How to drill stainless steel. Can you drill stainless steel with a hand drill? How to drill stainless steel at home: video, photos, tips. Useful tips for drilling

Today we will talk about how and with what to drill a hole in a stainless steel with your own hands at home. We will also consider what kind of technology and drilling technique is of stainless steel. We will study recommendations for drills, drills and tools
Stainless steel is drilled quite normally with ordinary drills for metal, unless the drills are Chinese. But there is one caveat. The stainless steel is very viscous, the drill quickly overheats and sits down, and a hard work hardening forms in an underdrilled hole. Therefore, it is necessary to use coolant, for example, oil for a drill, but in extreme cases, water will also go. What and how to drill stainless steel correctly - we list the methods:

I somehow drilled, the workpieces were not very large, so I just took a plastic bath, threw a piece of plywood there, a workpiece on top and poured cold water so that the level was about a centimeter and a half higher than the workpiece. Drilled and countersinked with no problems.

It is better to use ordinary (old Soviet) drills made of steel R6M5, or even better R18. When drilling with a drill with a diameter of 3 mm, the speed is not more than 1000 rpm. Diameter 6mm to drill on a pre-drilled hole 3mm, speed not more than 500 rpm. The drill must always be sharp. As a coolant, castor oil is best for stainless steel. Oleic acid is usually used to process stainless steel, it is clear that it is not sold with drills, so you can try replacing it with similar higher acids - and use soapy water for cooling / lubrication.

It is not a bad option to use the siphon rubber sealing ring as a coolant retainer. They put the future hole in place, poured liquid into it, and drill it. Convenient + low coolant consumption. As a coolant, water is not very good, stainless steel burns on the drill. Oil (it doesn’t matter which one) or kerosene resists well.

It's all good when the part can be inserted/put on drilling machine. Then you can pour coolant and put a rubber ring, etc., this is ideal. I am engaged in the installation of food industrial equipment, and ordinary, black metal is only found there in frames, everything else is stainless steel, and, frankly, parts are not suitable for a drilling machine.

Holes are drilled a lot. So with great confidence I will say that so far I have not seen better cobalt drills for this. R6M5 (especially those from factories) - good drills, but still sit down quickly on stainless steel. There are drills even better than cobalt, tungsten. These work on stainless steel even longer, but have a very bad feature - they are fragile. And sharpen only diamond circle and that is possible with significant wear and tear for him. Also a minus in them is a very high cost and they are all short in length. While we are buying cobalt Bosch or Ruco, they work quite tolerably.

When drilling, it is not necessary to set high speeds, optimally of course 300-400, but no more than 1000. Burn the hole, especially if the stainless steel is polished and burn the drill. If the surface is not horizontal, then periodically lower the drill into castor oil or glue a ball of ordinary wax (not paraffin) and drill through it.

Those who drilled at least once in stainless steel know how difficult it can be. Conventional drills
do not fit at all, they simply burn. And if a hole up to 4 mm is drilled
still realistic, then large diameters are practically unfeasible.
Simply replacing conventional drills with cobalt ones also does little. Sometimes it bleeds, and sometimes it doesn't at all.

In this article, I have collected several important points for drilling stainless steel
steels:
- You need to drill stainless steel with special drills. The so-called
cobalt;

You need to drill at low speeds. Helps simple unscrewing of the rheostat
start buttons "to minus";

If the number of holes to be made in stainless steel is relatively
large, it is worth taking care to purchase a low-speed drill (500-700 rpm).

When drilling stainless steel, a special lubricant must always be used. Without it, you won't be able to make a hole. Such a lubricating fluid usually consists of machine oil and sulfur. It can be sulfur for fumigation, colloidal sulfur or any other. If sulfur for fumigation was chosen for the production of such a liquid, it must first be ground, the rest can be used without any processing.

Teaching video for drilling stainless steel:

YouTube video

More difficult option lubricating fluid is the consistency of fatty acids and sulfur. For its manufacture, soap is taken, in this case household soap, divided into small pieces and dissolved in hot water. Hydrochloric acid is added to the soap solution, after which you can see how the fatty acids float.

