Drilling holes in metal of large and small diameters

Metal can be different. For example, copper is much more ductile than steel, and cast iron, although strong, is brittle. Therefore, drilling metal in each case requires an individual approach. Let's look at how to properly make holes in steel parts, including large diameter ones. And also how to expand an already made passage with a drill.


Drilling a hole in metal Source kovkingorod.ru

How to make a hole in metal without a drill - Metalworker's Guide

Metal processing is carried out not only in industrial conditions. When performing repair work on a car, manufacturing structures on a personal plot, or carrying out home renovations, it is necessary to drill holes in the metal. At home, a hand drill is most often used. This versatile tool requires some skill in working with hard work. You can purchase or make your own machine for drilling holes in metal, but this is not a cheap pleasure.

Drilling wood

Drilling a large hole in a board at home is a very difficult task, because the shank of a large drill cannot be clamped in the chuck of a hand drill. A hole with a diameter of 15 to 40 mm can be made using a simple device consisting of a metal rod and a piece of hacksaw blade of the required size. Its cutting edges are sharpened at an angle of 45 degrees, inserted into a longitudinal slot previously made in the rod, and soldered or fixed with a wedge, which is driven into the slot.

An experienced person will never begin to drill into a round log before he has secured it securely. He knows that without taking precautions, he most likely will not be able to drill a hole exactly along the intended path, and besides, he may lose the drill.

Place a 1.5-2 cm long spring between the handle and the “runner” of a hand drill for wood, and even with sudden movements of the “runner”, a finger that accidentally ends up between it and the handle will not get pinched.

When drilling a large diameter hole (20-30 mm) in wood, you may not have the required drill or perk. In this case, first drill a hole of a smaller diameter, and then insert a flat steel washer (preferably a new one) into the rotor chuck and go through the hole again. This method is also applicable for countersinking holes.

If you need to drill a lot of holes at right angles in wooden parts, then take a cube of hard wood and drill a reference hole in it with great accuracy. And then use this conductor in your work. The cube placed on the drill will also serve as a drilling depth limiter.

A capsule cap from lemonade or beer is quite a good substitute for a drill; when you need to drill compass needles in a wood holder, you will reduce the risk of breaking it when there is a hole with a diameter of about 20 mm in a fibrous material or plaster. Pierce the plug, place it on the bolt, secure with two lock nuts, and drill.

It is difficult to make a hole in laminated plywood, it splits. Take a steel tube of the required diameter, sharpen the cutting edge inside with a round file and cut teeth on it with a triangular file. Inside the tube, insert a wooden cylinder with a nail without a head. During operation, the end of the nail protruding 1-2 mm serves as a guide.

To prevent them from spinning when drilling small parts made of sheet material, we recommend placing sandpaper under them.

If you attach a drill with a diameter of 0.8-1.1 mm, you will drill small-diameter holes in wood, textolite, and plastic.

There are quite a few devices for cutting large diameter holes in sheet material - plastic, plywood, chipboard, etc. You can use the design: a bracket is bent from a strip of steel 2-3 mm thick, its ends are ground in, and a hole is drilled in the center, then the bracket is put on a bolt with a pre-sawed off head. To operate, the device is clamped in the chuck of an electric drill.

You can cut a large hole in sheet material in a simple way: hold a nail in a vice (it will serve as an axis) and a piece of a drill (this will be a cutter). The circle is cut by rotating the sheet around its axis.

A circle of any diameter from plywood can be cut accurately, accurately and quickly using a wooden strip and two pointed nails driven into the strip.

The pencil sharpener bit (sold separately) can be successfully used for boring holes in wood and plastic. It is fixed in the chuck of an electric drill and the edges of the hole are processed.

A potato peeler in the hands of a craftsman is an almost ready-made tool for processing round holes in plywood. You just need to sharpen its cutting edge.

When drilling a board or plywood, remove the burrs at the same time, for which you string several rings of thick felt onto the drill.

How to drill in hardened steel? — Machine tools, welding, metalworking

To improve the basic characteristics of the metal, it is often hardened. This technology involves increasing the hardness of the product due to strong heating of the metal and its rapid cooling.

In some cases, after heat treatment it is necessary to perform drilling. By increasing this characteristic, drilling hardened metal becomes more difficult.

Let's take a closer look at all the features of drilling hardened steel.

How to drill through hardened steel

Drilling a hole in hardened steel

The widespread question of how to drill hardened steel can be associated with the fact that when using conventional technology, the tool quickly becomes dull and becomes unusable

That is why you need to pay attention to the features of drilling hardened alloy. Among the features of the technology, we note the following points:

  1. It is necessary to properly prepare the hardened workpiece.
  2. In some cases, a special tool is required.
  3. Coolant is being used.

If necessary, you can make a drill for hardened steel with your own hands, which requires certain equipment and skills. However, in most cases, a purchased version is used, since it will cope better with the task when cutting hardened steel.

