What's the secret to drilling through 1/4" angle iron?

[zzvyb6]

I drill 5/16 holes in angle iron windmill tower legs all the time. Even while they are erected and I am standing on the horizontal braces using my 18V Milwaukee hand drill. Often I can use a hand operated punch to do the job. Look up a Pexto or Roper Whitney on ebay.

As for drill bits: good, fast, cheap: You can only pick 2 of these options.

 

[deezler]

To clarify, I am drilling holes in the sides of a trailer so I can not use a drill press. I have to drill horizontally so any type of cutting fluid will run out of the holes rapidly. I have some new cobalt drill bits I am planning on using.

I can use either a 110v Hitachi variable speed drill or an 18v Craftsman on hi or lo speed. Is a continuous water spray any good as a cooler/lubricant, or a heavy oil or do I really need a specialty cutting fluid?

Maybe a good time to invest in a 1/2" chuck t-handle 600rpm corded drill, eh? It'll be your best friend for all the heavy duty drilling jobs and take all the pounding you can give it. Great for mixing mortar/grout/mud, etc, too.

Oh and do still apply some cutting fluid periodically even if drilling horizontal. It will help tremendously. You don't need a puddle of it to reap the benefits - even a thin film will still help a lot.

 

[Leejohn]

Look at this!!!! http://www.fnal.gov/pub/takefive/pdfs/Drill_Press_Speed_Chart.pdf

 

[Deere Dude]

Oil will run out of a hole if drilling from the side so just squirt a little on the drill bit a few times. That works.
For 40 holes like that just get some quality bits and possibly predrill with an 1/8" bit. I have some gold ones from Menards or Lowes and they really are crap. The kind I like are the plain black ones hanging and sold separately. I think they are High Speed Steel.

 

[MossRoad]

I have to drill 40 quarter inch holes through 1/4" angle iron with a hand drill. I've tried most of the different drill bits that Home Depot sells and they usually get too dull to drill after 2 holes.

Is there a better drill bit I can buy or am I doing something wrong in the way I am drilling?

Punch the hole locations first with a center punch so the drill doesn't wander.

Drill a 1/16" pilot hole. Its very easy. Go slow so you don't break the bit. Use cutting oil on the bit. Stop about 1/2 way through and squirt some more on the bit.

Enlarge it to 1/8".

Enlarge it again to 1/4".

You should be able to cut 40 holes with one 1/8" and one 1/4" bit but you'll probably break a couple 1/16 as you tend to get cocky and push too hard.

Once you drill a few 1/16" holes, you may feel confident enough to start with 1/8" and skip the smaller bit.

Just take your time.

Here's a link to all the bits you'd need for $20 with free shipping.
FREE SHIPPING — Ironton Titanium Drill Bit Set — 63-Pc. | Titanium Drill Bits| Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[kenmac]

Don't know about the slow part.. Most bits I buy are high speed drill bits.. Quality bits are hard to find.. Cobalt bits are better ,but are harder to sharpen once they dull..1/4 '' bit isn't that large of a bit.. You should do fine drilling that many holes without having to sharpen the bit.. The problem is finding a quality bit.. I usually buy/order from a machine shop supply company.. They usually have better quality bits

 

[Sodo]

Moss you will need all 18 1/16" bits to drill 40 pilot holes horizontally. I would try 3/32" pilot holes minimum, see if 3/32 survives or 1/8, then go to 1/4". Note: that's 80 holes. You CAN lube a horizontal drill bit. If you go to Home Depot and buy a Milwaukie 1/4" bit I would expect it to drill more than 40 holes in normal angle iron and still be sharp. Something is way wrong if its dull in 2 holes. The 1/8 bit can spin fast. The 1/4" bit should turn about half the speed of the 1/8.

Tallyho8 you should probably tip that trailer up - block the wheel up a foot or two & save your back.

Easiest and fastest way to drill horizontal holes is with the annular type bits such as Blair / Hougen. They are like holesaws, they are fast because they don't have to turn the whole plug into chips. Great for battery drills, they cut faster and with less power.

Among the best $63 I've spent on bits was this kit by Blair, but this kit doesn't have 1/4". It has 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, and 3/4. Maybe you can use 5/16" holes for your project.