When cool water is added to a container, these acids harden quickly, making it easy to separate. Next, they must be thoroughly washed.

To do this, put them in a container, add slightly hot water and stir for about 5 minutes, gradually adding cool water. Then the water is drained, and the procedure itself is repeated 4 more times. For lubricating fluid, sulfur is mixed with fatty acids in a ratio of 1:6.

Simple rules for drilling stainless steel at home:

To avoid unpleasant moments associated, for example, with overheating of the drill, strong heating of the drilling site and others, you need to follow a few simple rules, which will allow you to do it perfectly even holes without additional time and material costs.

It should be borne in mind that stainless steel has a viscous structure, therefore, in order to avoid overheating of the drill, stainless steel must be drilled only at low speeds. Drills should be as sharp as possible. In addition, to avoid severe overheating of the drilling site, which will significantly complicate further drilling of the material, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the drill every 10 seconds.

If during the drilling process the chips become smaller and darker, this indicates a blunt drill and overheating of the hole in the stainless steel. Before continuing work, the drill must be sharpened or replaced with a new, sharper one. Drilling in stainless steel usually starts with drills not large diameter, for example, in sizes five or four.

Next, you can use drills of the diameter you need to achieve the required hole size. As a result of such actions, it is possible to significantly reduce drilling time and make the hole as even as possible.

Such complex measures can also include tests to drill a layer of stainless steel. It is impossible to say that this is unrealistic, but without knowing some points, you will almost be able to do this the first or even the second time.

Almost always, in order to make a hole in a layer of stainless steel, it is necessary to use a special lubricant. Usually, as such a special material, a certain amount of sulfur is used with the addition of machine oil. to find suitable look sulfur for the production of lubricant for drilling, contact special shops. In these stores, buy sulfur under names such as "sulfur color", "fuming sulfur" or also this type of sulfur may be called "colloidal sulfur".

If you have acquired such types of sulfur as "sulfur color" or "colloidal sulfur", you can use them without preparatory training, in other words, in the form in which you got it. If you got "sulfur for fumigation", then before you add it to the engine oil, be sure to grind it finely. 2 If you want to prepare a lubricant that will work much more effectively than a lubricant from sulfur and machine oil, try mixing sulfur not with oil, but with fatty acids. To get these same fatty acids, take the lowest grade laundry soap, crush it as best you can, and then dissolve it in water.

The water must be hot. Pour a lot of hydrochloric acid into the purchased solution, use techno hydrochloric acid. As a result of the reaction of the component, all fatty acids will float to the surface of the vessel. Then pour plenty of cool water into the container. This will allow the fatty acids to solidify, and then you can just pick them up from the surface.

Repeat the fatty acid wash function up to 5 times. At first in hot water, then add cool water, separate, and without that later. 3 After you have sufficiently purified fatty acids, mix them with grayish. Follow the proportions of 6:1.

After the stainless steel drilling lubricant is ready, you can try it out. During concrete drilling, do not forget that the drill should not be allowed to overheat. Pause to allow the drill to cool.

In another case, the lubricant will not serve as an assistant, but on the contrary, it will interfere with the work.

In cases where holes are drilled 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 you can attach a ball of paraffin to the places of drilling holes. 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 the drilling machine or 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.

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 into the container where the operation is performed, cold water(You don’t need to feel sorry for her, 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).

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 high 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.

Drilling stainless steel is always a laborious process that requires a certain amount of experience, it requires increased sensitivity and care. Stainless steel is a material that is quite difficult to drill, in this case it is necessary to use a special lubricant, this will greatly facilitate the whole process. Many do not really know how to drill stainless steel or Russian analogue aisi 201, but everything is quite simple, you just need a little experience and care.

The main component in stainless steel drilling is lubricating fluid, because without it, nothing good will come of drilling, you will only spoil the drill and the material itself. The lubricating fluid has a viscous state, it is quite oily and contains machine oil and sulfur. Sulfur in a lubricant can be of a very different nature, it can be colloidal sulfur, sulfur for fumigation, and so on.
Drilling stainless steel, which is better to choose?