Hardened steel drilling process

Nuances when drilling

The technology in question has a fairly large number of features that need to be taken into account. Drilling of hardened metal is carried out taking into account the following points:

Before carrying out work, pay attention to the hardness of the surface. This parameter is used to select the most suitable drill

Hardness can be determined using a variety of technologies. During drilling, a large amount of heat is generated. This is why rapid wear of the cutting edge occurs. In this regard, in many cases, cooling liquid is supplied to the cutting zone. When cutting difficult-to-cut material, it is necessary to sharpen the cutting edge from time to time. For this, a conventional sharpening machine or a special tool is used. Only diamond-coated wheels are suitable as an abrasive.

Steel Drilling Tool

There are a variety of methods for cutting hardened steel. Some of them significantly simplify the processing. Only by taking into account all the nuances can the quality of the resulting hole be improved.

Useful drilling techniques

A variety of technologies can be used to work with hardened steel. The most common technologies are characterized by the following features:

  1. Surface treatment with acid. This technology is characterized by long-term use, since it takes quite a lot of time to reduce the surface hardness. Sulfuric, perchloric or other acid can be used for etching. The procedure involves creating a lip that will contain the substance used in the cutting zone. After prolonged exposure, the metal becomes softer, and it will be possible to drill using the conventional version.
  2. You can use a welding machine to achieve your goal. When exposed to high temperatures, the metal becomes softer, which greatly simplifies the procedure.
  3. Most often, a special drill is used. There are versions on sale that can be used for processing hardened steel. In their manufacture, metal with increased resistance to wear and high temperatures is used. However, the complexity of manufacturing and some other points determine that the cost of a special tool is quite high.

In addition, to achieve this goal, a punch is often purchased. It can be used to make a small hole, which will simplify further drilling.

Use of lubricants

When drilling through hardened steel, serious friction occurs. That is why it is recommended to purchase and use various lubricants. Among the features of this processing method, we note the following points:

  1. First, the drilling area is processed. A small amount of lubricant is applied to the surface where the hole will be located.
  2. Oil is added to the cutting edge. To process hardened steel, a small amount of the substance is required, but it must be added from time to time, since it scatters when the tool rotates.
  3. During work, it is recommended to take breaks to cool the cutting surface and the surface being processed.

Drill types

For drilling, use only metal drills (not wood, for example). They have their own sharpening and are made from certain types of steel. The most common ones are marked P6M5 - this is high-speed steel, which foreign manufacturers label as HSS.

To provide additional strength, the above drill bits are coated with titanium nitride. That's why they are yellow.

There are also stronger P18, which are used respectively for hard steels.

Also, to increase strength, cobalt can be added, and then the marking P6M5K5 is obtained.

Well, the most durable ones are drills with carbide tips. They are used for drilling alloy steels. It will also take ordinary steel, but buying it just for this will be somewhat savvy, since the price for them is quite high, and although it is hard, it still dulls. But it will be difficult to sharpen it later, since this requires a diamond blade, which is also not very cheap, and you can’t buy it everywhere.

How to drill with a drill?

Drilling metal with a drill requires following some recommendations:

  1. To make a hole you will need an electric drill, a core punch, a hammer, machine oil and safety glasses.
  2. Initially make markings.
  3. Wear safety glasses.
  4. When the pressure on the drill is low, you need to select the low speed position and start working.
  5. Don’t forget to water the area being treated with coolant.

If you follow the technology and use high-quality tools, you can make holes of different diameters and depths. To drill straight holes or accurately select the depth, you can use a device called a “depth stop.” It is attached to an electric drill and adjusted to the desired depth.


Drilling metal with a drill

Safety and tips

Before drilling a hole in metal, it is necessary to ensure safety measures. First of all, you need to pay attention to work clothes. It should not contain elements that could get under the rotating parts of the tool.

During operation, chips can fly in different directions. It is necessary to protect your eyes from it by wearing safety glasses. Before drilling itself, check how securely the part is secured in a vice or how tightly it fits to the surface of the workbench.

The drill, approaching the surface of the metal, should already be rotating. This avoids premature dulling. Also, do not stop the drill while removing the drill from the hole. You just need to slow down. Otherwise, the tool will either jam or break.

When the cutting edge penetrates into the metal with great difficulty despite the applied efforts, this indicates that the hardness of the machined surface is much greater than that of the tool. You need to take a drill with a carbide tip. And set the drill to the lowest speed.

How to drill metal products correctly

One of the most important parameters when drilling a hole is the sharpness of the drill. If you purchased one of the cheapest drills, it may turn out to be dull and made of soft metal, which will not allow you to make even a couple of holes.

How quickly the drill tip will shear and dull depends on the drilling speed, the hardness of the metal, the force applied to the drill, and cooling.

  • When drilling large holes, you must first make holes of a smaller diameter. This way the process will be much faster, and the drills will not become dull so quickly.
  • To accurately center the hole, you need to use a core punch and punch the center of the hole before drilling.
  • To cool the working part of the drill, you need to use machine oil. Simply lower the working part of the drill into a container of oil. Repeat this operation periodically. You can use soapy water for cooling (by reducing friction).
  • When drilling deep holes, periodically remove the drill and clear it of chips.