 

[MossRoad]

Moss you will need all 18 1/16" bits to drill 40 pilot holes horizontally. I would try 3/32" pilot holes minimum, see if 3/32 survives or 1/8, then go to 1/4". Note: that's 80 holes. You CAN lube a horizontal drill bit. If you go to Home Depot and buy a Milwaukie 1/4" bit I would expect it to drill more than 40 holes in normal angle iron and still be sharp. Something is way wrong if its dull in 2 holes. The 1/8 bit can spin fast. The 1/4" bit should turn about half the speed of the 1/8.

Tallyho8 you should probably tip that trailer up - block the wheel up a foot or two & save your back.

Easiest and fastest way to drill horizontal holes is with the annular type bits such as Blair / Hougen. They are like holesaws, they are fast because they don't have to turn the whole plug into chips. Great for battery drills, they cut faster and with less power.

Among the best $63 I've spent on bits was this kit by Blair, but this kit doesn't have 1/4". It has 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, and 3/4. Maybe you can use 5/16" holes for your project.

View attachment 434685

I've drilled and tapped thousands of small holes in heavy steel at odd angles over my years at my employer retrofitting old and installing new machinery. I was fortunate to have access to good drills, magnetic drill presses, good bits, etc....

The OP wants a simple, fast solution for a hand-held drill. I gave him one for twenty bucks and he can even get the hole size he wants. :laughing:

I agree with you that your solution is better if he wants to spend the money. And better bits are just, well, better. :thumbsup: But they cost more. No free lunch.

 

[oosik]

What ever you end up doing - I do not envy you drilling 40 holes horizontally with a hand drill. Just the thought makes my wrist ache.

 

[bindian]

I agree with Jigbuilder. All my life I have worked with pneumatic drills on aircraft. All that and 5 years experience rebuilding helicopters and modifying steel rebuild jigs taught me to drill everything horizontal with a pneumatic drill that you can control the trigger to the speed you need. I use Boelube (a waxy lube made by Boeing Aircraft) and can drill 40 pilot holes in 1/4 inch steel with one #40 (1/16th) drill bit without center punching. Then I step up to #10 bit, then a 1/4 inch bit. I drill (using Boelube) up to 1 & 1/8 inch holes at home with my geared electric drill, after step drilling holes up to 1/2 inch with my Mikita drill. Use what you are comfortable with. Go slow.........and keep it lubed, which helps the bits stay cooler and sharper longer. Also, small bits need to be pulled out of deep holes every so often to clear the hole. If not, you can break a #40 bit in a heartbeat.
Good luck. I would love to own a magnetic drill!
hugs, Brandi

 

[LD1]

Some good advise, and some not as good IMO.

For starters you need good quality bits, as has been mentioned several times. I dont know what home depot offers, but dont strike me as a place I would buy drill bits for anything other than wood.

Mag drill is probably out of the question. They dont do well horizontally unless you have ALOT of metal for the magnet to get a hold on. 1/4" angle isnt enough.

Forget the pilot and stepping up. If the 1/4" bit is a split point bit (and most are) a pilot is not needed at all. Infact with a pilot, it makes all the subsequent attempts to enlarge the hole real grabby with the drill, as you are only trying to cut with just the outer tips of the bit. Going from 1/16 to 1/8, I bet you would break just as many 1/8" bits as you do 1/16

What you need to do is learn to read the chip. First step is pressure. You want enough pressure to actually remove chips, and not flakes or dust. Heat is removed in the form of chips. Smaller chips is less heat removed and you end up toasting the bit. Next step is speed. For that you read the color of the chip. Blue is bad. Straw color is good. Silver bare metal color isnt bad either, but you could go faster.

Simply put, the more pressure you give, the larger the chip, the more heat is removed, and the faster RPM you can go.
Less pressure removes smaller chips and results in a hotter bit and part, thus you have to go slower.

On a drill press drilling 1/4" steel, I'd be running ~1200RPM and enough pressure on the handle that it would take maybe 2 seconds tops to punch through. But you aint gonna do that with a hand drill.

And when it comes to lube, as a general rule I dont use lube on anything under 1/2" diameter and less than 1/4" thickness. If drilled right, it just isnt gonna get the part or bit hot enough to hurt anything, thus the lube is not needed IMO. Getting proper chips removes more heat than lube will.

 

[savageactor7]

From the good advice I read on page one I'd just add making a 'pilot' hole always made it easier for us.