As mentioned earlier, the lubricating fluid can have a very different character, there are two types of sulfur, one is a lighter composition, and the other has complex components such as fatty acids and sulfur.

In order to make a lubricant with a more complex solution, it will take a lot of patience and perseverance, in this case you need soap (it is best to choose household soap), it must be broken into even pieces and dissolved in hot water.

Hydrochloric acid must be added to the resulting solution, during the process, peculiar secretions can be noticed on the upper layer of water, this will mean that fatty acids float to the surface.

If you add a little cold water to the solution, you can see how the fatty acids solidify, as a result of which they can be easily separated from each other.

After that, fatty, hardened acids should be thoroughly rinsed, for this case it is best to take a small container, fill it with warm water and stir actively for 5 minutes, while do not forget to gradually add cold water there.

Everything ingenious is simple

Drilling is a process in which two components are loaded at once, this is a drill and the material itself, during the situation some moments may arise, such as overheating of the drill, overheating of the material at the point of drilling, and much more. In this case, many people have questions about how to drill stainless steel, how to avoid overheating, and much more, in fact, everything is quite simple, you just need to slow down and drill gradually, this will avoid overheating.

Instructions for this event:

1. First of all, in order to make a hole in the stainless steel layer, you need to use a special lubricant. Most often, to get this lubricant, you need to mix a certain type of sulfur with engine oil. The sulfur required for this blending is sold in specialized shops. When buying it, pay attention to the name of this sulfur. Its name may be as follows:

Sulfur for fumigation.

colloidal sulfur.

Sulfur color.

If you bought sulfur called "colloidal sulfur" or "sulfur color", it can be mixed with the oil as it is in the package. But if you have "sulfur for hilling", you must first knead it, then add oil and mix.

2. To create a lubricant with much more powerful properties than sulfur and machine oil, you need to mix sulfur with fatty acids. Where can you get these fatty acids? To do this, grind the lowest-grade laundry soap, and then add hot water. A significant amount of hydrochloric acid must be poured into the prepared soap solution; for this, take technical hydrochloric acid. After the reaction of the interaction of these substances, fatty acids will be on the surface of the container. Then add a lot of cold water to this vessel. This will cause the fatty acids to thicken and be skimmed off the surface. Perform 5 fatty acid washes. First add hot water, then cold, collect them from the surface, and so on.

3. Having collected a sufficient amount of fatty acids, mix them with sulfur. The proportions should be 6:1. Thus, the lubricant for making a hole in stainless steel is prepared, it remains to use it. Do not forget that when carrying out the drilling process, the drill should not overheat. Take breaks from time to time to allow the drill to cool down. Not following this instruction, lubrication may, instead of helping, make it difficult to carry out this operation.

COMPLIANCE WITH SIMPLE RULES

In order not to run into difficult situations such as severe overheating of the drilling site, extreme heating of the drill and others, some simple rules which will help you to make absolutely smooth holes without the associated time and money. It should also be borne in mind that due to the viscous structure of stainless steel, the stainless steel layer must be drilled at low speeds in order to prevent the drill from overheating. Drills should only be used very sharp. In addition, in order to prevent significant overheating of the drilling site, which will lead to great difficulties in drilling, it is necessary to minimize the temperature of the drill every 10 seconds.

Keep an eye on the chips during the drilling process, if it gets smaller and darker, this means that the drill has become dull and the hole in the stainless steel has overheated. Therefore, you must sharpen the drill or change it to another one in order to successfully complete the work you have begun. As a rule, you need to start drilling with a drill having a small diameter, the size of which is four or five, respectively. Then gradually switch to a drill that has the right size to get the desired hole. By carrying out the drilling process in this way, a smoother hole can be produced, while greatly reducing the time spent on it.

It can definitely be said that any house keeps its mysteries. Their number in each house is different. To cope with them, as a rule, you need to use the advice and knowledge of other people who are familiar with similar problems. One of these challenging tasks considered than drilling stainless steel. Without certain knowledge and skills, you will probably try to make the hole you need in the stainless steel layer, but to no avail.

