Trying to fit a light in our porch in a brick house 20 years old. To do this, I need to drill through a brick column 340 mm x 340mm which supports the corner of the house over the front door. I’ve hit a steel beam in the middle. Will it be possible to drill through this or am I kidding myself on? Ideally 13mm hole needed

Yes – just use a high speed drill bit and don’t let it get too hot. I’d start with a pilot hole using a 6mm bit.

Can’t you just put rawl plugs into the brick bit? Should be easily enough for a light.

Edit. Do you mean for the cable? Yes HSS bit once you’ve cleared the brick and brick dust

Shoulldn’t be impossible – a good drill bit a slow drill are the key – drilling too fast will heat the bit and it’ll go blunt. Some oil on the drill bit helps as well. Cordless drill work well as they’re a good speed in their slowest setting. Mains drills, unless they have decent speed control, are generally too fast for drilling larger diameter holes. Theres a bit of an opportunity to hurt yourself though – with larger holes just as the drill breakthrough the other side of the hole the flutes can tend to thread themselves into the part drilled hole and you can get a big kickback from the drill. This isn’t so bad when you’re working at a bench but working in situ and not well braced when holding the drill suddenly having the drill start spinning can bork your wrist or conveniently snap the drill bit off in the hole.

The bigger the drill the slower the drill speed. “high speed” is a misnomer. Plenty of pressure, lube and a low speed with big bits. I’d go 6, 10 then 13.

Thanks guys!

Edukator – Reformed Troll
Plenty of pressure, lube and a low speed with big bits.

Just what do you think he’s “drilling” 😯

Just make sure you pilot it and the slow and easy and back-off plenty.
As mentioned above watch out for the breakthrough. You’ll hurt yourself a lot before a 13mm bit snaps…

And 13mm is usually the max you’ll get into a cordless drill .. and by chance about the best possible size for drilling out pedal holes for tapping at 9/16ths…(in aluminium alloy it gives a bit extra thread)

Use some drill bit coolant like Rocol. This will prolong the life of your drill bit.

And, assuming you are looking upwards. Wear safety specs at least, a full-face guard is better. A red hot piece of swarf on your bottom lip is not comfortable let me tell you.

It’s mind boggling that the anyone would ask if it’s possible to drill steel. And further, the no of different ways nine people can describe the exact same thing.
This place is the true home of redundancy.

Personally I’d not bother with any oil/coolant.

It’s one hole, just take it steady.

If I had a pound for everytime i’d heard that

Watch that kick back as your lubed tip penetrates.. Start small and get bigger.. Just don’t get carried away going at it too fast otherwise it will be a premature end for your bit….

This place is the true home of redundancy.

Well done for opening a thread with a question that you think nobody should ask, reading the answers all the answers and then taking the time to post your contribution that adds nothing. 🙂

You’ll hurt yourself a lot before a 13mm bit snaps…

You obviously haven’t wasted enough of your money on dewalt Extreme 2 drill bits.

Well done for opening a thread with a question that you think nobody should ask, reading the answers all the answers and then taking the time to post your contribution that adds nothing.

You mean like the way this also adds nothing?

You obviously haven’t wasted enough of your money on dewalt Extreme 2 drill bits.

I can point you to a (wooden) gate post with the pointy end of a 13mm bit buried in the middle.

One of your main issues is getting a bit long enough. Most max out at around 150 mm with 20mm or so of this inserted in the chuck. You say steel in the middle of a 340 column so bit is going to need to be around 200-210 long

Although it appears screwfix do a Bosch multiconstruction bit in 12 and 14mm at 250 long

Well got it done taking it slow and easy. Thanks for the comments all.

Length was an issue, but only just made it with a longer 15mm bit. Next step would’ve been to look for a longer one. Didn’t seem to be available as standard.

And gears suck – I know it’s possible to drill steel. That’s not what I asked. I asked if it was possible to drill a steel beam which by the description was part of a structure and hence possibly tougher than other steels. Also not stated but implicit in the question was would it be possible with standard equipment.

Theres a bit of an opportunity to hurt yourself though – with larger holes just as the drill breakthrough the other side of the hole the flutes can tend to thread themselves into the part drilled hole and you can get a big kickback from the drill.

This!

Count Zero et al – yes, I was wary of that. Was running so slow that the drill just stopped as I started to break through.