How and with what to drill stainless steel? I think you have asked this question many times. Of course, such a need does not arise often, but when it comes to stainless steel drilling, most craftsmen are unprepared.
You can’t take stainless steel with ordinary drills, although, nevertheless, this primarily depends on skill and savvy in this matter. So let's deal with the problem))
Stainless steel differs from ordinary metal in that it is very viscous and when drilling, the drill instantly heats up. That is why the key to successful drilling of stainless steel is drill cooling. To do this, you can either use a special coolant for drills, or get out yourself.
There are a lot of options, for example, you can use oil, which you can buy at the pharmacy without any problems, as an option - castor oil (ordinary castor oil), if you follow the instructions, then you need to drill stainless steel with oleic acid. And of course, you can use regular engine oil.
When drilling a horizontal surface, we take some kind of cork or rubber washer, pour oil into it and drill through it. If you need to drill vertically, for example, a stainless steel sheet is fixed vertically, then you can use paraffin, roll up the ball and stick it on the drilling site. We drill through it.
When drilling with a diameter greater than 6 mm, you need to use the "double" method - this means that you first drill with a small diameter drill, then use a drill of the required diameter. For example, if you need a hole with a diameter of 5 mm, then first we use a 2-3 mm drill, then 6 mm.
Well, the main, most important tool is drills. Drills are different, but in recent years their quality has deteriorated markedly. If you decide to try drilling stainless steel with conventional drills made of R6M5 steel, then you are unlikely to be able to make a hole. Although, if the stainless steel sheet is not thick and everything is in order with cooling, then the matter may burn out.
For problem-free drilling of stainless steel, high-strength drills are used. There are also plenty of options. From personal experience - I believe that the best stainless steel drills are old ones with a quality mark, with the addition of cobalt. The marking of such drills is R6M5K5. They are very strong, after all, in the USSR, the quality mark meant a lot.
Until now, it is Soviet drills that are asked in our store, of course, you will not find cobalt drills during the day with fire, but you can find standard P6M5 of some diameters.
Also, good results were demonstrated by the old Soviet drills made of the now rare P18 steel. Finding such drills, and even with a quality mark, is now simply unrealistic. However, it is still found in stocks. These drills sell like hot cakes even at a high price.
What to do if you can’t find Soviet drills, but you need to drill stainless steel? There is a way out, but get ready to spend more money. The stores sell special stainless steel drills from Ruko, they have proven themselves well, but their cost is very decent.
For example, a drill with a diameter of 3 mm costs about 100 rubles. Not weak, to say the least. And large diameters cost several hundred rubles. Cobalt drills, although the marking is already imported - HSS-Co DIN338 (Co - cobalt). In its composition, it is similar to R6M5K5 steel, that is, the percentage of cobalt in steel is also 5.
Well, the “coolest” version of drills is carbide for metal. They differ from one-sided sharpening, the angle is sharper. True, finding such drills is even more problematic than Soviet cobalt ones.
As an option - if you have emery at home, you can independently regrind an ordinary carbide drill for drilling stainless steel. It's a simple matter if you understand the sharpening of drills.
How to drill stainless steel. Anyone who has tried to drill stainless steel knows that it cannot be drilled without cunning. Usually, a special lubricant is used for this. It consists of engine oil and a small amount of sulfur. Usually, sulfur is taken from the one that is sold in Priroda stores. It has names there: "colloidal sulfur", "sulfur color" or "sulfur for fumigation".
The first two are used without preparation; finely ground sulfur for fumigation.
A more effective lubricant can be made by mixing sulfur with fatty acids. To obtain acids, the lowest-grade laundry soap is taken, which is crushed and dissolved in hot water. An excess of technical hydrochloric acid is poured into the soap solution. Fatty acids float. Pour in excess cold water - fatty acids harden and are easy to separate from the solution. They are washed 4-5 times as follows: they are placed in a saucepan, poured with hot water, stirred for 5-7 minutes, cold water is added, removed, placed in a saucepan again, etc.
Fatty acids are mixed with sulfur in a ratio of 6:1 (by weight). Another remarkable property of fatty acids should be noted. If they are mixed with rosin (heated over low heat) in a ratio of approximately 1: 1 (by weight), then an excellent pasty flux is obtained for soldering metals with lead-tin solders.
Most often, drilling holes in stainless steel materials carries a number of unpleasant moments. This is overheating of the drill, and overheating of the very place of drilling, and the loss of precious time. To avoid all this, you should follow a few rules. These rules will help you in the independent manufacture of stainless steel products, such as visors and awnings. So here are these simple tips:
1. Stainless steel has a very tough structure, and in order to avoid overheating of the drill, it is necessary to drill only at low speed and use sharp drills.
2. In the process of drilling, be sure to cool the drill every 10-15 seconds. This should be done to prevent calcination of the drilling site. Hardened stainless steel is extremely difficult to drill.
3. If you notice that the chips are getting darker and smaller, then immediately replace or sharpen the drill. This means that the hole is overheating and the drill is dull.
4. For initial drilling, use the smallest diameter drills. Stainless steel is recommended to be drilled first with a four or five, and then drilled to the desired diameter. This will significantly reduce drilling time.
5. And finally, if the place of the hole is still calcined, try to remove this layer with a well-sharpened larger drill in diameter, and then drill again with the original one.
