Zebee Johnstone wrote:
It occuers to me that I need to know more than "put a drill shaped
thing on the metal, turn drill on, push".

Can anyone recommend a good site for information about drilling?

Things like what different bits there are and how to tell what you
have? What speeds for what metals, which drills for which applications,
what difference does torque setting make, when should you drill a
pilot hole?

Zebee

The main thing is pressure and speed, pressure being more important in
my opinion.Use as much pressure as you can without breaking the drill
(this will come with experience)
When I was working with apprentices most of the cases of burned and worn
drill cutting edges was because of not enough pressure.