You can do it by hand with a round file and spend a lot of time or drill a larger diameter drill bit and widen the hole a bit. If there is a countersunk screw in the hole, we can press a little and make a move. When drilling large diameters, it is recommended to start with small drills first and gradually expand the hole to the required diameter.

You can use almost any steel except high quality tool steels and stainless steels. Stainless steel and tool steels are very difficult to ream because the drills are made from tool steel and have the same hardness.

Instructions for this event:

Drilling these materials is very labor intensive and results in irreversible damage to the drill bits. In general, these materials can only be drilled to a thickness of 2mm. Soft metals such as pewter, brass and lead are good for drilling with frequent longer breaks because the edges of the holes are very hot, the material is pumped onto the bit and it degrades it. Such a tin type drill is difficult to clean, so follow the procedure for your drill. For the same reason, we also choose lower speeds than steel drilling.

As for the drill, the most important parameter is the point angle. This corresponds to the length of the cutting edges. The smaller the angle, the longer the cutting edge of the drill and vice versa. Therefore, when drilling holes in thin sheets, a drill with large angles should be used. Despite this, often holes prepared with such bits must be finished, for example, to remove burrs and bevel edges. There is a solution that will allow you to prepare a master hole in one operation.

Sulfur for fumigation.
colloidal sulfur.
Gray color.

The graduation drill differs from traditional exercises, including special geometry. The lower, first blade of such a drill is used for drilling and drilling a well. It is assumed that its height determines the thickness of the sheet to which the drill is intended. The material to be processed should be slightly thinner than the height of the blade. It is designed in such a way that 2 symmetrically placed side blades pass through the drilling to work. These are cutting edges. Therefore, in terms of the principle of operation, progressive drills resemble cutters more than traditional drills.

It should be emphasized that only the side blades work at the exit after drilling with a stepper bit. As a result, the edges of the hole are properly machined and beveled and therefore do not need further processing - no burrs. Because the step drill is centered and allows the hole to be prepared without pre-drilling, it is ideal for drilling in pipes. Although the surface on which it is tilted, the drill does not run away.

One drill for several diameters. If we focus on the design of the walker, we will see that they tend to be conical in shape with a finely milled hole diameter, in degrees. Thanks to this drill, we can prepare holes of different diameters. At each stage there are digital diameters. They resemble a series of linked metal discs, arranged from smallest to largest, creating a conical pyramid. Thanks to this, without drilling, we can make a hole of the required diameter.

In addition, the step drill allows us to drill existing holes and increase the diameter to the desired one. It should also be emphasized that they have two spiral grooves on the sides, which allows you to quickly discharge the prey. This provides a higher drilling speed. Efficient waste disposal also leads to the quality of the work performed. The hole is clean, no burr and no distortion.

Stepwise drills have been developed for working with sheet metal, but not only. It is designed for drilling thin materials such as non-ferrous metals, steel sheets, plastics and stainless steel. Ideal equipment for sheet metal working, whether in the electrical industry, in the sanitary and heating industry or in the automotive industry, in mechanical engineering, in switchgear construction, in the aerospace industry.

Compliance with simple rules

In order not to face difficult situations, such as severe overheating of the drilling site, extreme heating of the drill, and others, you need to follow some simple rules that will help you make absolutely smooth holes without the associated time and money. It should also be borne in mind that due to the viscous structure of stainless steel, the stainless steel layer must be drilled at low speeds in order to prevent the drill from overheating. Drills should only be used very sharp. In addition, in order to prevent significant overheating of the drilling site, which will lead to great difficulties in drilling, it is necessary to minimize the temperature of the drill every 10 seconds.

Drill new holes and re-drill existing holes with a single centering. We should not hammer, drill. We have a clean unburnt hole. The hole is not distorted. One drill will allow us to drill holes of different diameters.

Due to its high temperature resistance and increased elasticity, it provides high productivity in metal processing. The cobalt drill is characterized by high resistance to abrasion, which will last a long time, even in case of intensive use.