By following these not tricky rules, you will not only reduce drilling time, but also keep your nerves in order.
While doing repairs, many owners have to perform a wide variety of work, among which drilling is quite common. However, for the qualitative performance of this task, it is necessary to have a suitable drill available. There are no problems with the acquisition of this device, given that a large number of their various types are presented on the building materials market.
Therefore, every home craftsman who has purchased a drill should also worry about choosing good drills. Otherwise, they will quickly use up their operational resource, and you will have to spend money on new ones.
In stores you can find a large number of different drills, differing in length, diameter, material for which they are intended. And even before you start creating a hole on the surface of the structure, you should decide on the right size drill. In order to avoid errors, it is necessary to take into account the type of work performed.
Those owners who at least once had to drill, I think, tried to understand what material is used to make these devices, what is meant by labeling given on the instrument? What makes it possible to create holes on a surface made of the same material as the drill itself?
The efficiency of work with a drill is achieved due to the fact that high-quality and high-strength steel is used as a material for it. But cheap options that are made on the basis of raw materials are not able to cope with most of the tasks that many owners face.
What does drill mark mean?
Typically, the marking of a drill for metal contains specific set of letters and numbers. The letter of the main element is usually indicated first, followed by a number that corresponds to the percentage of this element in the material used to manufacture the drill.
Other elements are often specified after the first two characters.
- P - corresponds to tungsten;
- K - indicates cobalt;
- F - means vanadium;
- M means molybdenum.
Most often, the marking does not contain the designation of chromium, since this element is included in the source material without fail, in which it accounts for about 4%. Among the elements that are missing in the labeling, carbon should be singled out. Let's say if the drill has R7M6K6 marking, then it can be understood from it that the manufacturer used high-speed steel as a material, which includes tungsten in the amount of 7%, molybdenum - 6%, cobalt - 6%.
If you pay attention to domestic products, then there is no similar information. However, this applies primarily to products with a diameter of less than 2 mm. Devices with a diameter of 2-3 mm contain information about the geometry and steel grade. Additional data has drills that represent other standard sizes: they also give the trademark, and sometimes the accuracy class of the drill product.
Each of the proposed drills can be decorated in one of the following colors:
- bright gold;
- black golden;
- grey;
- black.
By the golden color you can understand that the manufacturer used titanium nitride in the manufacture of the tool. Such an operation provides such a drill with increased strength characteristics. Working with such a device, less friction between surfaces will be ensured.
A black golden hue indicates that the raw material contains tempering, the purpose of which is to eliminate internal stress.
The gray color indicates that the drill in question has not been finished to improve the protection and strength of the material. From this we can conclude that this device has a low level of workmanship, and therefore it is quite will be out of order soon.
The black color suggests that during the manufacture of the drill, an operation was carried out, which consisted in exposing the product to superheated steam. The benefit of it is to increase its wear resistance.
Advantages of cobalt drills for metal
Prices for cobalt drills for metal are 4-5 times higher than for ordinary ones. What makes them so popular among home craftsmen right? What virtues have made them so highly rated?
The distinguishing feature of cobalt is high melting point. For this reason, metal drill bits based on high-quality cobalt-alloyed high-speed steel can withstand high temperatures and show improved mechanical properties. They are characterized by the ability to cope with significant thermal loads, for which it is not necessary to resort to additional cooling. Similar properties of these drills for metal are primarily manifested in situations when it is necessary to create holes in high-strength alloyed and high-viscosity steels.
Among other properties possessed by cobalt drills for metal, one should single out a sufficiently large tip sharpening angle, which is 135 degrees. Thanks to this design of the tip, it becomes possible to perform drilling on smooth round surfaces.
These drilling fixtures can also be used to create holes in pipes and welds where high precision is essential. An important advantage of such drills for metal is that when working with them, the master has to exert less physical pressure on them.
Drilling with a cobalt drill for metal
Even before you start drilling, you should decide on the cutting mode. To clarify, we will inform you that the main parameters that affect such a regime are the following:
Each of the above parameters affect each other, while choosing them should be considered:
- The material in which to create the hole;
- The material from which the drill for metal is made is cobalt;
- Equipment used for work and type of cooling;
- Other factors, which include the degree of surface roughness, contamination, etc.
Features of drilling stainless steels
When creating holes in the surface of stainless steel, one has to face problems that boil down to the fact that this material is characterized by sufficient plasticity. Therefore, during operation, the drilling product sticks to the work surface, as a result of which the device heats up too much and subsequently fails.
This can be avoided if:
- The problem with heat dissipation will be solved, for which cooling is used;
- The work will be carried out with drills that best cope with heat and have the ability to better remove chips.
As a material for cobalt drilling products for metal, high-speed steel HSSCo (M35) or having a similar marking is used. A feature of these drills is that during their manufacture, manufacturers have incorporated special properties into them that allow them to effectively create holes in difficult-to-machine stainless steels.
Steel R6M5K5 contains 5% cobalt, due to which the drill acquires increased red hardness. We are talking about the property to remain as hard and resistant to wear as in its normal state, when heated to a red heat temperature. A similar effect is achieved through heat treatment.
The production process involves the use of more expensive grinding technology. In other words, this fixture resembles a spiral, where a grinder is used to create grooves. This eliminates the appearance of internal tension on the device, while the surfaces remain smooth. This creates more favorable conditions for chip removal.
