If you have ever encountered drilling stainless steel, then you know very well that it is quite problematic to drill through this metal just like that. It is necessary to have certain knowledge and experience, because unlike ordinary steel, stainless steel is much more difficult to machine, which leads to certain difficulties.
I'll show you how to make three large diameter holes in a stainless steel pan in three different ways. The task is simplified by the fact that the pan has walls made of thin metal.
Drilling stainless steel with your own hands
So, we decide where to make the hole. To prevent the drill from jumping when entering, use a core to drill the center of the future hole.
Three methods that I will use:
- Drilling with a step drill.
- Drilling with a crown.
- And drilling with a regular drill, adjusted to the desired diameter using a Dremel.
Drilling stainless steel with a step drill
It is advisable to do drilling at low speeds with a lubricant, which is good to use oil. And if you don’t have it on hand, you can periodically spray the drilling area with plain water.
So, slowly, step by step, step by step, we drill a hole of such a diameter that a step drill allows.
For thin metal, such a drill is optimal.
Drilling stainless steel with a core drill
Now it's time for the crown. Again we core the center, using a step drill we drill a hole for the entry drill bit of the crown. And with a coronary drill we begin to drill a wide hole, not forgetting to spray with cooling and lubricating fluid.
Using this method, it was possible to very quickly obtain a wide hole of the required diameter.
But after the first hole, the drill became unusable. All its teeth have become dull and all that remains is to throw it away.
Third method: drill and dremel
This method of obtaining a hole of the required diameter can be called an alternative. It can be used in cases where the diameter of the step drill is not enough.
We place the future hole not only in the center, but also along the outer diameter.
Using a core drill and a step drill, we drill the maximum possible diameter.
Now we take the Dremel in our hands and use a cutting attachment to bring the hole to the desired diameter.
Here's the bottom line.
In the cone, we clean the edges of all the holes made with a file to remove burrs and sharp edges. And we install the necessary taps, heating elements, fittings, and so on.
Stainless steel is a very capricious metal in terms of processing. Therefore, after the three methods presented, I can say that the optimal, fast and convenient is drilling with a step drill.
Such drills are not expensive in China, take a look for yourself - Ali Express drills
Learn from my experience, friends, and share yours in the comments. Bye everyone!
