Drilling stainless steel

I needed to drill several 3/16 holes through 1/16 stainless steel. My 3/16 bit was good for one hole, then I had to switch to a 11/64 for the next hole. These are gold colored (titanium nitride coated) bits. So can the experts here tell me what type of bit to use or does the face of the bit need a different angle to cut better?

Reply to
Jeff
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Slow speed and coolant will help. Wd40 if nothing else is available. Also you can try sandwiching the plate between two pieces of scrap wood and drill through the top piece through the metal and just into the under piece this will help with heat dissipation and keep the burr size done on the out going side of the cut. When your hole is wider than the part is thick this is a good way to work, it also cuts down on the number of spinning things that can make there way up the drill bit and turn into airplane props.

Rich

Reply to
Rich

Did you even bother to look? or do you need to be spoonfed?

71 results for drilling stainless Drilling stainless steel ... Norm I would buy 2 carbide drill bits. 5/32 and 13/32. If you attempt with HSS slow with lots of coolant. I am working on a project and will have to drill 8 holes in 8-18 stainless steel. The stock is 3/16" thick. I have good equipment .. ... Feb 10 2005 by NSN - 7 messages - 6 authors

Drilling Stainless Steel I want to drill a 1.25" hole in a sheet of (probably) 12ga stainless steel. I'm not sure of the grade but it's the type commonly used for commercial (restaurant) range hoods and tables. How do I go about this? Hole saw? Carbide tipped? ... Aug 14 2004 by PrecisionMachinisT - 8 messages - 8 authors

Drilling stainless steel? ... It can make a piece of stainless almost impossible to drill. What causes work hardening is usually one of two things: A mis-guided intention to center-punch the work before drilling, or (you guessed it) idling in the hole. ... Apr 16 1996 by Lloyd E. Sponenburgh - 13 messages - 11 authors

Drilling stainless steel I needed to drill several 3/16 holes through 1/16 stainless steel. My 3/16 bit was good for one hole, then I had to switch to a 11/64 for the next hole. These are gold colored (titanium nitride coated) bits. ...

11:16pm by Jeff - 2 messages - 2 authors

Drilling into stainless steel sink Is it possible to drill into the sink to install the spout for the system? If this is possible, any recommedations or helpful hints would be appreciated. See some of the recent discussion here on drilling stainless. ... Apr 19 1996 by Dan Hicks - 10 messages - 10 authors

wood drill bit versus metal bit ... the first choice. Brad points are sort of flat tipped but have a point in the center. When drilling stainless, it is best to spray on some sort of lubricant. WD-40 or a light oil will work. Ed Sep 4 2003 by Edwin Pawlowski - 3 messages - 3 authors

stainless steel self drilling screws We have now added a complete range of stainless steel self drilling screws to our website. You can find them at:

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Dave Tuplin Contractors Depot Dec 9 1999 by Contractor Depot - 1 message - 1 author

Best way to drill hole in stainless steel sink deck I used a bi- metal hole saw....the steel didn't melt. Consider some drilling oil or lubricant.... Sue You may consider using a "knockout set". ... Drilling at high RPMs will cause steel to melt and the bit to weardown quickly. Hope this helped Jul 30 1998 by snipped-for-privacy@NOSPAM.erols.com - 13 messages - 13 authors

Cut hole in STAINLESS STEEL sink ??? ... done. They were installing a hose sprayer or a detergent bottle or whatever and needed to "drill" a hole in the stainless steel sink. Just showed the install vs the actual DRILLING of the hole. ... Aug 20 2003 by Ian Stirling - 22 messages - 12 authors

drilling through ceramic tile ... It took about fifteen minutes to get through. Cobalt works fine for drilling stainless steel, but I guess tile is harder. Sears makes a special bit for ceramic tile, it looks like a blade rather than a standard drill bit. Haven't tried it. ... Jan 21 1998 by Roger Ove - 3 messages - 3 authors

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Reply to
beecrofter

You probably need a slower drill and some cutting oil. If the 3/16" bit is less than $5 each, then it's a cheap assed POS.

Reply to
Steve Barker

Lower speeds, and more cutting oil.

Reply to
Goedjn

Slow down the speed, and keep a steady pressure on the bit. If you let it rub or go too fast you will work harden the stainless. Lube helps.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

those gold colored bits a pretty but JUNK.

buy regular expensive bits and drill slow.

Reply to
hallerb

Use high-speed steel bits and flood with water while drilling.

Reply to
Charles Schuler

The harder the material, the slower the bit should spin. Use a lot of moving water or a little oil.

Reply to
HeyBub

" snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@j27g2000cwj.googlegroups.com:

IIRC,cobalt bits are recommended for SS.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Ya know, I saw one of those cordless battery powered drills flying over my house on January 1. It had a large propeller too. Now I know why !!!!

Reply to
Gerry Atrick

I didnt have the time to read all of this book you wrote here, but to make holes for a faucet or other fixture in a SS sink, I take a drill and drill a starter hole that will fit the cutter. Then buy cutters made for electricians that cut 1/2" 3/4" 1", etc holes in electrical boxes. They are called Greenley. They cut large holes well.

Reply to
Gerry Atrick

We use them all the time in the machine shop. They are only junk when you use them improperly (high speed when the material calls for low speed). Cobalt bits are stronger and cut harder material, but also brittle so don't drop them or try to twist them in a hole to widen the hole.

Reply to
Mike Dobony

Cutting oil, not water. Otherwise any oil will work. High speed steel does NOT mean you can use high RPM. My machinist handbook is not handy (packed away during our move), but drilling with a HSS bit in stainless is only about 60fpm compared to drilling aluminum at something like 500fpm. Translation for 3/16 would be somethign like maybe 200 rpm versus 1200 rpm. You can drill MUCH faster with a cobalt drill and the drill will last much longer.

Reply to
Mike Dobony

I drill stainless all the time, up to 1/4" thick. 3/16" is one of the more common hole sizes I drill.

Only way to go is cobalt bits in a drill press. Can also be used in a portable drill. A 3/16" cobalt bit is about $4 at any hardware store.

As others have mentioned, slow speed and lubricant is required for SS.

-Frank

Reply to
Frank Warner

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