Help drilling into fiberglass surround!!

[hayley3]

So I didn't have a 5/8 inch drill bit so I bought this one:

http://www.sears.com/dewalt-dw5241-5-8-inch-x-6-inch/p-SPM10763250719?redirectType=SRDT

And that didn't work so I used a 5/8 inch spade bit. However now, the hole is not big enough for the toggle itself. I tried hammering the bolt in hoping it would push in but it won't go in because the hole is a hair too small for the toggle.

Please I need suggestions! The drill bit now fits easily inside the hole. The toggles do not.

Cheryl

 

[Reach4]

You have a toggle bolt that won't go through a 5/8 diameter hole? That's a big toggle bolt.

If there are just a few points that interfere, consider a hand file. With a good file, it will cut quicker than you think, and you can file only at the interference points.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hayley3]

It's actually the toggle itself that won't go thru the wall. Where the toggle is held together, the little ends stick out too much to fit in the hole.

 

[hayley3]

Thanks, that worked! Whew....fortunately I had a tapered file and we got it in..finally this shower is up.

 

[Reach4]

You are referring to something like this, where the clearance required is something like rectangular.

I suggest a good file. Not a fingernail file. Try going to the store and getting one of those bastards, but of course you will want to get one about a half-inch across to fit easily into your 5/8 inch hole.

 

[Jadnashua]

A toggle bolt on fiberglass probably isn't the greatest fastener to use since it will be putting a lot of stress on a very small set of points on the arms. A much better fastener is something like this: http://www.wingits.com//details.php?id=93 where the ends of the legs are flat to spread the load out some. The other thing I don't like about toggle bolts is that most of them do not have a collar, so the hole needs to be a bunch larger than the wings, and then unless the thing is tightened up really tight, the whole thing can slide since the shaft of the bolt is much smaller than the hole needed to get it installed. Plus, there's no easy way to seal around the hole.