Drilling 5/8 holes in stainless.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by GILow

Yes, of course we have those places. It was TT who supplied the half inch INOX bit off the shelf. Nobody had the 5/8th HSS on the shelf though, had to order it in. Easy enough. But it struggled immediately, and with eight chain plates to do I reckon I will ruin at least one or two bits. Hence I was hoping to find something better, something like the half inch INOX bit..

Seems they have them in the US, but not here in Oz. My local engineering supplies place, where I always go for odd stuff, couldn’t find anything in any of their trade catalogs either.

I gotta say, not sure why you and Coopec think I can’t use Google.

Matt

When you build a yacht from start to finish like I have I might listen to what you have to say. When you don't know how to drill a 5/8 in. hole in SS you have a lot to learn

[GILow]

Originally Posted by coopec43

Matt

When you build a yacht from start to finish like I have I might listen to what you have to say. When you don't know how to drill a 5/8 in. hole in SS you have a lot to learn

When you SAIL a boat like I have I might listen to you too. In the meantime I give you my permission to ignore any questions I ask. I think I’ll survive without your google results.

[Madehn]

To drill stainless:
Very low speed you should be able to see the bit surfaces going around slowly Think 60 rpm

Lots of pressure. I use a bar clamp on a 1/2 inch hand drill and screw the clamp tighter very slowly. Poor man’s portable drill press.

COBALT BITS. HSS titanium etc just don’t do well here

Cutting oil not water and lots of it

Patience. If bit is getting hot enough to cause any smoke it is dull or you are turning it too fast.

Long curls of SS coming off bit while drilling tell you that you are doing it right.

Use center punch to mark spot to drill and prevent wander. Drilling a small hole first has never worked for me and ends up dulling the larger bit in one spot and making it useless until reshaped.


Using the above methods I have successfully drilled multiple large holes through 1/2 inch stainless plate. It can be done but is messy and takes time and patience. Best of luck

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Madehn

To drill stainless:
Very low speed you should be able to see the bit surfaces going around slowly Think 60 rpm

Lots of pressure. I use a bar clamp on a 1/2 inch hand drill and screw the clamp tighter very slowly. Poor man’s portable drill press.

COBALT BITS. HSS titanium etc just don’t do well here

Cutting oil not water and lots of it

Patience. If bit is getting hot enough to cause any smoke it is dull or you are turning it too fast.

Long curls of SS coming off bit while drilling tell you that you are doing it right.

Use center punch to mark spot to drill and prevent wander. Drilling a small hole first has never worked for me and ends up dulling the larger bit in one spot and making it useless until reshaped.


Using the above methods I have successfully drilled multiple large holes through 1/2 inch stainless plate. It can be done but is messy and takes time and patience. Best of luck

Good description, thank you. I like the poor man’s drill press idea.

Yeah, so far I’m doing very well with a Sutton INOX drill for the half inch holes using the technique you describe. (But with a non-home-made drill press, albeit a pretty cheap one.). I assume the Sutton INOX series are cobalt, but I’m not actually sure what they are made of. They just work extremely well.

The HSS bit from the same manufacturer started to fight me the moment I tried it. It’s still ok, but I just wish they had a proper cobalt or whatever it is bit in 5/8. Happy to buy one if I could find it in Oz, but no luck so far. I was hoping someone had a make or model I could track down in this country. But they’ve all been in the US so far.

Still waiting on the refreshed quote from the local CNC guys, I think they’ll end up being the best solution.

[Madehn]

My apologies. Didn’t read far enough to understand that you had a drill press etc and were having trouble getting the bits. McMaster Carr does not ship overseas but if you need me to I can buy a couple of bits have them sent to me and then ship them on to you. Might take awhile but could be done. I have a friend that swears you can use HSS bits successfully on stainless if you turn slow and keep pressure. He says you have to sharpen them often. I’ve not had luck with it but I suspect I was trying to turn too fast. Pm me if you need the help shipping some bits to you. Count on destroying a few bits even if they are cobalt. Those are big holes and hard metal. Best of luck.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Madehn

My apologies. Didn’t read far enough to understand that you had a drill press etc and were having trouble getting the bits. McMaster Carr does not ship overseas but if you need me to I can buy a couple of bits have them sent to me and then ship them on to you. Might take awhile but could be done. I have a friend that swears you can use HSS bits successfully on stainless if you turn slow and keep pressure. He says you have to sharpen them often. I’ve not had luck with it but I suspect I was trying to turn too fast. Pm me if you need the help shipping some bits to you. Count on destroying a few bits even if they are cobalt. Those are big holes and hard metal. Best of luck.

Thank you, that’s a lovely offer. If time was on my side I would most certainly ask for your help.

You guys really do have great shopping options in the US. Way back in the early 90s I travelled to your West Coast and went SHOPPING! I swear that shopping trip wasn’t repeatable in Oz for another ten years. That’s how long it took for most of the items I bought (GPS, Roller Blades, mountain bike bits etc) to be available here. It’s better now, of course, the internet helped, but I’ve noticed “old fashioned” manufacturing stuff like these drill bits are still very much more available in the US. Only four or five years ago I organised a bulk buy with friends of some Crosby chain joining links because I could only find them in the US, nobody in Oz stocked them.

I think the CNC/water jet guys are my best bet now (I hope they aren’t reading this.).

Thank you again for the offer.