How to drill sheet metal

When working with sheet metal, there should not be any particular difficulties, even when drilling large-diameter holes. The only thing is that you need to place a wooden block under the drilling site, it will help remove the chips. When you feel like you've almost drilled through the metal sheet, reducing the pressure on the drill will also help reduce the likelihood of burrs.

How to make holes in pipes correctly

The main problem when drilling holes in round pipes is the difficulty of perpendicular drilling. This means that the hole from which drilling began does not correspond to the exit hole. To solve this problem, you need to use a drilling machine, or special guides, which you can make yourself or purchase ready-made.

How to drill aluminum

Anyone who has worked with aluminum parts knows that it is a soft metal. The main problem when drilling aluminum is excessive shavings wrapping around the drill bit. Because of this, the drill stops drilling and gets stuck in the metal. To avoid this, you need to remove the drill from the hole more often and remove the chips.

How to drill stainless steel (stainless steel)

Stainless steel is an alloy steel, which is not an easy task to drill. To make drilling comfortable, it is advisable to choose drills with a cobalt tip. You need to drill stainless steel at minimum speed, namely 100-200 rpm. Such speeds provide the required cutting speed for stainless steel and good quality. If your tool does not have a rotation speed control, you should press the button periodically for a second or two, which will prevent the drill from accelerating quickly.

If you need to make a hole of a large diameter, you need to use metal crowns, which make it possible to drill only along the outer diameter of the hole.

Equipment types

Drilling begins with preparing tools for work. You can make holes using a screwdriver, drill or a special drilling machine.

To make a hole, you need to select the appropriate equipment. For metal workpieces, you need to choose specialized equipment that is suitable specifically for this material. This is due to the fact that equipment for wood, concrete or ceramic tiles have different sharpening and shape. Tooling for metal products is marked with the letters HSS.

The working part of the tool is coated with titanium nitride coating, which increases their strength and wear resistance. For hard steels, a different tooling is used, which is designated P18. The strength of the tool increases when cobalt is added to its composition. An example of marking is P6M5K5.

To drill alloy steel, drills with a tip made of carbide are used. With their help, you can drill any metal workpieces, however, due to the high price, this is not cost-effective.

When the hole is made, you can select a drill for the thread. Its diameter will depend on the previously used equipment. To make holes of different diameters in thin metal sheets, you can use cone drills.

Is it possible to drill with a drill in concrete?

Situations often arise when it is difficult to find a tool for drilling metal products at a construction site, but there is equipment for working with concrete. You cannot make holes of large diameter or in thick metal sheets with concrete drills. Otherwise, you may break the equipment or damage the surface being processed.

How to drill with a step drill?

On sale you can find stepped structures for creating holes in metal of various diameters. Several drills of different diameters are fixed on one axis. They are designed to create holes of various sizes in thin sheet metal. When working, do not rush or put too much pressure on the drill handle.

Is it possible to drill with a Pobedit drill?

Any master of finishing work will tell you that drilling metal with Pobedit equipment is unacceptable. Pobedite drills are designed for hard and, at the same time, brittle materials. These include natural stone, brick, concrete. When it hits metal, the drill will hit the surface and damage it, but there will be no hole.


Pobedit drills

How to drill large diameter holes?

Drilling large holes in metal requires the use of appropriate equipment. You can do the work in several ways:

  1. Crown for metal surfaces. It is a circle of the required diameter with sharpened edges. There is a drill in the center that pierces the metal. Next, at low engine speeds, the bit makes a hole of the selected diameter. During work, it is necessary to use forced cooling of the sharp edges of the crown and the surface being treated.
  2. Multi-stage operation. This implies the use of several metal drills of different diameters. Work begins with equipment of the smallest diameter and increases as drilling progresses.
  3. Cone-shaped equipment (stepped). Designed for working with thin sheet metal.

Builders recommend using crowns. However, when working with them, it is necessary not to increase the speed and ensure that all the teeth running around the circumference are intact.

How to avoid dulling a tool?

The tool becomes dull because it overheats during use. To maintain sharpness, drilling should be done at low speed. There is no need to press the power button all the way down. When drilling thick workpieces, you need to use coolants or pastes.

If there is no cooling lubricant, machine oil can be used instead. Coolant keeps the tool from overheating and reduces friction.

What and how to drill deep and large holes in metal parts

Drilling large holes is not a problem if you choose the right tool. For example, such work may be necessary to secure a channel or metal corner. The easiest way is to use an electric drill, but getting a hole with a diameter of, for example, 15 mm requires a lot of effort. To drill a large diameter hole in metal, special devices and core drilling technology are used.