 

[LD1]

The only time I like a pilot hole is bits larger than 1/2" that are chisel point bits. The pilot only needs to be the thickness of the chisel or slightly larger. Typically 1/4" is my go-to for a pilot. I would never dream of piloting a 1/4" hole, let alone piloting, stepping up, then final.

Got a whole drawer full of bits at work, probably 300+ jobber bits under 1/2", and probably 100 silver and deming bits between 1/2-1" all with chipped corners on them from people thinking they have to step up 1/16 or 1/8" at a time.

 

[AaronS]

The only time I like a pilot hole is bits larger than 1/2" that are chisel point bits. The pilot only needs to be the thickness of the chisel or slightly larger. Typically 1/4" is my go-to for a pilot. I would never dream of piloting a 1/4" hole, let alone piloting, stepping up, then final.

Got a whole drawer full of bits at work, probably 300+ jobber bits under 1/2", and probably 100 silver and deming bits between 1/2-1" all with chipped corners on them from people thinking they have to step up 1/16 or 1/8" at a time.

I need to get a drill doctor. My bits are obviously too dull.

 

[Sodo]

I've drilled and tapped thousands of small holes in heavy steel at odd angles over my years at my employer retrofitting old and installing new machinery. I was fortunate to have access to good drills, magnetic drill presses, good bits, etc....

The OP wants a simple, fast solution for a hand-held drill. I gave him one for twenty bucks and he can even get the hole size he wants. :laughing:

I agree with you that your solution is better if he wants to spend the money. And better bits are just, well, better. :thumbsup: But they cost more. No free lunch.

I got that the OP was kind of a newbie at drilling, and for that, I HIGHLY recommend against using 1/16" bits. It adds a LOT of time to the job when a 1/16" bit (or 3/32 or 1/8") breaks off in the hole and 1/16" would be particularly troublesome. It takes a lot of experience to avoid breaking a 1/16" bit in 1/4" deep hole, especially 40 holes.

40 holes in 20 minutes (Blair) .vs. 40 (or 80) holes in 60 minutes (twist),,,,, kinda resembles a "free lunch". :thumbsup:

For those who enjoy free lunch, there's also a 16 peice kit for $148 that has 1/4". As much as I enjoy these cutters I wish I bought the 16 pc kit. Agreed this might be decadent kit for a guy who just needs to get his trailer setup.

I'll bet he's bolting down deckboards, and I bet,,,,, 5/16 is a better size, especially if it drills easier - just a hunch. A guy will need a variable speed drill motor to run these holecutters, ideally a 3-speed variable.

 

[Fawken]

If you really want to get the job done:
Product Detail

 

[Fawken]

If you really want to get the job done:
Product Detail

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have to drill 40 quarter inch holes through 1/4" angle iron with a hand drill. I've tried most of the different drill bits that Home Depot sells and they usually get too dull to drill after 2 holes.

Is there a better drill bit I can buy or am I doing something wrong in the way I am drilling?

tallyho8, Drilling a pilot hole for a 1/4 bit is a verry special case and only applicable to get around problems with hard material. And [bummer] the small pilot hole itself would be difficult to accomplish reliably. IF your angle is just regular steel it should be possible to drill reliably by hand in one pass.
... To give yourself an advantage I would try to buy one of the 1/4" DeWalt pilot point drillbits. They drill extremely well with lo effort. To lube / cool, dip the tip in a shallow pool of lube about every 30 sec. ... As LD1 said, read the chip. Press hard enuf that the tip makes constant progress - no skating because it will dull it. Ill guess that you need 20 or 30 lbs pressure and 300-800 rpm. Learn to read the feel of imminent break thru and ease pressure so you dont chip the drill tip.
larry

 

[JRobyn]

TallyHo, betcha didn't really expect over 1,000 views and almost 40 responses, eh?

:reading:
:scratchchin:

- Jay

 

[bindian]

It takes a lot of experience to avoid breaking a 1/16" bit in 1/4" deep hole, especially 40 holes.

I forgot to add this. We do break a lot of bits. We don't do anything fast, just right the first time. We do have a lot of company supplied drillbits to choose from, HSS, Cobalt, Carbide. 1/16th pilot holes are for precision holes with a .010 tolerance, like per blueprints. 1/16th pilot holes is what I am comfortable with.
hugs, Brandi