The upper part of the working device is located on the at an angle of 135 degrees and is distinguished by the presence of a cross-shaped undercut. A similar angle is formed by the working faces of the fixture. It provides a reduction in the area of the working area of \u200b\u200bthe product. As a result, it is subjected to less stress. As for the cruciform undercut of the vertex, its presence ensures a decrease in the dead zone between the working faces.
How to drill stainless steel with a cobalt drill
In the event that you have at your disposal equipment that allows you to select with high accuracy the optimal speed, feed and provide cooling, for working with stainless steel The following settings are recommended:
Cutting speed. The optimal value would be 10 m/min. The value given will be optimal for drilling most stainless steels. In addition, its use will provide an opportunity for choosing revolutions.
Turnover can be determined using the following formula:
n=3180/D, where
for a drill with a diameter of 1.0 - 3180 rpm;
for drill 5.0 already 636 rpm;
Innings. To calculate this parameter, you should also use a simple formula:
0.005-0.01d mm/n,
where d is the diameter of the drill.
In simpler terms, in one minute a metal drill with a diameter of 5 mm should create hole 3 mm deep. When working with a metal drill with a diameter of 10 mm, the hole created should have a size of 1.6 mm.
The problem with overheating is solved with the help of oleic acid, which will act as a coolant.
Features of drilling in the field
If a special coolant is not available, olive oil can be used instead. Also, vegetable is suitable here, in which the proportion of oleic acid content is only 2 times less - 40%. In the event that none of these substances is at hand, then ordinary lard or fat can come to the rescue: they contain a level of oleic acid can reach 44%.
During the creation of holes, it is necessary to set the minimum speed to no more than 200 rpm. Some models of drills do not have the ability to select speed. In this case, the problem is solved by using the "on-off" technique, in which a recess in the material is created due to inertia.
Make sure that the feed to the drill is at a minimum. At the same time, it is important that it be uniform.
Conclusion
Cobalt metal drills can help create holes in particularly hard materials, primarily stainless steels. However, for the successful implementation of this work, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances. Drilling holes with a cobalt drill bit for metal will not cause you problems if you correctly determine the operating parameters: cutting speed, feed, and also solve the issue of cooling. In this case, it will be useful to know how to work with such drills correctly. Then they will be good helpers for you when carrying out repairs.
The question of how to drill any stainless steel at home usually does not arise if you use special drills for this purpose. Along with such drills, which allow you to quickly and accurately form a hole of the required diameter, it is necessary to use special cooling compounds, as well as strictly adhere to technological parameters.
In production, for drilling stainless steel, industrial machines with a coolant supply are used. In the home workshop, you have to learn some tricky tricks
Lubricants
Drilling holes in products from, performed by a conventional drill, may fail. This is explained by the fact that stainless steels are characterized by increased viscosity, therefore their drilling, especially performed at home, is accompanied by significant heating of the cutting tool and, as a result, its failure.
In order to drill stainless steel efficiently and quickly, taking into account all of the above, it is necessary to use a cooling material, which, in addition, must have good lubricating properties.
If it is often necessary to drill stainless steel, it makes sense to equip the machine with a home-made liquid lubricant supply system (a car pump is suitable as a pump)
The most common compound used as a coolant and lubricant in stainless steel drilling is a mixture of machine oil and sulfur. To prepare such a solution, both colloidal sulfur and fumigation sulfur, which is often called "sulfur color", can be used.
In the event that the sulfur at your disposal is a fine powder, it can be immediately mixed with engine oil without special preparation. If you have purchased lump sulfur, it must first be ground.
You can make drilling of stainless steel products more efficient if you use a lubricant-cooling mixture consisting of sulfur and fatty acids, which you can get yourself at home, to perform such an operation. To do this, do the following:
- grind a piece of laundry soap (you can use the cheapest one);
- mix the crushed soap with hot water and stir the resulting mixture thoroughly;
- add technical hydrochloric acid to the resulting solution;
- wait until fatty acids begin to rise to the surface of the resulting solution;
- then add a large amount of cold water;
- remove the hardened trunk of fatty acids from the surface of the solution, which are later used to prepare a lubricating and cooling solution.
The fatty acids obtained during the preparation of the drilling fluid are mixed with sulfur in a ratio of 6:1. Using a solution made according to this recipe, you can easily drill a stainless steel product, which even differs in considerable thickness. Naturally, when performing such a procedure, certain technological recommendations should be followed.
Useful tips for drilling
There are several simple tricks that allow you to quickly and efficiently drill a hole in stainless steel. We list the most common of them.
- Drilling horizontal stainless steel surfaces is best done by first passing the drill through a lubricant and coolant poured into a rubber washer or plastic plug installed directly above the location of the future hole.
- If it is necessary to drill a hole in a stainless steel surface located vertically, then a ball made of paraffin can be fixed at the drilling site, which will provide lubrication of the cutting tool.
- Regardless of whether you will drill stainless steel with a household electric drill or industrial equipment, it is better to carry out such a technological operation at low speeds of the cutting tool (100–600 rpm). The use of even very high quality lubricating and cooling fluid will not be able to provide a high-quality drilling result in stainless steel, carried out at high speeds.
In order to get a more detailed idea of how to properly drill stainless steel parts, you can study this process on video.
There are no problems with drilling at low speeds if a machine or drill is used for this, which has the option to adjust this parameter. If there is no such option, then the stainless steel can be drilled as follows.
