Drilling Into Stainless Steel

Drilling holes in stainless steel is a tricky affair.

Drilling into stainless steel.

Heat is your enemy so keep it slow. Many people have drilled holes into plain old steel with satisfactory results. If you happen to use the wrong drill bits you risk damaging them for future work. In the set you will find bits in sizes ranging from 1 16 to 1 2 inch in 1 64 inch increments.

That s why you will need the best drill bits for stainless steel. What drill speed should i use for drilling stainless steel. I set my drill press to its slowest speed or run my portable drill as slow as the trigger will allow. When stainless steel work hardens it becomes very hard and extremely difficult to drill.

These steel drill bits are ideal for drilling through tough metals including heavy duty abrasive alloy metal drilling on hardened metals and stainless steel. The optimal speed for me was about 1 3 back from wide open but depending on the rpm of your drill you should choose what s best. Cobalt drill bits are most suitable and best drill bits for drilling into stainless steel and hardened steel iii carbide carb drill bits. For maximum versatility the 3 8 inch point has a reduced length shank.

Take breaks you ll need to take a few breaks for the bit and stainless steel to cool down. Let the drill do the work. There are also other steps to drilling this material that will make the process easier. Using high speed drill bits or better is mandatory.

Use pressure you need to drill straight down and with force. Cobalt drill bits are considered the best option due to their ability to withstand the high temperatures created when drilling harder metals. Best drill bits for stainless steel buyer s guide. Here is the right way to drill stainless steel.

Drilling through stainless steel is much like drilling through any other type of metal but with a few key differences. Drill carbide is the most hardest and brittle materials that a drill bit made of and used only on serious production environment to drill into hardest materials.