7 Metal Drilling Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

Metal drilling isn’t especially difficult, but it will go far more smoothly if you know the best way to do things and the things you should avoid. Even though there’s no substitute for experience with metal drilling, some knowledge beforehand will help you. These tips will keep things going smoothly and steer you clear of some simple mistakes that are very easy to make.

Vise

If possible, use a vise to secure the metal you’re going to drill. If that’s not possible you need to have some means of keeping the metal stable so it won’t move as you’ll need both hands to operate the drill properly.

Hole Punching

You’ll achieve a much more accurate hole when metal drilling if you punch the hole first. This eliminates the possibility of the drill slipping on the metal and putting the hole in the wrong place. The hole punched doesn’t need to be large, just enough for the tip of the drill. This will act as a guide and help ensure that you have a straight hole.

Drill Speed

Much of the time you need to drill slowly as this gives more control and allows you to hold the drill more steadily. As it’s very easy for metal surfaces to buckle, the control, without the drill slipping, is important. As a general rule you should never go faster than the middle speed when metal drilling. Going more slowly is also safer as the drill is less likely to slip and cause an injury.

Drill Bits

Knowing the correct bits to use when metal drilling will make the job a great deal easier. For soft metals you should ideally use a step drill bit or a cone drill bit for the best results. Both of these allow you to drill to different diameters; it all depends how deep on the bit you drill. Where you’re not using one of these types of drill bits start with a thin bit and work up to larger ones to increase the hole.

HSS Bits

High speed steel (HSS) drill bits are excellent for drilling metal. They’re coated with aluminum nitride so they power their way through. Generally, these will be gold colored, so make sure you buy a real one, not a fake. The only warning is that you should not use these drill bits on aluminum. The coating can easily end up welded to the metal.

Cobalt Bits

If the metal drilling involves heavier metals, try using a cobalt bit on the drill. This is stronger than HSS. With hard steel go for a carbide bit, which is about the hardest bit of all.

Safety

You should never drill metal without having proper safety equipment. Safety goggles, not glasses, are vital to stop small slivers of metal entering your eyes; the glasses don’t offer adequate all round protection. Gloves also help to protect your hands, although they’re not always compatible with the kind of fine control you need when metal drilling. Wherever possible you should wear them.