Matt

[Fore and Aft]

Gilow I didn't say you can't use Google, I was just highlighting how many drill bits one company has listed in their catalogue. You might have to do some old fashioned going to the shop to solve your problem. I live in a town of $56,000 people and can think of three places that could help you out. Thankfully Bunnings hasn't killed them yet.
Madehn 100% correct that sharpening often helps. You should only need one drill bit. As long as you go slow, sharpen regularly and have the chain plate well clamped.
Maybe it's just me, but I like to run a 3/8 drill bit through first.
Gilow when we moved here from Canada in 1997, Queensland shops didn't even open on Sunday!
Cheers

[dlj]

No one has mentioned that using a 135 degree split point drill bit is advantageous. The standard 118 degree drill point drills do not work as well with stainless. Cobalt drill bits maintain cutting edges better than HSS bits, but those also perform better if you can find them in 135 degree split point construction.

dj

[skipperpete]

P&N is/was an Aussie company that makes taps and drills, and here in Langkawi the Bosch drills are second to none, my all time favourites up to ½”. Avoid any drillbits that are shiny gold, I have several sets of these and they’re mostly “one hole wonders” and after re sharpening will fail pretty quickly…. ( yes, I do know how to sharpen drills). If I see a decent ⅝ drill bit here today, I’ll buy one, I fly out on Friday to OZ with 3 suitcases of boat stuff…. BBQ, feathering prop, and lots more, a ⅝ drill won’t make the trip any more difficult. Have you tried any of the “bolt suppliers”? The supercheap autobarn type outlets usually only stock home handyman quality tools, the nut and bolt stores deal with tradesmen and grade 8 bolts…..

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Gilow I didn't say you can't use Google, I was just highlighting how many drill bits one company has listed in their catalogue. You might have to do some old fashioned going to the shop to solve your problem. I live in a town of $56,000 people and can think of three places that could help you out. Thankfully Bunnings hasn't killed them yet.
Madehn 100% correct that sharpening often helps. You should only need one drill bit. As long as you go slow, sharpen regularly and have the chain plate well clamped.
Maybe it's just me, but I like to run a 3/8 drill bit through first.
Gilow when we moved here from Canada in 1997, Queensland shops didn't even open on Sunday!
Cheers

Yeah, my ex wife has a postcard of Townsville in the 80s. It’s basically a supermarket and a cross road.

I hear you on the Bunnings death problem. That’s why I always start with my little three-man engineering supplier whenever I can. (They were the ones that introduced me to Bordo bits, when I was fitting a RB30 to my Toyota Coaster bus. The engine mount drilling was a huge job. But the bus went like stink. )

But when my three-man guys couldn’t help me it was back to Total Tools, Sydney Tools and Just Tools. Struck out in each at the 5/8 size but found the 1/2 inch INOX at Total Tools. Asked them to check their catalogues at each store. They were keen and friendly but struck out in each case.

As for my local Bunnings, they’ve stopped stocking most drills except that Frost rubbish, and the tool shop guys there said that’s partly because they lose too much of the good stuff to shop lifting. (My local supermarket is trialling GPS trackers on the meat for goodness sake!)

[Fore and Aft]

Gilow I think Skipper Pete is onto something. Last time I was in my local steel supply shop they had a range of drill bits etc.
Cheers

[GILow]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

P&N is/was an Aussie company that makes taps and drills, and here in Langkawi the Bosch drills are second to none, my all time favourites up to ½”. Avoid any drillbits that are shiny gold, I have several sets of these and they’re mostly “one hole wonders” and after re sharpening will fail pretty quickly…. ( yes, I do know how to sharpen drills). If I see a decent ⅝ drill bit here today, I’ll buy one, I fly out on Friday to OZ with 3 suitcases of boat stuff…. BBQ, feathering prop, and lots more, a ⅝ drill won’t make the trip any more difficult. Have you tried any of the “bolt suppliers”? The supercheap autobarn type outlets usually only stock home handyman quality tools, the nut and bolt stores deal with tradesmen and grade 8 bolts…..

I saw the Bosch stuff in my searching but I couldn’t find them over 13 mm. They did look good tho.

If you end up being busted as a 5/8 drill bit runner I’d happy bail you out from Border Force.

Edit: I haven’t tried the bolt supplier idea, there’s an outfit I often use for difficult stuff, I’ll check them out today.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Gilow I think Skipper Pete is onto something. Last time I was in my local steel supply shop they had a range of drill bits etc.
Cheers

Yes, it’s got me feeling optimistic. I can picture their shelves and they are full of exotic brands and stuff I don’t even recognise the purpose of.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by dlj

No one has mentioned that using a 135 degree split point drill bit is advantageous. The standard 118 degree drill point drills do not work as well with stainless. Cobalt drill bits maintain cutting edges better than HSS bits, but those also perform better if you can find them in 135 degree split point construction.

dj

I think my Bordo split point drills are 118mdegress and they do work well. But my set only goes to 13 mm. I haven’t actually tried them on stainless though, except for very light work.

[coopec43]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

P&N is/was an Aussie company that makes taps and drills, and here in Langkawi the Bosch drills are second to none, my all time favourites up to ½”. Avoid any drillbits that are shiny gold, I have several sets of these and they’re mostly “one hole wonders” and after re sharpening will fail pretty quickly…. ( yes, I do know how to sharpen drills). If I see a decent ⅝ drill bit here today, I’ll buy one, I fly out on Friday to OZ with 3 suitcases of boat stuff…. BBQ, feathering prop, and lots more, a ⅝ drill won’t make the trip any more difficult. Have you tried any of the “bolt suppliers”? The supercheap autobarn type outlets usually only stock home handyman quality tools, the nut and bolt stores deal with tradesmen and grade 8 bolts…..

I agree with you regarding buying from a "Bolt Supplier" I've always bought my bolts,screws, cutting discs and drills from BOLT and NUT Australia Pty Ltd

https://www.boltandnut.com.au/

My problem with them is they will offer X6 Hex bolts for $24 or X10 for $28 so of course I always bought the lot of 10. Now I've finished the yacht my workshop is full of SS fasteners which I don't know what to do with.