- An electric drilling tool starts up literally for 1-2 seconds.
- After a short start, the drill turns off immediately.
Such a simple technological technique allows for low rotational speed of the cutting tool, which, in fact, is required for high-quality drilling of stainless steel.
Drill selection
When you need to drill into stainless steel, the choice of drill, along with the selection of the appropriate lubricant and coolant, as well as the operation technology, is the most important procedure that determines the quality of the final result. Until recently, cobalt drills were used to drill stainless steels.
Cobalt drills, which were equipped with cylindrical shanks, were produced from R6M5K5 grade alloys, and in some cases from R18 steel, in which the amount of cobalt was limited to 5%. The advantages of drills made from an alloy containing cobalt in its chemical composition are that this chemical element gives the tool high hardness, which allows it to easily drill through any stainless steel product. The regulatory document in accordance with which such tools were produced was GOST 10902-77.
To date, these drills are no longer produced by the industry, and it is not easy to find them on the market. Meanwhile, modern manufacturers produce many analogues for working with stainless steel, the quality of which is at a high level. If you choose from such tools, you can pay attention to foreign-made drills, which are marked HSS-Co. They are produced according to DIN 338 and are made of steel containing at least 5% cobalt. In fact, the material from which they are made is an analogue of alloys of the R18 and R6M5K5 grades.
A characteristic difference of the drill with the addition of cobalt is a more obtuse sharpening angle for easier centering at the beginning of drilling.
It is absolutely not necessary to use a cobalt tool in order to drill stainless steel at home. Drills made of hard alloys do a good job with this task. Such drills for stainless steel differ not only in the material of their manufacture, but also in the very sharp sharpening of the cutting part (sharpening is performed on one side). However, it should be borne in mind that they are quite expensive and it is not always realistic to purchase them in ordinary hardware stores.
If you need to drill a hole in stainless steel, there are a few guidelines that will allow you to complete this procedure without any problems.
- If the thickness of the stainless steel product to be drilled exceeds 6 mm, then it is best to perform this procedure using the double method. The essence of this method lies in the fact that a hole of small diameter is first drilled in a stainless steel, and only after that it is drilled to the required size.
- In the event that the thickness of the product is small (1–2 mm), you can drill a hole in it using a conventional metal drill, the cutting part of which is sharpened at an angle of 120 °. It is very important to perform the operation at low speeds (up to 100 rpm), then the tool will not overheat much and will not fail.
- If a hole needs to be drilled in a stainless steel product that is less than 1 mm thick, then it is better to use structures for this. The use of such a tool, which can be purchased at many hardware stores, allows you to get high-quality holes even in very thin parts.
If you are about to drill a hole in stainless steel, but have never done it before, you should not be limited to theoretical information. It is also advisable to watch a video on this topic, which is easy to find on the Internet. In addition, when taking on such a difficult task, it is advisable to stock up on high-quality cutting tools and related equipment.
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Special drills for stainless steel and cooling compounds for them allow you to quickly and comfortably make a hole of the required size in the "stainless steel".
1
Many home craftsmen, who are used to doing everything in everyday life with their own hands, are very surprised when they fail to drill a hole in stainless steel using a conventional drill. Such steel differs from other metals in its increased viscosity, so the drill heats up almost immediately as soon as a person begins to process a stainless alloy product.
And this means that the operation can be successful only if you take care of the high-quality cooling of the drilling tool.
To cool the fixture used to drill holes in "stainless steel", a special lubricant composition is usually used, consisting of sulfur and machine oil. Sulfur can be used both colloidal and special for fumigation. In hardware stores, the latter is sold precisely under the name "for fumigation" (sometimes it can be called "sulfur color"). It is usually allowed to be used without any additional preparations. If you purchased coarse sulfur, it should first be thoroughly ground and only then mixed with engine oil.
Drilling holes in stainless steel structures will be many times more efficient when using a coolant based on fatty acids and the same sulfur. These acids do not need to be bought anywhere, make them yourself. To do this, take the cheapest laundry soap, grind it, and then pour the resulting mixture into hot water. Hydrochloric technical acid is added to this composition and they wait until the fatty acids we need begin to float to the surface.
As soon as the acids rise to the top, it is necessary to pour cold water into the container where the operation is performed (you don’t need to feel sorry for it, the more you pour, the better). As a result, fatty acids will begin to solidify and can be removed from the surface of the liquid without the slightest difficulty. The described process of isolating the required compounds (soap into hot water - cooling - acid removal) can be repeated several times (3-5).
Mixing fatty compounds with colloidal or "fumigating" sulfur is carried out in a six to one ratio. That is, six parts of acids must be added to one part of sulfur. Professionals assure that it will not be difficult to drill "stainless steel" of any thickness with such a cooling compound (unless, of course, you follow other recommendations, which we will discuss below).
2
In cases where drilling is performed in a horizontal plane, it is recommended to pour the prepared cooling liquid into a small rubber washer or into a cork and carry out the procedure through it. When processing vertical structures, it is possible to attach a paraffin ball to the drilling sites. This will greatly facilitate the process - you can easily drill a product that is in an uncomfortable spatial position.
Another feature of drilling holes in "stainless steel" is that either the electric drill that is used to carry out the procedure must be set to minimum speed. Their number can vary from 100 to 600 per minute. If you set a higher number of revolutions, even a high-quality lubricant composition will not be able to effectively cool the working tool.