  1. Features of creation
  2. Drill accessories
  3. Feature of deep holes
  4. Features of large diameter holes
  5. Hassle-free drilling
  6. Cone drill
  7. Metal crown
  8. Hole press

Application of lubricants

When drilling holes in hardened metal, it is imperative to use a lubricant. It partially cools the work area, preventing the equipment from quickly breaking down. As a lubricant, you can use regular machine oil or special mastics for drilling. Proper lubrication treatment is as follows:

  1. The drilling area on hardened metal is marked with a core. Apply a small amount of lubricant to this point. If it is liquid, then squeeze out a drop of oil so that it does not spread.
  2. The cutting area of ​​the tool is dipped into the lubricant and placed at the previously marked point.
  3. When drilling hardened metal, monitor the amount of lubricant and add it as it is used up.
  4. Monitor the heating status of the instrument, preventing it from overheating. Intensive smoke emission from burning lubricant indicates the need to stop work and cool the equipment and metal.

Working with some types of metal

  • When drilling into thick aluminum pieces, chips often clog the drill channels, making it more difficult to rotate. Therefore, when working with such material, remove the drill from the recess more often and remove the chips. Well, don’t forget to pour plenty of oil on it.
  • If you need to drill black cast iron, then you do not need to add any lubricating and cooling substances, since it drills very well even dry
  • Unlike black cast iron, white cast iron has increased strength, which means strong drills and lubricants are required to process it.

These are the basic rules for drilling metal with a drill. I hope I was able to bridge this gap in your knowledge. Good luck with your homework and see you soon!

How to drill in the right place?

If you think about this question a little, the answer should come to your mind even without a hint. Well, at least it seems so to me. But if you don’t want to think, then read.

For this case you will need a core. This is a tool made of durable steel, having a cylindrical shape and a point at the end.

We place the tip at the desired drilling location and hit the roll on the other side with a hammer several times.

Now that you have finished drilling, place a drill on the surface of the roughness and start drilling - the tip will not run away anywhere.

Features of large diameter holes

This procedure is more complex than deep drilling. Cutting work is carried out either using a crown or using a cone drill. Crowns for metal are similar to products for concrete and drywall. The only difference is the material used to create the cutting edge.

Drilling can also be carried out with standard products in several stages. To do this, first use a nozzle of small diameter. Then a larger tool is selected.

The most convenient way is to use cone drills. Such devices allow you to drill a large hole in one go. To do this, the tool is simply recessed into the material.

Drilling and reaming technology

Drilling according to markings

Rice. 1. Drilling holes according to the markings:

a – marking and punching the center of the hole; b – marking and punching of the control circle; c – moving the drill away from the center of the hole; d – correction of the drill direction; 1 – mark from the center punch; 2 – groove from a pre-drilled hole; 3 – machined hole

This type of processing of workpieces is carried out in several stages:

When pre-drilling, drill a small hole (0.25d). Next, the spindle with the drill is retracted to check the prepared hole with the original markings.

If the result of preliminary drilling is satisfactory (Fig. 1, b), final processing is carried out, for which work continues until the cutting tool leaves the part.

If a bevel occurs and the hole being drilled goes away (Fig. 1, c), an adjustment is made using a cross-section tool - grooves are cut in the direction where the hole needs to be moved (Fig. 1, d).

Thanks to the guides for the drill, the direction is set in the desired direction to correct the bevel.

Drilling a hole in hardened steel

The widespread question of how to drill through hardened steel can be associated with the fact that when using conventional technology, the tool quickly becomes dull and becomes unusable. That is why you need to pay attention to the features of drilling hardened alloy. Among the features of the technology, we note the following points:

  1. It is necessary to properly prepare the hardened workpiece.
  2. In some cases, a special tool is required.
  3. Coolant is being used.

If necessary, you can make a drill for hardened steel with your own hands, which requires certain equipment and skills. However, in most cases, a purchased version is used, since it will cope better with the task when cutting hardened steel.

Hardened steel drilling process

Power and speed when working with metal

An important factor is the choice of tool, namely a hammer drill, drill or screwdriver, which will be used to make holes in the metal. If you use a drill with a power of up to 700W, you will not be able to make a large hole right away. A hand drill with a power of up to 700W is best used for drilling holes with a diameter of up to 10-13mm.

It is important to choose the correct speed of the drill or screwdriver. After all, at high speeds, your drill will simply burn out. This way you will ruin it.

You need to drill metal at low or medium speeds, not exceeding 500-1000 revolutions.

The larger the diameter of the drill you are working with, the lower the speed you need to choose.

Drilling metal

How to drill metal How to drill glass How to drill tiles How to drill concrete How to drill wood and chipboard

Drilling metal is one of the most common metalworking operations. Separable and non-separable connections - rivets, screws, bolts, studs - 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.


Metal drilling tools

Selection of drills

If holes in metal are drilled for threads, then according to GOST 24705-81, for the most commonly used thread sizes (for standard large steps): M4, M5, M6, M8, M10 and M12 - the diameter of the drills will be equal to 3.3, respectively; 4.2; 5; 6.7; 8.4; 10.2 mm. It is quite acceptable if drilling for threads is carried out with a drill whose diameter differs slightly (by 0.1 mm) from the GOST dimensions in one direction or another.


