dan83590

I melted my drill bits today whilst trying to make a hole in stainless steel.

What drill bit do I need chaps?

Cheers.

20withascooby

a strong one when fitting my flamer we went through 4 drill bits gotta do it then stop for a bit and we was spitting on the end of it gotta start of with a thin one then sowly get bigger in size

micabluematt

use a new drill bit and drill it in short blasts so it dont overheat that should sort it

dan83590

It's only a 3mm hole and the stainless is 3mm thick. Oiled the bit as I was drilling. It just got very hot and melted the end!!

N602 WRX

Use a quality bit.. Slow speed with just enough pressure and it will pop straight through.

No need for cutting fluid for that size hole!

shepster

iTrader: (2)

Just drill hard and slow with a sharp bit, if it gets to hot the stainless will harden and be even harder to drill!

dan83590

Perhaps that is where I went wrong then. I went at it at full speed.

Thanks guys.

Spyder550

You could try using Cobalt or Carbide drill bit, as they are designed to work on harder materials such as stainless steel

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/powertools/drillfaq.htm

Can get them via Ebay or an engineering type stockists, think Machine Mart may have them too

impgb270

iTrader: (1)

Cobalt and slow speed, you should be able to see it cutting nicely bit of lube also helps and make sure to wear eye protection as you only get one set !!!

Nige.

Shark Man

SLOW!

And let the bit do the work....i.e little pressure.

If you want to go faster and use more pressure, you need to cool/lubricate the bit with oil (anything will do, WD 40, engine oil, 3in1 etc )..that way you can see if its too hot as the oil boils away before the bit melts.

Shark "I don't abuse my tools" Man: Had the same cheepo Bosch drill bit set for the past 6 years and still sharp, barring the 1.5mm bit I broke when I slipped

BlooSooby

A nice new HSS (high speed steel) will cut through stainless but i'd advise you to use cutting fluid to help the drill bit.

As stated before, cobalt and tungsten-carbide drills are good for S/S but the secret is to keep the speed down, keep the tip of the drill bit lubricated and don't let it get too hot.