Timeline for How to drill holes in 3/8" thick steel plates?
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18 events
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| Oct 30, 2023 at 18:05 | vote | accept | amphibient | ||
| Jul 11, 2019 at 14:17 | comment | added | jesse_b | @isherwood: the internet is full of bad advice. In reality you shouldn't need any lubricant at all for any non-hardened/low carbon metal, but when you do need lubricant it is important to use the correct lubricant. When you use regular oil all it is going to do is slightly aid in cooling but it's going to severely hurt your ability to actually cut. At that point you might as well just use water. | |
| Jul 11, 2019 at 13:19 | history | edited | isherwood | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 11, 2019 at 13:18 | comment | added | isherwood | I'll just leave these here. 1 2 | |
| Jul 11, 2019 at 13:14 | comment | added | jesse_b | Put some cutting fluid on a two pieces of metal and rub them together, then put regular oil on them and try again. One will feel smooth and the other will feel like sandpaper. Cutting fluid "lubricates" but with friction to allow for a proper cut | |
| Jul 10, 2019 at 21:35 | comment | added | isherwood | I'm not sure we can say that as a blanket statement. Cutting oils are intended to lubricate. Other types of cutting fluids may not be. For our household purposes, household oil should do, mostly since it'll reduce the effect of binding. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_fluid#Lubrication | |
| Jul 10, 2019 at 19:56 | comment | added | jesse_b | Please note there is a huge difference between cutting oil and other oils. Other oils will reduce friction which is not what you want for cutting/drilling. Cutting oil is really the only oil that should be used for drilling. | |
| Jul 9, 2019 at 18:03 | history | edited | isherwood | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 9, 2019 at 18:02 | comment | added | isherwood | Slowing down will possibly help. With a drill press, sure. By hand, slowing down means a longer time spent drilling, which increases operator fatigue and therefore the likelihood of binding, which dramatically increases heat. Sometimes just getting it punched through quickly is actually better. | |
| Jul 9, 2019 at 17:59 | comment | added | dwizum | This is a good answer that could be improved by mentioning drill speed. Most drills homeowners are likely to own are way too fast on their fastest speed, and a lot of inexperienced DIY'ers naturally just squeeze that trigger all the way and always run at the fastest speed. Slowing down will definitely help! | |
| Jul 9, 2019 at 14:51 | comment | added | Chris Stratton | A big reason for the stepping up of sizes is that the drilling speed can only be right for one point on the flute, inside of that it is too low and outside too high. By using a sequence of drills you cut each region of the hole closer to the ideal settings, and you accomplish the "never going to be right" of the center of the hole at a drill size where you can keep the pressure (force in a small area) high. | |
| Jul 9, 2019 at 14:41 | comment | added | isherwood | I find that centering is maintained with this approach (within fairly tight tolerances). Not so much with wood due to varying density. | |
| Jul 9, 2019 at 14:34 | comment | added | Keeta - reinstate Monica | Please note it is harder to keep the hole at the right place when you step the hole so many times. It is also more likely for your hole to "triangle" with a two flute bit. | |
| Jul 9, 2019 at 12:51 | history | edited | isherwood | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Jul 9, 2019 at 9:08 | comment | added | Stian | They won't lose temper by quenching, if they are hot enough that the temper will be affected it is already too late and no cooling except specifically the one they were made with is sufficient to avoid damage... | |
| Jul 8, 2019 at 21:59 | comment | added | user1946891 | I'd skip the 1/8 bit and use a punch to make a dimple where you need to drill. Don't run the drill at its fastest speed and NEVER put it in water to cool, sure it will get hot but that's okay use plenty of used motor oil. I think isherwood is right on the mark though. | |
| Jul 8, 2019 at 17:03 | comment | added | J Crosby | The only thing I would add, is to use quality bits. The cheaper brands (e.g. Powerfist, Ryobi, etc.) simply don't use hard enough steel to cut steel effectively. | |
| Jul 8, 2019 at 14:53 | history | answered | isherwood | CC BY-SA 4.0 |