Drilling Stainless Steel Sheet Metal

For maximum versatility the 3 8 inch point has a reduced length shank.

Drilling stainless steel sheet metal.

It may also cause clogging of the hole that may eventually lead to drill breakage. On and off drilling. The reason for this is that any buildup of chips within the hole can cause roughness along the wall of the hole. Using high speed drill bits or better is mandatory.

Drilling stainless steel stainless steel will work harden fairly quickly when heated and one sure way to increase heat is to drill fast. When drilling stainless steel you may freely let the drilling chips get away from the hole that you are drilling. Stainless steel is not the hardest of metals in its natural form however as pointed out by chip lawson in his piece know how. In the set you will find bits in sizes ranging from 1 16 to 1 2 inch in 1 64 inch increments.

There are also other steps to drilling this material that will make the process easier. When drilling stainless steel one of the best indicators of whether the speed pressure and feed rates are correct is to watch the swarf. For easier to drill metals like aluminum brass or cast iron lubrication isn t usually necessary. Drilling through stainless steel is much like drilling through any other type of metal but with a few key differences.

Or thicker use cutting fluid or a multipurpose oil like 3 in one. Many people have drilled holes into plain old steel with satisfactory results. When stainless steel work hardens it becomes very hard and extremely difficult to drill. This characteristic makes it challenging to break the chip which is especially important in a drilling operation because the chips need to be broken and evacuated from the hole as quickly as possible to reduce the chance of recutting.

Lubricating the bit reduces friction and heat buildup which makes drilling easier and your bits last longer. Stainless steel actually is designed to bend a little bit before it breaks. The swarf should cleanly exit the hole and be helical in shape and short in length. These steel drill bits are ideal for drilling through tough metals including heavy duty abrasive alloy metal drilling on hardened metals and stainless steel.

Stainless is actually a relatively soft metal at least in its initial state. Stainless swarf should resemble the original colour of the stock metal or have a yellow tinge to it.