Having been involved with twist drills and drilling all sorts of materials from the age of 15 to my retirement at the age of 53, I disagree with you. The drilling of all sorts of steel is simple, but the secret is the speed of rotation of the twist drill and the angle that the cutting edge presents to that metal.
Knowing your background, I can understand why you are saying this, but I can tell you that opening up a hole will not produce a triangular hole in a piece of metal thicker than about 7/8s of the thickness of the diam. of the drill. BTDTWTTS
What would you suggest is the best solution for this particular application (i.e. opening a 11mm hole in 3mm mild steel by a couple of mm while on site?)
I really can't see any problem doing this with an ordinary HSS bit provided you have a drill that runs slow enough. Unless I'm missing something, it doesn't need to be precision engineering.
And untill 2 days ago, I took him more-or-less as he appears here. Sane, prepared to ask when needed etc.
But...
2 days ago, my opinion changed radically. I subscribed to the cycling NG uk.rec.cycling.
It appears that TMH is not a cyclist, but chooses to be a mega-troll on that NG, posting as 'Dave- Cyclist VOR' ( whatever that means ).
Why the hell would someone who is not only not a cyclist, with no interest in cycling, but a rabid anti-cyclist, go there and cause trouble? Just go away from there. Stop trolling. Just go away.
His presence on that NG is entirely negative and trolling, and his posts are unbelievable rants.
Dave, if DIY and handymaning is your thing, then I welcome your contribution here.
Please give your trolling a rest on the cycling NG. You don't enjoy trolls here, and I don't enjoy them over there either.
That's only to remove the very centre of the drill to follow IYSWIM. Any pilot hole much larger encourages the larger drill to "walk" around the pilot hole producing a polygonal cut.
Reducing the rake angle of the 13mm drill might have helped Desmond get away with it.
Desmond should do it for you - because he has a drill press. Doing this with a hand drill would be a horror. If you have to, use your slow-speed high-torque drill for plaster mixing and (in my case) timber framing. Use the long side handle too.
I wouldn't go from 11 to 13. I'd go up in the smallest increments I could, probably 0.5 mm (remember than 1/2" is 12.7). It's quicker to drill more, smaller steps.
You should get away with any drill, as 3mm is easy and steel is easy - unless the steel is awkward. Stainless could be a right pig, depending on grade and previous heat-history. High carbon steels too, if they've been hot before. In general though, gold-coloured drills are modern rubbish and old black HSS will at least still have come from a decent maker in Sheffield. Over 6mm in steel, there's no room for drill bits made of Silverline monkey-metal.
A tapered reamer is a wonderful tool. Buy a new Roebuck one (how much?
25-40 quid probably) or else an old one. I have mine re-sharpened by elves occasionally, as it's one of my favourite tools and is always on my bench. In this size though, it's getting tricky - you'll need one that fits into a brace, not just a tee handle. Buck & Hickman (and Tilgear) have recently dragged themselves into the web age (Tooltastic?) and are worth a look for really high-end tools.
If you're bolting together brackets like this, it's worth having a parallel reamer (with a tapered lead) to ream both bolt holes in situ and to make them perfectly aligned and perfectly sized. Slow, but it's worth it for the extra strength if you're bolting anything really structural.
The 'gold coloured' HSS drills Lidl sell as a set in a nice steel box are excellent for jobbing work - and a fraction of the price of Dormer etc, or at least where I can buy them.
I do realise it might be worth it for some to pay many times the cost for a 'name' drill, but for many I doubt it. Especially if most of the time you're using a hand held drill.
That does not mean they are not there - I am as capable of a brain fart as anyone else! ;-)
Well its interesting you highlight that, because I did pause as I wrote that and wondered if I had the right term. So it is entirely possible that its not a common (or for that matter even correct) usage. Web seems to be commonly in use, so perhaps its better I switch what I said above to that.
I can't believe anyone can have such a rabbid dislike of something that they actually go out of their way to go find where thoe people are just to make trouble. And then spend *hours* just making trouble.
People judge you by your choices: what you say, and what you do.
I am sure we all have a few bits quietly purloined from factory production jobs. Mine are now very short through years of hand sharpening.
While we are on the subject..... I just happen to have two drill sharpening attachments obviously cannibalised from a proper cup wheel drill grinder. I shall never have a use for them but they might make a project for someone with the appropriate skills.
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