Threaded hole diameter

When purchasing drills, you need to keep in mind that conventional drills made of high-speed tool steel (for example, P6M5) are designed for drilling metals that do not have high hardness. To drill through metal of increased hardness, you will need carbide drills. Such drills can be made entirely of carbide or have only a carbide tip.

Sometimes before starting drilling it is not known what hardness of the metal is to be drilled. Therefore, if you see at the first moment of drilling that the drill does not penetrate the metal, you must immediately stop drilling, otherwise the drill will be irretrievably damaged by overheating and losing hardness. Evidence of this will be the appearance of a dark blue color on it. Before drilling into metal whose hardness is unknown, you can run a file through it. If the latter does not leave marks on the metal, then the material has increased hardness.

How to drill metal

Low and medium speeds are optimal for drilling most metals - 500-1000 rpm.
High speeds quickly heat up the drill, which can result in annealing and softening. When drilling, do not press too hard on the drill; the feed should be slow and smooth. When drilling metal, the sharpness of the drill is very important, and the drill becomes dull very quickly. The rate of dulling of the drill depends, in particular, on the speed, feed force, cooling and other factors, but no matter how hard you try, if you are drilling a non-aluminum alloy, the time it takes for the drill to become unsatisfactory is measured in minutes.

Before drilling, you need to mark the hole by tapping it. To do this, you need to place the tip of the center punch (or dowel) in the expected center of the hole and hit it with a hammer. Punching is necessary to prevent the drill from slipping at the first moment of drilling. If the core mark is not large enough to hold a large-diameter drill, then first widen the hole with a small-diameter drill.

To create better drilling conditions, it is advisable to dip the tip of the drill in machine oil or drop it into the core site. Oil in the drilling area helps to better cool the drill and makes cutting metal easier. A drill used for drilling using oil becomes less dull, requires less sharpening and lasts longer. A special emulsion, soapy water, and kerosene are also used as a coolant. According to some craftsmen, lard is a good lubricant and cooling agent. Before drilling, a rotating drill is immersed in a piece of lard, which melts during drilling and has a lubricating and cooling effect. But still the simplest and most convenient remedy is soapy water. It doesn't get dirty, and every home has soap. It is enough to drop it once at the beginning of drilling and during the process. You can periodically dip the drill in a soapy solution.

When through drilling with a large feed, a burr (burr) is formed at the exit of the hole, to which the drill clings with its side cutters. As a result, a sharp blocking of the drill and its fracture or chipping of the incisor can occur, and even at this moment the drill dulls especially intensely. Such stops also have a negative impact on the condition of the drill. To avoid burr formation, you need to finish drilling holes in the metal with low feed. It is also advisable to place a wooden block under the part being drilled, which prevents the formation of a burr. The block and the workpiece must be pressed tightly against each other. For greater effect, you can place not a wooden block, but a plate of the same or less hard metal, which should be pressed tightly to the point where the drill exits.

Most often it is necessary to drill steel, but often it is necessary to drill other metals that have their own drilling characteristics. Aluminum, for example, envelops the drill, making it difficult for it to penetrate deeper and widening the resulting hole. If you need to drill a precise hole in aluminum (for example, for a thread), you must use coolant and remove the drill from the hole more often to clean it. Regular gray cast iron drills relatively easily and does not require coolant or lubricant. But drilling in cast iron can bring surprises. There are high-strength gray cast irons that must be drilled with a carbide drill. White cast iron, whose main structural constituent is cementite, is very hard and requires a high-strength drill.

Large diameter holes should be drilled in stages. First you need to drill the part with a thin drill, then drill the hole to a larger diameter. For example, it is better to drill a hole with a diameter of 12 mm in two or three steps - sequentially with drills of 5, 10 and 12 mm.

Dull drills need to be sharpened promptly. It is better to do this with a sharpening device, but you can do without it. In this case, you need to pay attention to the symmetry of the drill tip. If the sharpened edges do not meet exactly in the center, the hole drilled with such a drill will have a larger diameter, since one cutting edge will be longer than the other. The standard point angle (angle between cutting edges) is 118°. For drilling aluminum, the optimal angle is 130-140°, soft bronze and red copper 125-130°. However, all these metals can be drilled with a standard angle drill. Read more about drill sharpening here.

When drilling, you need to maintain the verticality of the drill relative to the metal surface (if you do not need to drill an inclined hole). When making holes in thin sheets, this requirement is not as important as for thick-walled or hollow parts. Drilling pipes, for example, often leads to the fact that the inlet and outlet holes are displaced relative to each other - the larger the diameter of the pipe, the more so. It is quite difficult to maintain the perpendicularity of the drill by eye, so you can use homemade or purchased drilling jigs or guides that ensure the perpendicularity of the drill.