Cobalt drills are designed for drilling. Tool steel, stainless steel, acid resistant steel, titanium and alloys. . The stainless steel drill ensures high precision at high speed. Appropriate bevel angle ensures aggressive cutting. This type of drill is designed for professional use.

Stainless steel cobalt drills should be used in accordance with the general principles of drilling in hard materials to ensure their efficient use. Due to its properties of cobalt, this will allow fast work, leading to at least satisfactory results. Even though the product gives you a huge opportunity, its price is very low and buying even a few cobalt drills is not a big expense.

Contact us for information. Thermal drilling, thermoforming, thermal drilling is an innovative technology for the manufacture of threaded connections and perforation of metal materials with a thickness of 1 mm to 12 mm. for glued nuts, weld nuts, weld nuts, forged and pressed nuts and other connection methods.

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 purchase of this device, given that the building materials market is represented a large number of their various types.

In addition, thermal centrilling drills are used for thermoformed holes. by the address

You have questions? Please call or email us! You'll get free help and information. Drilling, thermoforming, thermal drilling: it is possible to make threaded or perforated holes in metal.

As a result of friction, heat is generated which, together with the axial force, causes plasticization of the material and the formation of so-called burrs. More short time performance compared to conventional methods, strong, strong thread, no chips entering the center of the profile, eliminating cleaning costs - especially important when making holes in long closed profiles that cannot be contaminated, the ability to make holes in different metal materials with a single tool, high tool life and no need to sharpen thermoforming surface, no electrochemical corrosion, uniform material - a phenomenon that occurs when two various metals treated with atmospheric conditions. Threaded connections, soldered and welded connections, female socket sockets and fittings, self-tapping screws, pipe couplings. Mechanical engineering, furniture industry, energy and electronics industry, automotive and aerospace industry, e.g. threaded hole for lambda probe; cardboard sleeves, agricultural and mining engineering structures, machine tools and machine structures, technological lines, steel structures, hangars, fences, gates, stairs, platforms, ladders, pneumatic and hydraulic pressurized structures, fire extinguishers, sanitary facilities, hospital beds, bicycles, fences and buildings, handles, fixtures, street lighting, lanterns, flagpoles. Thanks to the universal grip design, you get the ability to collect tools of different diameters for various types of holes and even use the handle to mount conventional cutting tools.

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.

We also offer drills in unusual sizes and designs for special applications. We offer assistance in the selection of parameters, the implementation of machines and technologies. The thermal friction drilling method, hole drilling, allows up to 000 holes to be made with a single tool, and even a dozen or tens of thousands of holes with a single tap. These values depend on the workpiece, its thickness and processing conditions.

The worn material is used to make the collar - completely without any additional material. Approximately 3 times more threaded threads can be obtained at the point where the material tube is formed than with traditional threading. We have a stable threaded connection that meets the most high requirements to quality and durability. Thanks to this in situ drilling process, the chips do not get inside the profile, thus avoiding costly and time-consuming cleaning - in some cases.

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?

Prices for heat drills depend on the type of drill bit and its diameter. Thermal friction thermoformers have good feedback. Folding cranes of the center. Specialists usually choose the right equipment for their task. Something else looks like a makeshift environment. They don't always have a lot of tools. Usually one of them is a universal drill model or drill. The more they need to be armed with the proper weapon, which is a high quality drill.

For professionals and "masters" you need good drills. The most important principle that everyone should keep in mind is that "an exercise should always be chosen according to the task." In the case of metal drills, these are mostly twist drills. When drilling in metals and plastics with twist drills, it is important to select the correct RPM. Optimal parameters checked in speed tables developed by drill manufacturers. In short, the smaller the diameter of the drill, the greater the rotation speed.

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 mandatory included in the source material, 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 shows that the drill in question has not been finished in order to increase the level of protection and strength of the material. From this we can conclude that this device has low level 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 cobalt drills for metal is 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 drills 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 ductility. 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.

A feature of this steel is increased toughness. Therefore, a conventional tool overheats almost immediately, and it is impossible to work without effective cooling. And its organization in some cases is a rather complicated process. For example, if drilling is performed in a horizontal plane, that is, vertically oriented samples. How to proceed? One of the best options is to work with a cobalt drill. We will deal with the features of such a tool and its types.