When using a drill equipped with an electronic type regulator, it is easy to set the required speed. More problems arise when there is no such control on the instrument. But even in such a situation there is a way out: start the electric drill for a short time (literally for 1-2 seconds); Press "Start" immediately. In such a short time, its collector motor will not be able to gain high speed.
3
You have prepared a cooling lubricant, studied all the recommendations for the correct drilling of "stainless steel", and now you can move on to the most important thing - the selection of a special drill. Without it, drilling stubborn metal will not work. In Soviet times, cobalt drills with a cylindrical shank R6M5K5 were always used to work with stainless steel. They were made according to the State Standard 10902-77. P18 drills with a cobalt content of five percent were also used.
Now it is almost impossible to find such devices for drilling holes. But this does not matter, since the construction market offers us a lot of their foreign counterparts. Imported drilling tools are produced according to DIN 338 and have the HSS-Co marking, from which it becomes clear that the drill material contains at least five percent cobalt (similar to P18 and P6M5K5). It is cobalt that gives the tool the required hardness and makes it relatively easy to drill "stainless steel".
In addition, the carbide metal drilling tool shows a good processing effect on stainless alloys. Such drills are characterized by an acute sharpening angle (it is done on one side). But it is not easy to get them, not all hardware stores sell them. Yes, and the cost of such devices is objectively high.
A few tips for drilling "stainless steel":
- If you are drilling thick steel (more than six millimeters), it is advisable to perform the process using a double method. Its essence is that first you need to make a small "hole" with a drill with a small diameter and only then apply a tool with the required section.
- Drilling products with a thickness of 1-2 millimeters is allowed to be done normally at low speeds (up to 100 per minute), but on condition that the cutting edge of this tool is sharpened by about 120 degrees.
- Machining stainless steel less than one millimeter thick should be done with step drills that provide perfectly round holes without burrs at their ends.
Stainless steel is widely used in the domestic and industrial fields for the creation of various items due to a significant number of positive qualities. It is an alloy of various materials that give stainless steel resistance to corrosion and aggressive environments. Based on their percentage, it is possible to create different types of material in the alloy.
At home, they often use items from the so-called food grade stainless steel, taps and faucets, sinks and sinks in the kitchen, tableware and other things. Therefore, it is often necessary to drill stainless steel for any purpose. However, the process should be prepared. That is, study the recommendations of more experienced craftsmen, if the procedure is performed for the first time with your own hands, as well as select the appropriate drills and lubricants.
In addition to experience, you will need a bit of sensitivity and attentiveness. This is far from the only thing that the master needs. Most of all, when drilling, lubricating fluid helps, without which the master risks damaging the drills and material. The grease consists of machine oil and sulfur, so it is easy to recognize by its viscous form and increased fat content. In addition to choosing the right material, you need to know some of the features of how to drill a hole in stainless steel.
Nuances when drilling
What needs to be done is to decide on the tool. What exactly to use depends on what diameter holes are needed. If up to 12 mm, then at home they manage with a hand drill.
Nothing else will help to drill holes in stainless steel with high quality, like preliminary marking. It is especially effective when making single holes or processing hardened and sheet metal. Axial risks are applied under the drill on the workpiece, and then a small depression is made in the product. Later they are deepened to the required size.
A template is another thing that will help save time when drilling, because the contours of the holes are pre-marked on it. Masters have to go to the trick when the work is done from the edge of the surface. Usually half-holes are needed here, which are done as follows: a plate of the same material is attached to the workpiece, which is clamped in a vice. After that, you can drill a standard recess, and upon completion of the work, simply remove the attached plate.
Useful tips for drilling
Every master who has got his hand in this business has a couple of tricky tricks that greatly simplify the drilling process. A lot of videos and photos on the site will clearly demonstrate what needs to be done and how.
First of all, you should pay attention to the plane in which the work surface is located. When you need to drill a hole in a horizontal object, coolant is poured into a small plug through which drilling is carried out.
If the structure is installed vertically, then a paraffin ball is attached to the place of the future hole. Thanks to this trick, it is possible to quickly complete the work even in the most inconvenient places.
Another important nuance to keep in mind when planning to drill stainless steel is setting the drill to minimum speed. To get standard holes, speed up to 150 revolutions is enough. At too high speeds, the lubricant simply does not have time to cool the drill.
What to do with the equipment where there is no speed switch? Press the "Start" button and release after 1-2 seconds. If you work with such short presses, then the drill motor will not develop a high speed.
If you have to drill a lot and often stainless steel, you should buy a special stand for a drill. Financially, the expenses will be small, and the process will be greatly simplified.
It is possible to determine that the drill is dull or the material is overheated by the darkening of the chips. Therefore, skilled craftsmen first use small diameter drills, for example, a four. Then bring the hole to the desired size, getting smooth and neat edges. This is especially important when drilling stainless pipes. In this case perfect results can only be achieved with a special step cone drill. When it is required to make a hole of large diameter, from about 15 millimeters, a crown is used, in other words, a crown.
Use of lubricants
To prevent the procedure from failing, you need to use cooling materials. The thing is that stainless steel has a high viscosity. During operation, the load falls simultaneously on the drill and the material, as a result of which, either one or the other may overheat. Therefore, it is so important to provide how to cool the tool.
