How to properly drill metal with a drill

Drilling precise holes with a hand drill in metal

If you do not need to observe the accuracy when drilling holes, which is provided by a vertical drilling machine, you can use a powerful hand electric drill. However, if this drill is not a multi-speed drill, then when drilling holes in metal, it should be turned on for short periods of time by short-term successive pressing of the switch.

The key to success in most cases depends on how you hold the drill. Before starting drilling, the workpiece is clamped in a vice or pressed firmly against the table. Then, without turning on the drill, the end of the drill is set to the point marked with a center punch. In order to increase the starting point, you can manually rotate the drill chuck several times by pressing on the drill.

After applying the cutting fluid, the voltage will turn on. The drill body is held motionless by the left hand, the right hand presses the tool itself when the drill starts to increase the speed. If possible, a vertical square is placed next to the drill to facilitate the installation of the drill in a vertical position.

This will make it easier to drill precise holes.

Read more: Drilling holes in solid metal.

If the drill cannot go deep into the surface of the metal workpiece, a second, larger depression is applied with the help of a center punch at the desired point.

Drilling metal

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Drilling in metal is one of the most common locksmith operations. Collapsible and non-collapsible connections. riveted, screw, bolt, hairpin. require holes. To drill metal, it is enough to have a drill, a drill of the appropriate diameter and a center punch with a hammer to mark the hole.

How to properly drill metal

For a full-fledged metal drilling process, the main parameter is the sharpness of the drill. The speed of bluntness of the cutting edges directly depends on the hardness of the work material, feed force, rotation speed, the presence of cooling and other factors. The technology for drilling large holes in metal is that initially they drill with a small drill, and then use the main.

For accurate drilling, punching of the centers of the future treated areas is mandatory. The process conditions can be improved by first dipping the tool tip into machine oil. In everyday life, ordinary soapy water is used. For the deep drilling process, it is necessary to constantly cool the working tool and remove the accumulated metal shavings in time.

How to properly drill metal

The first thing to start with is the selection of drills. They are distinguished by a sharp edge designed for easy penetration of the drill into the metal. Conventional metal drills are good for not too hard metals like copper or aluminum, but for something harder (for example, for stainless steel), you need to take products from titanium carbide or chrome vanadium alloy.

Separately, we should talk about optimal speeds. A common mistake of novice wizards is to use too many revolutions. In fact, medium speeds are used for hard metals: for example, a centimeter-thick brass will be optimally drilled at a speed of 2000-2500 revolutions.

Expert Tips: How To Drill Holes In Thick Metal

There are a few more points to highlight. So:

• If a thin iron plate is to be drilled, it must be fastened between two pieces of wood. This is done so that the sheet of metal does not break off.
• Use lubricating oil from time to time to cool the drill and make drilling easier.
• If you want to make a hole in the pipe, then it must be securely fastened. To prevent the pipe from flattening under the influence of a drill, a piece of hard wood should be placed inside.

If you are guided by these simple rules, then even a beginner will be able to perform high-quality drilling.

Defining Tool Rotation Parameters

Determine the required rotation speed and set the rotation at this speed on the machine. To set the rotation speed, open the casing cover and loosen the belt tension by unscrewing the handle securing the motor in the casing.

To change the speed, the engine moves forward and the belt is moved from one level of the pulleys to another in accordance with the required change in speeds, which are determined from the nameplate or operating instructions. The lowest speed is achieved with the belt in the lowest position. between the smallest motor pulley and the largest spindle pulley.

Conversely, the fastest speed is achieved when the belt is installed in the uppermost pulleys. Next, you need to make sure that the belt is stretched horizontally between the pulleys, move the engine to its original position and tighten the handle that secures the engine in the casing.

Drill attachments

There are several drill attachments to make the process easier and make a large hole straight:

• Drilling jig. Such a device is a body in which there are several guide sleeves for drills of different diameters. The material used to create the bushings is harder than drills, so you don’t have to worry about the tool deflecting to the side while drilling and expanding the hole.
• Drill guide. Such a product allows you to fix the tool in such a way that during drilling it does not deviate to the side. In the absence of such a product, the tool may move to the side, which will lead to the creation of an uneven edge. It can also be fixed at an angle. But when drilling metal products, this is usually not required.
• Drill stand. Such a hand-made product can be an inexpensive replacement for a drilling machine, since it allows you to more comfortably carry out work. The fixed tool, when using the stand, moves along the bar with a lever. At the same time, displacement is completely excluded, since the workpiece to be drilled is reliably held due to the presence of a clamp.

Using these products, you can significantly facilitate the process of drilling metal products.

How to drill correctly and evenly

In the field of repair, the ability to drill correctly is one of the basic ones. In addition to the general rules, it is important to take into account all the nuances when working with a specific material: concrete, tiles, metal, etc. All issues related to drilling will be covered in this article.

