Drilling track: Drill styles

[Cidertom]

Greetings all:
In the past when I have had to drill rubber products for my day job, I have used single flute round drills. The products have been solid rubber without cords. What is the 'normal' drill for belted tracking? The good, the bad and the ugly please. I'm thinking that forstner style wood bits would handle the cords best, but having never done this, I don't want to go down the path that has a warning sign on it.

Thanks
3 track ST4 that needs help
Tom

 

[MNoutdoors RIP]

Greetings all:
In the past when I have had to drill rubber products for my day job, I have used single flute round drills. The products have been solid rubber without cords. What is the 'normal' drill for belted tracking? The good, the bad and the ugly please. I'm thinking that forstner style wood bits would handle the cords best, but having never done this, I don't want to go down the path that has a warning sign on it.

Thanks
3 track ST4 that needs help
Tom

Single flute hollow core bits work fine like a flexco hp1 or hp2 you can punch them or spin them a little WD 40 every 6th hole or so helps

 

[meanjean]

I purchased a single flute drill that a belting distributor recommended a year or two ago. It is basically a hollow tube about 4-5" long, at the cutting end is a slight sine wave, if you understand the meaning, and the other end, just below the shank, a ejection slot for the slug(s) to exit as the drill makes multiple cuts. My 1/2" dia. drill cost about $19.00 or so. Nice tool. Worked great!

 

[Track Addict]

We use a stud drilling tool for our snowmobile tracks. Woodys traction, Stud Boy, Mac Studs should offer them and any snowmobile shop should have one. 7mm and 5/16. Not sure of other sizes or if these are too small. The single flute gets hot and melts the track and cords rather than cuts. The hotter it gets the better it cuts.

 

[Cidertom]

Thanks All.

Tom