In article . net,
Bill Schwab wrote:

I have some center bits in a couple of sizes and use them for starting
holes on my mill. Is that what you mean?

Well, center bits make nice starter holes if you want to drill twice. If
you want to drill once, what McMaster calls "short-length drill bits"
which are also called screw machine drill bits are good. You're drilling
0.09" thick material, so 1/2 inch of flute is more than plenty, and more
just makes a bit that will bend more easily.

One sincere question: folks are steering me from a mill to a drill
press, which while I have a small drill press, it sends me back to the
mill. What gives?

The mill you have is difficult to get this thing clamped to and will be
a slow way to do the job. Drill press should be faster. If you prefer to
do the job in the mill, that's your call - we are just offering advice
based on what you've told us about the job, and our own past experience
of what works, and works most effectively. My personal "budget-no-object
neat toys are good" preference in this case would be for a larger CNC
mill, where the plate could be clamped to a piece of wood or plastic
(waste) on the table and the mill would just cut it (fan-holes and all)
while you did something else, but I assume that if your budget was no
object, you'd already have that on a truck heading your way - so I'm
suggesting based on "most cost effective way to make it in the least
time, to adequate tolerance" in the hopes that you can make money on it,
and buy toys to suit you in the future.

With a drill press, you line up the hole, clamp the work to the table
(almost no time at all with a proper drill press lever clamp), drill,
unclamp, line up the next hole. With the mill you're fiddling about with
getting it clamped to the table, which it is too big for, (by the end of
which you're probably done with the drill press), lined up properly,
etc. Then you move to position, drill hole, move to next...

Upgrading the drill press, if needed, will cost a lot less than
upgrading the mill, generally speaking.

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