When you have to drill a lot, it is wiser to attach an automatic supply of lubricants to the machine. If drilling is a single and rare case, then drills are processed immediately before drilling. A mixture of machine oil and sulfur is used as a lubricant. At the same time, sulfur can be taken both colloidal and for fumigation, well known as "sulfur color".
If it was purchased in powder form, then the substance is simply mixed with engine oil. When the sulfur is lumpy, it still has to be ground. An effective cooling lubricant is a mixture of sulfur and fatty acids, which can be obtained at home from ordinary laundry soap.
To do this, the following steps are performed:
- a piece of soap is rubbed, and the resulting mass is poured with hot water;
- technical hydrochloric acid is carefully poured into the soap solution;
- when fatty acids float to the surface, pour in cold water;
- wait until they harden and remove the top layer.
When creating a cooling material, fatty acids and sulfur are taken in a ratio of 6:1. The effort and time spent is justified, because such a composition will help to drill even the thickest stainless steel.
Drill selection
Choosing a reliable drill is an important step in preparing for drilling. On sale you can find foreign tools manufactured according to the DIN-338 standard and labeled HSS-CO. According to it, it becomes clear that the composition contains at least 5% cobalt, as in old Soviet drills. You can recognize a product for stainless steel by an obtuse sharpening angle, which facilitates centering at the beginning of work. Such a tool is easy to get in any specialized store at an affordable cost.
As for the carbide tool, it is suitable for processing stainless surfaces and products made from this material. But there may be problems with its acquisition, since such drills are not available in every hardware store, plus they are much more expensive.
When choosing tools, you should purchase only high-strength products. You can look for old cobalt drills, which are still considered the best. If you fail, then you should stop at Ruko, Bosch, Gross, Hilti products, which are in most stores. The price depends on the diameter, for example, a 3 mm tool can be bought from about 100 rubles. The larger the diameter, the higher the price. It will not be difficult for real craftsmen to adjust the angle of a conventional drill if there is a diamond wheel at home.
It is actively used in the construction industry, allowing the construction of durable and strong structures without the risk of corrosion damage. However, the strength qualities and, in general, the physical characteristics of such alloys create many problems at the stage of installation activities, when spot metalworking is required. For example, the creation of holes is one of the most popular operations of this kind, which allows you to prepare technological zones for future fasteners.
Accordingly, the question arises of how to drill a stainless steel? The task is not easy and requires the use of a special tool. Also, the technique of direct performance of work requires the performer to know certain nuances of the process.
What tool to drill?
To begin with, the type of tool is determined with which it will be possible to perform such an operation efficiently and safely. If we are not talking about production, where the use of a drilling machine would be quite justified, then the choice will be between a drill and a puncher. Of course, the eye of an inexperienced user will immediately fall on the puncher, as on a more powerful unit. But not everything is so obvious.
Indeed, the average hammer drill will be much more productive than an electric drill, but it also has a more massive body, has an impressive mass and, in principle, focuses on working with brick and concrete.
How to drill stainless steel with a hammer drill? You will have to work in initially uncomfortable conditions, since the massive design will not give room for maneuverability, and this is the key to successful processing of hard alloys. The emphasis will have to be on the physical stabilization of the tool, which can not do without an additional side handle.
As for the drill, then, of course, the emphasis should be on professional models with a sufficient power reserve - at least 1500 W in the case of network devices, and from 18 V if you need a cordless tool for remote work. But in both cases, the design of the drill is optimal for working with stainless steel. By the way, in addition, it would not be superfluous to provide a useful set of functions - electronic speed control, a switch lock button and a reverse run.
Choosing the right drill
It is advisable to give preference to those made of high-speed steel alloys of the HSS (M35), HSSCo5, R6MK5, etc. grades. The purpose of such equipment is to make holes in hard-to-cut and stainless workpieces.
For example, the R6M5K5 drill contains 5% cobalt, which significantly increases the red hardness of the product. In other words, the heating of a drill with critical overheating can occur only if the established standards for the working session time are exceeded, but not in the usual normal drilling mode. At the same time, even intensive use of the element will not reduce its wear resistance and hardness. These qualities can be explained by a special production technology based on the grinding method, which eliminates the internal stress of the metal.
Drill design parameters: what to consider?
The working part of the drill can be performed in different ways, depending on the required cutting technique. For example, spiral models have a shank with helical edges and grooves that guide chips. This is a universal option for household work, characterized by reliability and decent drilling quality.
As an alternative, a step drill can also be offered, but it is more suitable for industries where it is required to make several holes of various sizes in short periods of time without changing equipment.
You should also pay attention to the angle of sharpening the drill on stainless steel, which can be from 100 ° to 140 °. What angle would be best? For steels, it is better to choose models at 130-140 °. Lowering this indicator makes the drill suitable for soft materials like duralumin and brass.
Drill selection by shank type
Since the equipment will experience increased mechanical stress due to vibrations during operation, it is important to consider the type of connection with the chuck. The most common is the cylindrical hitch of the key type. On it, in particular, drills for metal HSS from Inforce are calculated, having a tensile strength margin of up to 900 N / mm 2. According to experts, the transmission of torque in this design is not the most successful, but you don’t have to worry about the risks of jamming.
