Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)
  • I want to drill a hole in some metal.
  • zippykona
    Full Member

    It’s this…
    https://www.metals4u.co.uk//stainless-steel/c8/angle/c77/50-x-50-x-3mm-316/p7415
    Have I bought some sort of undrillable metal or am I being a numpty (probable)?
    I bought 2 stanley fat max drill bits as they were the most expensive ,put the drill on slow and have shagged them both out and drilled half a hole.
    Do I buy some drill bits that aren’t made of angels tears or get some different metal?

    leegee
    Full Member

    lots of coolant or oil and keep it cool

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    Stainless is difficult to drill – what size holes are you making? If you’re not using it for an application that needs stainless steel and you’ve got a few holes to make it might be cheaper to buy some mild steel than more drill bits 🙂

    If they are larger holes you might have more luck drilling a smaller pilot hole then enlarging it with a step drill

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    porter_jamie
    Full Member

    Lubricant?
    Try a dormer high speed one

    gobuchul
    Free Member

    Did you start with a very small pilot hole and then step up a few mm for a few steps?

    oldschool
    Full Member

    What size you drilling? As said stainless is tough, you’ll need to work up through sizes to get say 6mm.
    Start about 3.5 ish. Then 6. Etc

    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Stainless will work harden. As you drill you need to penetrate and remove the hardened material. Keep cutting speeds constant and everything cooled as you apply an even pressure.

    spooky_b329
    Full Member

    You might be going a bit slow, try a new sharp bit, faster and firm pressure. When its cutting nicely you should get chips or spirals of metal, if its just grinding away and not making progress you should step back and try again.

    finishthat
    Free Member

    did you get the 304 or 316 ? one of them will need tougher drills , fatmax is marketing not definitely suited to drilling nasty stainless, a cobalt drill
    might be suitable – your linked supplier sells them.
    Smaller the hole the faster you drill – there are charts online – but usually its drilling large diameter too fast thats the problem.

    inverjoe
    Free Member

    Use a cobalt drill bit… much harder than HSS bit. I Use them regularly on Stainless in a drill press, cuts no problem.

    bear-uk
    Free Member

    Good luck, I screwed some dormer gold tipped 1.5mm drill bits up trying to mount a relay.
    It got cable tied in the end.

    zippykona
    Full Member

    All I needed was a bit of extra metal to get me free postage. It was cheaper than buying ready made brackets. Live and learn.
    I shall now count the drill bits I’ve ****…eleven. That’s starting with 2 mm bits. I shall buy some brackets with holes and cut them to size.

    kormoran
    Free Member

    You could take it to a local fabricator and get them to drill it. Seeing as you’ll have to go into town anyway

    neilwheel
    Free Member

    You need sharp bits, plenty of lube and just the right amount of pressure, get it all right and it’s hot knife and butter, get one bit wrong and your screwed. Start at 3mm for a pilot.

    allthepies
    Free Member

    am I being a numpty (probable)?

    stainless steel 😆

    zippykona
    Full Member

    Righto plan b. Will this 3mm aluminium be ok to support a 50mm beam 3.4 m long. It will be supported in the middle as well.
    I’ve tried to squash it in the vice and it doesn’t seem to bend.

    finishthat
    Free Member

    This is long rude and funny – offensive to some but good for a laugh whilst
    informative:

    AVE – What drill bit is best drill? :

    freeagent
    Free Member

    As others have said – Stainless is difficult to drill, and really difficult to drill by hand (i.e. not using a pillar drill)

    You need a sharp drill, plenty of coolant and a constant speed/pressure.

    zippykona
    Full Member

    And a big bin to chuck it in.

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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