Drilling jig

Drill guide

Conductors are also needed for drilling two or more holes in mating parts. The best way to ensure the holes line up is to drill them together. When drilling holes for rivets, drilling the assembly is a must. Once you've drilled the first hole, you can use it to bolt the pieces together so you can drill the remaining holes without worrying about the pieces moving relative to each other. If drilling the mating parts in the assembly is impossible or inconvenient, then a jig or guide must be used. You should know that no matter how accurately the mating holes are marked and cored, they will still not coincide absolutely exactly, since when drilling even a cored hole, the drill will move slightly to the side.

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Literature

Devices to facilitate the process

Cutting fluid is used in many types of metal cutting. Most often it is used for deep drilling to reduce friction forces and stabilize the temperature of the working tool. A high-quality liquid does not cause surface corrosion, is safe for humans, does not have an unpleasant odor and removes heat well.

The following is used as a lubricant for drilling metal at home:

  • Technical Vaseline – for soft materials.
  • Soap solution - for aluminum.
  • Turpentine with alcohol - for silumin.
  • A mixture of oils - for tool and alloy steels.

Some craftsmen prefer to use a universal composition, which includes laundry soap (200 g) and motor oil (20 g). The components are mixed and boiled until a homogeneous emulsion is obtained.

The use of industrially produced cutting fluids makes it possible to increase the speed of drilling various types of metal. For example, when processing stainless steel, productivity increases by 30%. For cast iron this parameter increases to 40%.

Methods for drilling hardened steel

Drilling hardened steel is characterized by high heating of the surface of the workpiece and tool, which leads to rapid wear of the latter. Therefore, during processing, they try to remove excess heat or make the area where the channel will be softer.

The first method, which allows you to make hot metal more pliable, is based on the use of acids. Suitable substances may include nitric, perchloric or sulfuric acid. These liquids are used pointwise, that is, they are used to treat specifically the place where there will be a hole in the future (the area is etched). To prevent the acid from leaving the working area from materials not exposed to acid (polymers, paints, paraffin), something like a side is organized around the future hole. The hole is filled with active liquid and left for a certain time. Next, drill with a regular drill.

Another method of weakening the hardness of hot metal in the channel receiving zone is based on heating this zone to high temperatures. A welding machine copes best with this. In this case, you need to choose the right arc strength so that the metal does not melt or deform. When the workpiece in the drilling area is hot, you can make a hole with a regular high-speed steel drill.

The easiest way, but not the cheapest, is to purchase a special drill designed for making holes in hardened metal. The cutting edges of such a tool are reinforced with pobedit tips or made of pobedit plates. In this case, it is also desirable to use additional cooling of the work area.

When working with acids, you need to be extremely careful and perform the operation in a well-ventilated area. This will help prevent burns or poisoning from harmful fumes.

How and with what to drill deep holes

Drilling deep holes in metal is very difficult. As working equipment, experts recommend using machines in which the drill is a stationary element and the workpiece is rotated. During the work process, it is necessary to use coolant. Drilling lubricant will dissipate heat and allow for greater productivity.

It is necessary to ensure timely removal of drilling by-products. They can clog the channels and lead to drill breakage. A small workpiece can simply be turned over - the chips will fall out of the hole under the influence of gravity. For massive parts there are special devices with magnetic tips.

For home work, it is better to purchase drill guides. This is a convenient support mechanism that holds the tool in place, allowing you to drill holes with high precision.

If there is no guide, you must carefully monitor the perpendicularity of the drill location. The slightest deviation can break the tool or damage the workpiece.

How to make the right hole

To drill a hole in metal, you first need to securely secure the workpiece. If the part has good mass, it is often enough to simply place it on a flat surface. Its own weight will not allow it to “slither” from side to side.

Parts of small dimensions and light mass must be clamped in a vice. If you first mark the future center of the hole according to the applied markings, then this notch will allow you to confidently start when working. The drill installed in it will no longer move to the side.

Through hole

From the lips of some masters you can hear the word “passage”. Because the drill completely penetrates the workpiece in its movement. In fact, this is the easiest operation. But special attention needs to be paid to the final stage.

When leaving the workpiece, the drill can not only damage the surface of the workbench, but also break itself from the impact. To avoid this, you need to do the following. Either place the part above the through hole in the workbench, or place a wooden spacer under it.


Through hole in a metal workpiece Source onarzedziach.pl

Also, a sharp exit from the part creates a hart (burr) on its reverse side. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to reduce the drill speed at the final stage to the very minimum. This technique will help if you need to make a through hole in the metal, when the part cannot be dismantled and clamped in a vice. That is, drilling occurs at its location.

Blind hole

To ensure that the drill does not go right through the part, but stops at the required depth, two methods are used. A special stop is attached to the drill, positioning it at a given distance from the cutting edge. The device usually has the form of a sleeve.

Or the drill has a movable pin in the chuck area. It is clamped with a screw so that its end creates an emphasis on the workpiece. Not allowing the drill to penetrate deeper than the measured distance.


