So.....now what should I do about that 13mm wrench I need for the muffler bracket?
Paying $37 for a single light weight wrench seems illogical.
https://www.aerostich.com/titanium-combination-wrenches-5.htmlInstead, I bought a $6 wrench at Home Deport and decided I was going to see how well my drills like to cut holes in chrome plated hardened steel.
Well..... I got it done and discovered my drills really hate this process. I started out with a new center drill to make a beginning of a hole, and it only cut a couple before it got too dull to drill anymore. It did make a small depression in the other spots - but it did not drill through the chrome anymore. I then switched to a small diameter Cobalt drill, and it worked really well for 5 holes before it gave up. I tried sharpening the drill - but once the Cobalt coating was gone it would no longer drill through the chrome of the hardened steel underneath. I had a couple of Cobalt and Titanium bits in similar sizes and eventually got tiny holes punched through. Then I switched to a drill bit that I bought at a flea market where the guy was drilling holes in leaf springs to show how tough this bit was (maybe it is Carbide), and with several stops to sharpen the bit it was able to get all the holes cut through.....then I did a bit of countersinking to soften the edges of the hole.
The wrench was 2.7 ounces when I started - I have not yet weighed it but I would be surprised if I was able to cut the weight down even half an ounce. I showed it to a fellow last night and he observed that I could save a lot more weight by cutting one end off.......the muffler nut requires the box end - but I am not sure I can convince myself to cut the open end off to save a smidge of weight. It turned out OK and I learned a little - a few of the holes are a bit off center as the curved profile of the wrench made the drill bit walk just a bit as it tried to overcome the shiny chrome plating. I am not sure what kind of drills are needed to drill reliably through this stuff - but I did learn that whatever it is......isn't in my toolbox!