On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:24:16 -0700, Gunner
wrote:

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:08:35 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

So I'm fabricating some stuff out of 40 mil 304 sheet ('cause that's what
I could get from McMaster -- I know now it was a Bad Choice for doing
lots of drilling and whatnot).

Thanks to some input here, I'm doing pretty good, but I noticed that the
sheet seems to be fairly well annealed on one side, but really hard on
the other. Trying to drill 1/16" holes in the stuff, it makes an
enormous difference (like, between success and failure with a side of
broken drill bit) whether I start drilling on the "good" side or the
"bad" side.

Is this common?

Yes unfortunately.

And always remember

"303, thats for me!"
304..shes a whore!"

Gunner

My version

303, she's so sweet
Take her home for mom to meet
304 she's a whore
don't want to see her no more


I hadn't notice this, harder on one side, I'll keep it in mind.

I won't even try 304 drilling unless its in my big drill press.
I push so hard, I've snapped small drills from the pressure
Then use oil and run slow.

One of the biggest tricks i learned is to friction saw the stuff, run
the bad blade somkin' fast and burn your way through. i bought
friction blades, old worn blades would work about as well. I'd even
put them in backwards.

Karl