Drill with stop Source icover.ru

If a machine is used to drill a blind hole in metal, it usually has a ruler. Knowing the required depth, the operator stops the mechanism at the right moment. There are machines in which such an operation is fully automated. And the most serious inconvenience in such work is that it is periodically necessary to remove chips from the hole.

Drill accessories

There are several accessories for drills that can make the process easier and make a large hole smooth:

  • Drilling jig. This device is a housing in which there are several guide bushings for drills of different diameters. The material used to create the bushings is harder than drill bits, so you don't have to worry about the tool moving to the side while drilling and widening the hole.
  • Drill guide. This product allows you to fix the tool in such a way that it does not deviate to the side during drilling. If such a product is not available, the tool may move to the side, resulting in an uneven edge. It can also be mounted at an angle. But when drilling metal products, this is usually not required.
  • Drill stand. A DIY product like this can be an inexpensive replacement for a drilling machine, as it allows you to carry out work more comfortably. When using a stand, a fixed tool moves along the bar using a lever. In this case, displacement is completely eliminated, since the workpiece being drilled is securely held due to the presence of a clamp.

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

Tools required for work

On an industrial scale, special machines are used for drilling metal parts. In everyday life, a drill is used, both manual and electric. Moreover, the first is irrevocably a thing of the past, since such a tool is already inconvenient and unproductive.

Many home workshops are equipped with compact drilling machines. They differ from industrial designs not only in size, but also in performance. And the most practical option for the home is a special device in which an electric drill is attached.

Previously, such a stand could only be seen among folk craftsmen. Now it is sold in any hardware store. The convenience of the device is that it has a vice. The part is fixed motionless, and the cutting tool, clamped in the drill chuck, is fed to it strictly vertically.

They make holes in the metal using special drills. And most often they are called drills. They have a cutting part, a shank and a working surface that removes chips from the hole. Cutting tools differ from each other primarily in diameter, length and shape.

Types of drills for metal:

  • Spiral, as a rule, have a cylindrical shape. Their diameter can reach up to 80 mm, and the cutting edge is sharpened at an angle of 118 degrees.
  • Conical ones are made in the form of a cone with a stepped surface. In addition to drilling holes, they are good at correcting defective passes that have already been made.
  • Crowns are often called annular cutters. A hollow serrated drill can make a neat hole in the thinnest metal. The cavity in the bit also helps with deep drilling by allowing chips to pass through.
  • The feather ones have replaceable working plates. With their help you can get the perfect hole by penetrating to great depth. Moreover, in metals of any strength.

Good drills are made either from cobalt or high-strength alloys. Typically, tool steel is selected for the base, and the cutting edge is either alloyed with cobalt, or carbide alloy plates are fixed to it. Cobalt drills are not afraid of high temperatures and can drill metal with the highest viscosity. Carbide tools are capable of self-sharpening during operation.

Metal crown

Large holes in metal, plastic, wood, etc. with a diameter of 19 to 102 mm. Conveniently done using a bimetallic crown from Hilti.

The bits performed very well when drilling a large number of holes for fittings in metal cable boxes (metal thickness 2 mm).

A clear advantage is that the crown is collapsible. If the centering drill becomes dull or breaks, the cost of replacement is about 250 rubles.

But for each diameter you will have to use a separate crown, the price of which (depending on the diameter) is from 400 to 1200 rubles. Add 1000 rubles here. to the adapter.

How to quickly drill through metal - Metalworker's Handbook

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

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

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

  • Use of suitable tools. There are many drills, each of which is 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 interior repairs (this is simply unsafe). It is also important to take into account resistance to moisture: for outdoor work you will need a tool of class IP34 if the climate in the area is humid and IP32 if you have to work in good weather. IPX2/ can be used indoors
  • Correct markup. Before starting any work, it is important to carefully and accurately mark the drilling locations with a marker. You can also put paper tape under the marker to prevent the drill from slipping on the material.
  • Selecting 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 you need to work at low speeds, less than four hundred per minute. For other drills, the following rule applies: the thinner the drill, the higher the drilling speed required.

It is also important to ensure that the handle is securely attached to the shaft of the hand drill. The drill must also not be allowed to skew.

How to drill metal correctly + ()

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

We should also talk about optimal speeds. A common mistake beginners make is using too many turns. In fact, for hard metals, medium speeds are used: for example, brass one centimeter thick will be optimally drilled at a speed of 2000-2500 rpm.

There are a few more points to cover. So:

  • If a thin iron plate needs to be drilled, it must be secured between two pieces of wood. This is done so that the sheet of metal does not tear off.
  • It is necessary to use lubricating oil from time to time to cool the drill and facilitate the drilling process.
  • If you need to make a hole in the pipe, it must be securely fastened. To prevent the pipe from being flattened by the drill, a piece of hard wood should be placed inside.

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

How to drill concrete walls + ()

In everyday life, you have to drill into walls most often, because without this it is impossible to hang a shelf, a cabinet, or install a cornice. Of course, it is better to use a hammer drill or impact drill for this purpose.