Another version of the shank is hexagonal. In this case, fixation is provided by a three-jaw chuck with rigid positioning of each face. The mount is reliable, but the mechanics of handling such equipment is quite difficult. If you need to perform serial drilling, then manipulating the replacement of the nozzle will cause a lot of trouble.
Preparation of cutting oils
High-performance machining of metal alloys is accompanied by increased loads with temperatures brought to critical values. To minimize these effects, lubricants and coolants are used for drilling under load. In this part, two points must be foreseen - the mechanics of the supply of the composition itself and its recipe.
As for the first, in one-time events, you can wet the work area manually as it heats up. Automatic systems are usually implemented in the form of a pump connection - for example, from a car pump. The optimal composition of the mixture will include a combination of engine oil and sulfur. As an additional modifier, technical additives that increase the viscosity of the oil can also be used.
Drilling process
The tool immediately adjusts to low or medium speeds, since stainless steel does not tolerate high speeds well - this can damage the edges or the drill. The workpiece is installed on a firmly fixed base. Preferably with a vice. Direct mechanical contact is performed only at the moment when the optimum speed of the drill is reached. Then start cutting.
A cobalt drill on a stainless steel is directed strictly perpendicularly under light pressure. No deviations or jerks are allowed. Moreover, even stops are not desirable, since a failure in the pace of movement will, in principle, negatively affect the structure of the hole. The process is completed with the support of the initial revolutions. Decreasing the speed and turning off the device is carried out only after the drill is removed from the hole.
Features of working with hardened stainless steel
Often there are situations when hardened metal does not lend itself even to drills based on cobalt in the HSS format. This usually applies to sheets with a thickness of more than 6-7 mm. How to drill stainless steel in this situation?
The way out will be either the use of diamond crowns for cutting glass, or the use of a nozzle with a fine-grained alloy and soldering. The second option is offered in the Bosch line. German developers release a unique line of Multi Construction with a distinctive feature in the form of a blue belt on spirals. This type of drill, thanks to the centering point and AWB soldering, can even handle hardened stainless steel.
Features of working with stainless steel railings
The difficulties of working with such a design are due to the round shape of the handrails, and sometimes the presence of special chrome coatings that make it difficult to center the same. The task of the master will be to securely fix the pipe with a vice, as well as in a special drilling tactic.
How to work with stainless steel railings? First of all, the cut point is indicated. This is done with a punch and a hammer. With a light blow, a hole is outlined from which the material will be processed. Then any small-format drill is taken.
At this stage, it is important to only slightly deepen the point at low speeds. Moreover, the end of the drill must be lubricated with machine oil. Then, a hole of the required size is formed in two passes with a full-size cobalt nozzle.
Drilling Safety
The main operational factors that increase the risk of injury are electricity and vibration. Electric shock is deadly, so it is important to always control the position of the cable. In no case should it fall into the working area. And initially it is better to give preference to drill models with double electrical insulation.
Then another question - how to drill stainless steel with minimal discomfort from vibrations? The fact is that long-term and systematic work with a construction tool, precisely through strong vibrations, ultimately affects the state of the nervous system, vision and respiratory organs.
The way out will be the use of a standard vibration damping system, as well as the installation of additional spring devices on the body. For example, articulated dampers create a cushioning effect that virtually eliminates perceptible vibrations.
Much in the workflow will depend on the specific conditions and characteristics of the tool. But there are also universal rules for performing critical drilling operations, which are recommended by experts:
Conclusion
A quality electric drill, combined with a properly sized drill bit of the right diameter, is more likely to live up to expectations in creating a hole of the right size. But how much will such an event cost if it is performed at home without the help of a specialist?
Cobalt or victorious stainless steel drills are estimated at about 150-200 rubles. An electric drill will cost about 3-5 thousand rubles. Moreover, it is worth choosing in the families of manufacturers at the level of the same Bosch company, for example, Makita, Metabo or Hitachi. By the way, drills can be safely purchased in the same lines.
The development of the industry and the high requirements for product certification in international markets lead to the widespread use of high-quality stainless steels. When creating projects, designers prefer welding connections of individual units.
The bolted, riveted connection was not affected by this and is often used in modern designs. Drilling stainless steel may be required to create process holes. The material presented in this article will give general concepts and features of this process with anti-corrosion alloys.
Preparatory work
Preparatory work consists in eliminating some of the negative factors associated with drilling stainless steel. Consider what properties make this process difficult:
- The chemical composition of stainless steel grades increases the plasticity of the metal. Chips during drilling of such steels stick to the drill, from this the cutting edges are excluded from the process, and hardening is formed on the walls inside the unfinished hole. Such surface work hardening makes further processing difficult and changes the physical properties in this place.
- Heat removal from the drill heated by rotation and cutting occurs along the surface of the metal. Without taking preventive measures, you can get a tinted area around the drilling. In addition to a damaged decorative surface, this reduces corrosion resistance and requires additional technological operations to restore the specified parameters.
To avoid the disadvantages described above, before drilling it is necessary to decide how the surface will cool and what to do to prevent chips from sticking. Among the effective methods, water is suitable. If the amount of metal to be drilled is more than one hole with a diameter of 10mm in a sheet with a thickness of 2mm, then you should think about cooling with oil or a special emulsion.
Attention. Cooling with water when drilling stainless steel is carried out during the process itself. Cooling by lowering a hot drill into a nearby jar leads to quenching and tempering of the metal and the loss of basic properties. Coolant is supplied to the contact point when drilling. To reduce consumption, you can put a rubber ring on the surface, surrounding the contact point. 
