Drills

[rhltechie]

hey all...

just curious, what kind of drill do you all use to go through steel? I have a little cordless ryobi that I have always used. Well, after drilling one hole in my steel frame i fear i am burning it up!! should i get a corded drill to do steel? anything special i should look for?

thanks

[Alan Wood]

hey all...

just curious, what kind of drill do you all use to go through steel? I have a little cordless ryobi that I have always used. Well, after drilling one hole in my steel frame i fear i am burning it up!! should i get a corded drill to do steel? anything special i should look for?

thanks

Something to check first. Is this a sharp or new bit. If not that may be the problem. However all but the cheapest corded drill and maybe even most of them will beat any cordless drill. Although I doubt I would by a cheapie.

[rhltechie]

this is brand new cobalt bit i just got to go through steel specifically. i suppose i need to get a corded drill.

[Alan Wood]

this is brand new cobalt bit i just got to go through steel specifically. i suppose i need to get a corded drill.

Sounds reasonable to me.

[caseydog]

If I have to do a bunch of holes in steel, I use my corded drill.

If the steel is thick, keep the bit lubricated, and don't push too hard. You don't want to overheat your bit or your drill. Take your time, and if the drill or the bit gets hot, give it a rest.

CD

[Miriam C.]

Mandy I got a self starting (split tip) titanium bit. I would use a corded drill but you might still burn it up if over used.

I burned our 20 year old up but it was a Black & Decker and I drilled a bunch.

[madjack]

I am not sure but I think a cobalt drill is a low speed drill so don't run it fast...keep it lubricated while drilling...you can spray a bit of WD40 every few second to accomplish this...I rarely pull out a corded drill anymore...we have 2, 12v Dewalts in the shop and I have an 18v Ryobi(1/2" drive)(a bit on the heavy side) as well......
madjack

[rhltechie]

hmmm..maybe i was just going to fast. My drill is a 12v ryobi, the cobalt peice was just the type of bit that i had read was good for using on steel. i used some wd40 at first but did not reapply. I smelled a burning coming from either my drill or the bit...so i got a little worried! The ryobi has been a good drill for everything else i have needed.

[mikeschn]

I use a corded drill for drilling thru steel. I also have titanium and cobalt bits. And I use oil and wd40 to keep the bits lubed. But I still get blue steel bits flying around!

Mike...

[doug hodder]

I don't know what dia. hole you were drilling, but often times it's easier on the drill and yourself to drill a smaller pilot hole and then follow up with the right dia. bit. Just an idea. Doug

[Sonetpro]

I would use a corded. I love the cordless but drilling steel takes alot out of them. I prefer the ones with a side handle on it. steel grabs the bit and twists your wrist. Go slow and use cutting oil to keep the bit sharp.

[caseydog]

I have a removable side handle for my corded Makita drill. It is good for keeping the drill aligned and steady.

Drilling a pilot hole and stepping up in bit size works, but be careful as the larger bit may "grab" when you get to a certain point. I hate it when that happens.

CD

[HossHoffer]

OK, I'm going to chime in on this one. I drill hundreds, sometimes thousands of holes a day mostly using a hand-held drill motor. 99% of what you drill at home will be better drilled with regular old HSS bits at a medium speed, say 1500 rpm. Most cordless meet this criteria. Cobalt bits are made for hard materials i.e. stainless steel, chromoly, 440, tool steel, titanium, etc and should be used at a low speed, high feed pressure. The bit cuts deeper so should be run slower to avoid overheating. Using a cobalt bit at a higher speed usually results in a shorter life of the bit edge. A mild steel such as your frame will drill better with a HSS bit at a medium speed and medium feed pressure. This means that your cordless should work just fine. However you may need to get a good sharp HSS bit, lube it up and push a little harder on it. I prefer split point bit. As far as a corded drill. Love them, use them, just buy a good one. But I should talk. I use mostly pneumatic drills.
Hoss
P.S. Google drill speed charts for future reference.