• Choosing an electric drill: which is better
• How to remove a drill from a hammer drill

As already mentioned, drilling is the most common occupation for a repairman, and therefore it is important to immediately learn a few basic rules associated with this occupation.

• Using the right tools. There are a variety of drills, each designed for a specific type of material. Therefore, you should not try to drill concrete with a wood drill and vice versa. It is also important to consider the conditions in which the tool will be used. For example, industrial drills cannot be used for repairs indoors (this is simply unsafe). It is also important to take into account the resistance to moisture: for outdoor work, a tool of class IP34 will be needed if the climate in the area is humid and IP32 if you have to work in good weather. Indoors you can use IPX2 /
• Competent markup. Before starting any work, it is important to accurately and accurately mark the drilling sites with a marker. You can still stick paper tape under the marker so that the drill does not slide over the material.
• Selection of the required drilling speed. Here everything depends equally on both the material and the diameter of the blade. If we are talking about very thin drills (with a diameter of less than 3 mm), then here it is necessary to work at low speeds, less than four hundred per minute. For other drills, there is the following rule: the thinner the drill, the faster the drilling speed is required.

In addition, it is important to ensure that the handle is securely attached to the shaft of the hand drill. The drill must also not be skewed.

How to drill metal

Drilling metal with a drill is somewhat more difficult than drilling wood, brick or concrete. There are also some features.

For convenience, we have combined practical advice on this type of work into step-by-step instructions.

• You will need the following tools: drill, drill, coolant (machine oil is better, but water is also possible), center punch, hammer, goggles.
• When drilling metal on a horizontal surface, put a wooden block under the product and fix it as best as possible. When working in an upright position, firm fixation is extremely important, since drilling must be strictly perpendicular.
• We make markings, after that, using a center punch and a hammer, we outline the center of the future hole.
• Pour coolant into a small container.
• We put on safety glasses.
• We start drilling. Do not put too much pressure on the drill, because it is better to work at low speeds. If the drill is powerful, then the method of short-term switching is suitable, until the tool has time to gain maximum speed.
• Do not forget to cool the drill as often as possible.
• When drilling is not strictly perpendicular, but at an angle, then there is a high probability that the drill will jam. If this happens, then put the switch in the reverse position. This will help you avoid injury or break the drill.
• If you did everything correctly, then even in domestic conditions, using a low-power drill, you can drill a hole in metal up to 5 mm thick, inclusive and up to 10-12 mm in diameter. We will describe more complex tasks below.

Drilling of rolled metal: types and technology

The drilling procedure can be safely called one of the most important metal processing technologies.

How to drill with a step drill for metal?

Step drills are universal. you can make holes of different diameters (from 2 to 40 mm) with just one. They are most effective when working with thin metal, when you need to get a neat edge. They are better fixed in the cartridge, they are easier to sharpen, and therefore, with proper operation, they last longer, but they are also more expensive than usual. In working with them, the principles are the same, but it is easier to drill large diameter holes than conventional twist drills.

Is it possible to drill metal with a drill on concrete?

It is possible, but this is in case of emergency for shallow holes with a small diameter. Unprofitable.

Drilling Through Structural Steel With New & Old Drill Bits | Fasteners 101

It is better to use either standard metal drills with steel grade P6M5 or improved. P6M5K5.

How to properly drill metal with a thickness of more than 10 mm with an electric drill?

In metal up to 2 mm thick, using step drills can make holes up to 40 mm. With a thickness of 3 mm, bimetallic crowns are better suited.

Bimetallic bits have proven themselves well when working with stainless and carbon steel, non-ferrous metals. They also do well with multilayer materials such as wood, chipboard, plywood, plastic, plexiglass, slate.

How to Properly Drill a Hole in Metal

When drilling deep holes with any tool, sometimes a magnet may be needed to extract the chips.

Particular attention must be paid to safety measures, be sure to protect your eyes from shavings, and if skewing and jamming occurs, immediately turn off the drill and change the torque to reverse motion.

In the absence of electricity or when the noise of a working tool can interfere with others (read: when can you make repairs so as not to quarrel with neighbors?). the ideal solution for drilling metal would be a hand-held mechanical drill, the so-called brace. Low speed and pressure, no overheating, just what you need. Of course, there are also disadvantages. time costs and fatigue. In such a simple “old-fashioned” way, you can drill holes with a diameter of up to 10 mm.

We hope you find our tips helpful.

information in this video.

Is it possible to drill metal with a victorious drill?

The principle of work of drills for metal is to cut, and crush materials with victorious soldering. For this, brick, concrete, stone are better suited. Therefore, as mentioned above, with a drill for concrete, of course, you can drill metal, but it will quickly become unusable and the victorious soldering will collapse.

How to drill holes in large diameter metal?

As a rule, most of the drills for household use are from 500 to 800W, which allows drilling holes with a diameter of up to 10-12 mm.