Drilling modes
The correct choice of drilling mode is the key to obtaining a well-made hole. The main components are speed, feed and torque.
Cutting speed- a conditional value that determines how quickly a point located on the surface of the tool rotates relative to its center. This means that different RPMs must be selected for different drill diameters in order to achieve the same cutting speed.
Example. For steel 08X13H with a thickness of 10-15 millimeters, the reference book indicates a cutting speed of 20 m / min. If it is necessary to drill a hole with a diameter of 1 mm, the spindle speed of the drilling machine should be 6366 rpm. If the hole is drilled with a diameter of 10 mm, then the revolutions should not exceed 637 revolutions in 60 seconds.
Drill feed in metal means the amount of movement in the depth of the drilled hole for a certain number of revolutions. That is, it is the speed of immersion. It is measured in millimeters per 1 revolution. It is important to maintain the recommended values to obtain a quality result and reduce the impact of chips on the cutting edges. 
Torque transmitted to the drill during the drilling process, is an important factor for the drill and material, determines the choice of steel for the drill and the composition of the coolants. In simple terms, this is the load on the drill due to the resistance of the material to the deformations created by the edges of the drill.
The choice of each of the parameters is determined by the grade of stainless steel, the thickness of the sheet or part, the choice of equipment, the selection of the cooling method, the material of the drill, the surface roughness and other factors. There are many reference books and regime maps for the main brands. Proper selection and high qualification of the technologist who makes regime charts will allow avoiding additional processing operations and finishing, reducing the cost of production.
Drills for stainless steel.
A variety of drilling equipment today can confuse even experienced professionals.
The most common are cobalt drills. Their name indicates the presence of cobalt in the chemical composition of the alloy. The stainless steel drill belongs to high speed steel products. Increasing the percentage of cobalt increases red hardness, the alloy retains its properties after heating to red heat temperatures. These include R6M5K5 tool steel, the main material for the manufacture of cutting tools for stainless steel in domestic and foreign markets. 
In addition to the material, the design of the drill itself is important. The most expensive and high-quality ones are made using technology when grooves are formed on grinding machines. The absence of deformation stresses makes them stronger and expands the operating parameters of drilling. Such grooves do not have microscopic burrs and simplify the chip exit, preventing the grooves from sticking. The angle of sharpening the drill should be 135 degrees. This results in a reduction in load. 
Drilling technique
Drilling holes larger than 6 mm must be done in two stages. First, a hole with a diameter of up to 5 mm is drilled, and then it is brought to the required diameter. The absence of internal stresses before drilling will simplify and expand the range of operating parameters. This will extend the life of the drill, avoid overheating of the surface.
Before drilling stainless steel, find out its grade, thickness, recommended drilling parameters. Decide on coolant. If this is not available, you can use vegetable oil (olive or sunflower), lard, an emulsion of laundry soap in water.
Stainless steel, due to its unique characteristics and properties, has found wide application both in industry and in everyday life. Drilling stainless steel may be required to make technological holes. For example, in order to create a bolted or riveted connection of individual structural elements.
How to drill stainless steel
Drilling stainless steel in industrial and domestic conditions
Drilling stainless steel can be carried out both in industrial and at home. For this process, you can use special industrial machines or conventional power tools, such as an electric drill. Drilling machines are used in production. At home, the need to drill a hole in stainless steel may arise during repair work.
Stainless steel differs from conventional metal alloys in its increased viscosity, which means that when drilling stainless steel, the cutting tool can quickly overheat. Therefore, drilling stainless steel has its own characteristics. Stainless steel is drilled with special drills and a cooling lubricant is required.
How to drill stainless steel
How to drill stainless steel, depends primarily on the thickness of the stainless steel product:
- A stainless steel sheet with a thickness of not more than 2 mm can be drilled using conventional drill bits for metal. In this case, the rotation speed of the power tool drill should be no more than 100 rpm;
- Holes in a sheet with a thickness of more than 6 mm are carried out in two stages and special incisors. First, the metal is drilled with a thin tool, and then the process is completed with a finishing drill.
- For drilling stainless steel, drills made from alloys containing cobalt are used. Moreover, the higher the cobalt content, the better for the drilling process.
- Stainless steel can be drilled with pobedite drills.
- In some cases, pen-shaped drills are used for thin stainless steel.
Video on how to drill stainless steel at home:
While drilling, it is necessary to monitor the chips. If it darkens and shrinks, then the cutting edge of the tool is dull and overheating. In this case, work must be stopped.
Drills for stainless steels
How to work with stainless steel equipment
To connect elements made of stainless steel, you can use not only drilling, but also welding. Welding electrodes for stainless steel must meet certain criteria and requirements in order to ensure a quality and reliable weld.
Coolant lubricants for stainless steel drilling
When drilling equipment from stainless steel, in addition to choosing the right tools and cooling lubricants, it is necessary to follow the drilling modes and know the technology of drilling stainless steel.
How, for example, to drill a stainless steel sink? First of all, you need to understand that you should not drill already installed equipment. It needs to be dismantled. The sink is laid on a horizontal surface and the place where the hole needs to be made is marked with a core. After that, a tube with coolant is installed at the drilling site and a hole is drilled in the stainless steel through this so-called “bath”.
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