Drilling Hole In Sheet Metal

You set the drill bit in place push the button and press the bit into the material you re drilling.

Drilling hole in sheet metal. If you want small holes then this is a great method. How to drill metal. This can cause corrosion rust to form in and around the hole. They re just the thing when you need a perfectly sized clean hole in a steel junction box electrical service panel or even a stainless steel sink.

The diameter of this pilot hole should be slightly larger than the chisel length picture below of the final bit. But once you get to know the tools whatever your budget and how to use them you can start creating holes in sheet metal quickly and accurately. Than drill a smaller hole to guide the final drill bit. To drill a round hole in thin sheet metal take a piece of cloth for example an corner of an old tea towel cut into squares an old flannel or anything you don t mind cutting into squares and throwing in the bin once you have your nice round hole.

After you drill the hole it is possible to provide adequate corrosion protection for the drilled. At first start by drilling a small diameter pilot hole. But there are two main differences. Drilling a hole in sheet metal with a twist drill is a rather straightforward operation.

In essence drilling metal is no different than drilling wood. Step drill bits are designed to drill holes in sheet metal and other thin materials. Piercing cutting and drilling sheet metal is an integral part of metalsmithing. For the cleanest hole clamp a second piece on top of the metal making a sacrificial sandwich.

When drilling thin sheet metal clamp the metal over a piece of sacrificial plywood or other flat sheet good like mdf or particleboard to help prevent the bit from tearing up the hole. Do this till you get your required hole size. For holes up to 19mmø i would suggest starting with a piece approximately 100mm 4. It may seem daunting at first something as simple as learning how to cut a hole in sheet metal can seem like a tall order.

A step drill bit for metal allows you to drill holes in a variety of diameters and some will drill through. This is the most straightforward option for drilling a round hole in sheet metals. But this method is highly time consuming and boring. Then gradually start drilling larger holes.