Cobalt drills are used not only when working with stainless steel. They are quite versatile, and their use is advisable in many cases: when drilling metals and high-strength alloys; different viscosity; and also when the requirements for the accuracy of the operation are specifically stipulated.

Tool Features

The material is only high speed steel.
The coating of the cutting parts of the drill with the Cº element (27th position in the periodic table) allows in most cases to work without artificial cooling.
The standard angle (at the top) is 135º.

Cobalt drills - general characteristics

Drilling without countersinking is possible, even perfect smooth surfaces. The tool does not “leave” when placed vertically to the side. As they say, self-centered.
The hole is obtained with absolutely exact dimensions, without burrs and other defects, which is typical for drilling with a conventional tool. The risk of "biting" stainless steel in working area excluded.
Cobalt drills are characterized by increased wear resistance.
Drilling speed almost doubles compared to traditional counterparts.

Varieties of cobalt drills

Unilateral

bilateral

The advantage is that in fact 1 product is 2 drills. In case of breakage (or blunting) of the edges on one side, the tool is quickly reset, and work continues without any delay in finding a new sample.

Cost of cobalt drills

Indicative data (in rubles/piece) for the Moscow region. For cobalt drills with cylindrical shank. Dimensions - in mm.

The assortment of this tool is quite impressive, and it is completely impossible to list it. The price depends primarily on design features cobalt drill (one- or double-sided), diameter and length (general and working). A few examples for single-sided samples will help the reader get some idea of pricing.

Р6М5К5

(0,5 – 0,9) – 27.
(1 – 2) – 29.
(2,1 – 3) – 30.
4 – 45.
5 – 54.
(6 – 6,5) – 69.
9,0 – 193.

HSS

From 25 rubles (1.0).

Cobalt drills, which were produced back in the USSR, were considered one of the most reliable. They were marked R6M5K5 and fully complied with the requirements of GOST No. 10902 of 1977. Now it is quite difficult to find them on sale, since only a small number of enterprises are engaged in production. But it can be replaced with imported analogues (under the brands "Ruco", "Bosch" or others). For example, HSSCo5 (according to the Western classification DIN 338R). The last characters in the designations (K5 or Co5) indicate the percentage of the element cobalt. That is what you need to pay attention to in the first place.

Practitioners claim that tungsten drills are even more effective when working with stainless steel. But they have a significant disadvantage - fragility. Even a small chuck backlash will negatively affect the suitability of the drill - it will not last long. Given its cost, you should consider whether it makes sense to purchase this product if you intend to work with a household tool (hammer drill, electric / drill), besides worn out.

Judging by the reviews on the "metal" forums, there is another problem with tungsten drills. Their sharpening requires professional "eyes and hands". Can everyone brag about it? So it turns out that for most of us such a tool is a one-time use.

When working with a cobalt drill on stainless steel, it is preferable to choose low speeds. This improves the accuracy of the operation and reduces the degree of wear.

A big mistake is made by those who, in the process of drilling, practice the same technique as when using a conventional drill. Cobalt should not be regularly immersed in oil or water - it will quickly become unusable. This tool does not require additional cooling.

Stainless steel is widely used in household and industrial fields to create various items due to the significant amount positive qualities. She is an alloy various materials, which gave stainless steel resistance to corrosion and aggressive environments. Based on their percentage, in the alloy it is possible to create different types material.

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. Except right choice 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 cunning tricks which greatly simplifies 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 working surface. 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 - milestone in preparation 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.

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

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.

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).

2

In cases where holes are drilled 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 a regulator electronic type, set the required speed is easy. More problems arise when there is no such control on the instrument. But also in similar 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 that's not a problem, because 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 mm is allowed to be carried out as usual at low speeds (up to 100 per minute), but on condition that the cutting edge this instrument sharpened approximately 120 degrees.
Machining of stainless steel with a thickness of less than one millimeter should be carried out with step drills, which provide ideal round holes without burrs at their ends.