits at Harbor Freight for $20.
 
 
Where do I buy this at, Lowe's?  I found a 2 piece set of step bits at Harbor Freight for $20.
You should be able to get one at Lowes, Home Depot, Ace, possibly even Harbor freight, if you are looking locally. Online you can get one from Amazon. Step bit would work too. They are nice for drilling oddball sized holes.
 
Thanks Sailor, as well as everyone else, I'm going after work to get something before I go home to clean and put the smoker away for the week.
 
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Case is right on. If you use a standard hole saw with a threaded arbor, get a second hole saw the same size as your existing hole and thread it inside the 7/8" that you need. The smaller hole saw will act as a pilot and keep your 7/8" from walking. I have done this many times.

Sometimes the uni-bit will chatter and cause a "ruffled" hole. They work better on a drill pres, but I don't want to hold your smoker up to the press.
 
Thanks Tropics, I was looking at that one too but it's too small.  I need 13/16" and/or 7/8".  I found one on there though.
 
Well it worked amazingly. I truly appreciate the input. Picked up a two piece step bit set at Harbor Freight and hooked it up. Also picked up a new digital caliper for reloading while I was there but we don't need to mention that to the wife. In my defense it was on sale.

River Country terms are installed. They were reading 100 degrees so I think that I'm going to have to calibrate them again. I thought that I'd already done that.
 
I thought that too but the sun wasn't out and it was probably around 80. Now maybe it heated up from the drill or was hot and stuffy inside. I'll just be sure to check it the next time I uncover it.
 
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