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some noob help cutting metal

M

MrPG

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 6, 2001
Messages
144
Greets Ladies n Gents, so I've got CM Stacker, the original and I wanna put a 1" hole in the top. I had a lil cordless 7volt Ryobi 2 Speed (300/500rpm) drill I used for small around the house stuff. I figured I just needed a 1" hole saw bit so I went out and got a wood/metal 1" bi-metal hole saw bit.

Slapped on some eye-protection and went at it but its not going as I would've expected. Its taking really long and I havne't bore through the case even. The metal isn't that thick and I think its aluminum which I thought to be a soft metal. So I'm wondering is my drill too small or what? I'm applying so much force with this thing that its bending in around the hole I'm trying to make. So what gives people? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
 
sounds like you need a better drill or a drill press. Even a crappy $30 one would work (from harborfreight)
 
Its deff wood/metal, here is the hole-saw bit and here is my drill

I literally just gave up for now because its been approx 10-15 minutes of drilling and I haven't broken through
 
i live in an apartment and don't have space for tools, when i really need a hole punched in a case, I bring it into work and have one of the bored maintenance guys do it.

my point being... do you know anyone else with a bigger drill?
 
Aluminum is generally a soft metal, but sometimes when alloyed and treated for hardness (read scratch resistance :) ) it can become extremely hard to machine. The fact it is so thin doesnt help either. if you can place something very hard underneath it you wont get the deflection in the sheet. try something like a block of wood, say on top of the corner of a table with the case on it.

or, get a faster drill, since you cant increase the depth of cut without the stuff bending all you can do is speed it up.

My personal preference is a dremel type tool, really high rpm, rough it out with a cutting tool, then finish with a grinding tool. Expensive option but most versitile.
 
Made some progress, I used a regular drill bit and some force again and got punched through, now I'm back with the hole-saw and its making a mess really, kinda wobbly so I'm not getting as pefect circle. So I'm backing off for a bit because I don't wanna scratch up more than I'll be able to hide with the fill port I'm isntalling.

Off the top I can't think of anyone with tools, I'll have to ask around and see.
Actually I have access to a dremel but didn't really think it'd be suitable for a 1" hole... I'll have to give it a go tomorrow and see.
 
That's why the holesaw has a pilot bit in the center, to keep it from wobbling.

You drilled the hole bigger, and now the pilot bit has nothing to ride on.

Throw out the holesaw idea and Dremel. You fuxxored it up too badly to finish it with the holesaw now.
 
Try a step-drill bit (aka Unibit). You can usually get them up to 1-3/8". They are excellent for drilling holes in thinner materials. (maybe up to 1/8" thick)

I'm surprised a 7V drill hasn't stalled out with a 1" holesaw. The pressure you are applying sounds adequate (since you are flexing the case). 300/500rpm is a little on the slow side. It will just take longer, but it helps keep the bit from overheating.

Some of the bi-metal holesaws won't really handle metal though... I usually stick with the bigger names like Milwaukee, Lennox, etc to get the performance on the metals.

EDIT: brace the area you are drilling with a block of wood. It will help concentrate the pressure on the drilling area. if you've oversized the pilot hole, drill another hole in a scrap of wood; put in overtop of the case and use it as your guide for the holesaw.
 
u2slow said:
brace the area you are drilling with a block of wood. It will help concentrate the pressure on the drilling area. if you've oversized the pilot hole, drill another hole in a scrap of wood; put in overtop of the case and use it as your guide for the holesaw.
Click to expand...

Exactly! The hole saw will work perfectly, you just have to use it right. I've used these several times and they always work. Try this:

1: Get a nice clean piece of wood and set your case down ontop of it upsidedown

2: Use the holesaw bit (with the arbor bit in the middle) and drill down thru the case and into the wood. You should be drilling from the inside of the case. The arbor bit (drill bit in the middle) will steady the bit and will sort-of help "pull" the bit thru the metal. Aluminum is very soft so this usually goes fairly smoothly. Even if you've already got a hole larger than the arbor bit, it should still work - that bit just needs the wood beneath it.
 
Some of the bi-metal holesaws won't really handle metal though...
Click to expand...

Exactly, even the BluMol ones wont drill through steel, with cutting oil, at the right RPM.


Those Stepper Drill Bits are awesome and a HELL of a lot cheaper.
 
If you cannot drill through a case panel, steel, aluminum or otherwise, with a Bi-metal holesaw it is either very dull, or you are doing something seriously wrong.

As an example, just last week I fabricated some traction bars for my budd's Mustang. Cut 12 holes in steel plate with a 1-1/2" Bi-Metal holesaw - 4 in 1/4" thick, and 10 more in 10ga. Cut like butter, and no discernable dulling of the cutter. Then again experience may have played a small part too .. see sig
 
Drill is deff going in the right direction, clockwise, the direction of the teeth. I got my hands on a dremel today but got home too late to give it a go. I'm going to put the drill idea to bed as Sarver suggested. I'll have another larger hole to drill soon and give it another shot using a brace block of wood and turning the case upside down like as Dew_it suggested also.
 
Well got my hands on a B&D RTX6 and man... that thing made short work of my hole. Like under 5 minutes to cut and grind/smooth out the hole and edges.

This one I'll have to return to my boy but I'm gonna go get one right now!
 
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