These tools are powerful enough to handle hard materials like concrete or brick. However, if the wall thickness does not exceed 10-12 cm, then you can get by with a regular drill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjueKzIhTVs

But you shouldn’t take risks if you only have a low-power tool at your disposal - if it comes into contact with concrete, it can simply break. If the drill is selected correctly, then the following tips will be useful:

  • Before starting work, you should make sure that there are no pipes or other communication systems in the drilling area.
  • The drills used for such work must be made of hard metals or alloys. The best option would be diamond-coated drills.
  • If during drilling you come across too dense areas of concrete, they need to be punched out using a small hammer and a pin (punch).

Although it is generally possible to drill through a concrete wall with a drill, it should still be done with caution. Otherwise, the damage can be quite serious. It is better to use specialized tools for this.

How to work with tiles using a drill + ()

Often people who do not have extensive experience in the field of repairs are afraid to drill into such a fragile material as tiles. However, this can become an urgent necessity, because you need something to attach various cabinets and shelves in the kitchen, bathroom or toilet.

Alas, in many respects the condition of the tile after drilling is determined not by the master who takes up the drill, but by the one who laid the tile. A competent tiler lays the tiles so that no voids form between the tiles and the wall. In this case, careful drilling will not harm the tile in any way.

If there are “air pockets” between the wall and the tile, then most likely the tile will crack.

In order to properly drill through the tiles, you need to take a drill, masking tape, or a hammer drill (or a powerful drill with drill bits for concrete). Next you will need to perform the following steps:

  1. The drilling location is marked with a piece of masking tape and a marker. The tape is here to prevent the nail from sliding on the surface of the tile.
  2. Drilling is carried out strictly perpendicular to the material. The number of revolutions should increase gradually: from the minimum possible to 150-200 revolutions per minute. This way you can avoid damage to both the material and the tool.
  3. It is important to ensure that the drill does not overheat. If smoke starts coming out, the drill needs to be cooled down immediately.

Once the holes are made, you can insert dowels into them. This is done with a hammer.

Drilling cast iron - how to do it correctly + ()

Cast iron is a fairly hard material, so drilling it is very, very difficult. In addition, cast iron products are fragile, so it is important not to crumble them. Like other materials, cast iron has its own subtleties when it comes to drilling.

  • There's no rush. This is perhaps the most important rule when working with cast iron. Everything must be done slowly, with extreme care and attention.
  • The drill must be made of a very hard and durable alloy, in addition, it must be perfectly sharpened. To prevent cast iron from crumbling, you need to take drills with an angle of 114-119 degrees.
  • It is unacceptable for the drill to overheat. Sometimes they don’t pay attention to the fact that the instrument is overheated. And this can lead to poor quality work or even breakdown.

How to carefully drill through wood + ()

Wood is one of the “easiest” materials when working with a drill. However, there are some subtleties here too.

  • The drilling speed directly depends on the type of wood. Loose, not too hard types of wood will be suitable even for a low-power device. Of course, the expected diameter of the hole also plays a role - the larger it is, the more powerful the drill is needed.
  • In order to make large holes, you need to use special core drills. Their diameter can exceed 120 mm. As for depth, on average crowns are suitable for materials up to 20-22 mm thick, but there are also special models that can cope with thicknesses of more than 60 mm.
  • If you need to make a blind hole rather than a through hole, then Forstner drills, which are available in diameters from 1 to 5 cm, are perfect for this.

We should also talk about drilling timber. Although it is convenient to fix it for further drilling, the large thickness of the material creates certain difficulties. Drilling timber for further fastening in the dowel holes. For a standard beam 18 cm thick, it would be best to take a drill with a diameter of 25 mm and a length of 36 cm.

You will need to drill slowly, at low speeds. In terms of power, a 1300-1500 W drill is perfect. If the beam is not very long, then two holes on each side will be enough. If the length of the beam for the dowels is long enough, then it will be necessary to make an additional hole in the center.

After the holes are made, you can drive the dowels into them using a hammer or small sledgehammer.

At what speed should you drill?

One of the important parameters when drilling is the number of revolutions per minute. The speed at which you need to drill depends on the type of material and the type of drill. There is a general rule: the harder the material and the thicker the joint, the lower the number of revolutions per minute should be. As for the specific numbers, they can be seen in the table below.

drill diameter, mmsoft woodsolid woodplastic (acrylic)copperaluminumsteelNotes
1.5-4.8300030002500300030003000When drilling metal thicker than 3 cm, lubricate the drill thoroughly with oil.
6.4-9.530001500200012025001000
11.1-15.9150075015007501500600

How to drill concrete, metal, tile and wood

Drilling a hole in the wall may seem like a piece of cake.

However, if you choose the wrong tool for a particular surface material, the drill may become dull or even break, and scratches and cracks may appear on the surface.

To prevent this from happening, you need to know certain nuances of doing the work. How to drill, how to properly prepare the surface and select a drill, we will consider further.

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