Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

no.

On 2011-02-02, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

No. As you drill, the metal being drilled and the drill bit heat up
from friction. In fact, one should use a cutting fluid to both reduce
friction and promote cooling.

Sharpen your drills!

nb

In article ,
mm wrote:

Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

It's actually easier, because the molecules are moving more slowly. You
don't want them running around like lunatics, jumping out of the way of
the drill. However, wearing mittens while drilling does make it a little
harder.

?
"notbob" wrote in message
...
On 2011-02-02, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

No. As you drill, the metal being drilled and the drill bit heat up
from friction. In fact, one should use a cutting fluid to both reduce
friction and promote cooling.

Sharpen your drills!

nb

And make sure it is not in reverse. A guy at work, Bob, was having trouble
drilling a hole so he asked the maintenance guy to sharpen the bit. He did.
A few minutes later, Bob comes back and says "you sure screwed can't sharpen
a drill bit, it is no better than before" The maintenance guy took the
drill from his hand, pulled the trigger, and you can guess the rest.

mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.
Hi,
B4 asking, why don't you try and tell us?

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:54:45 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:



mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.
Hi,
B4 asking, why don't you try and tell us?

There's no electricity outside where the work is. I have to find out
when someone will be there and arrange to be there when the door to
the electricity is unlocked.

I'm not sure I could tell anyhow. It might seem to take longer if I
was cold.

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:32:54 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
mm wrote:

Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

It's actually easier, because the molecules are moving more slowly. You
don't want them running around like lunatics, jumping out of the way of
the drill.

That sounds frightening. I fear some would run up my arm and get
inside my clothes.

However, wearing mittens while drilling does make it a little
harder.

Thanks, and thanks all.

You don't have a cordless drill? Thanks for the
humor, I'd also not want mollecules running up
my sleeve.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"mm" wrote in message
...

It's actually easier, because the molecules are moving more
slowly. You
don't want them running around like lunatics, jumping out
of the way of
the drill.

That sounds frightening. I fear some would run up my arm
and get
inside my clothes.

However, wearing mittens while drilling does make it a
little
harder.

Thanks, and thanks all.

"mm" wrote in message
...
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

All sound advice but one more which has always been a rule that I learned is
to drill slow.

When drilling wood, any speed is ok but fast is better. When drilling metal,
slow is better.

SBH wrote:
"mm" wrote in message
...
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and
I can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

All sound advice but one more which has always been a rule that I
learned is to drill slow.

When drilling wood, any speed is ok but fast is better. When drilling
metal, slow is better.

that isn't correct. slow drilling, where the bit spins but doesn't cut, will
cause work hardening, and the cutting of the bit stops.

there are tables of recommended speeds for specific metals and specific
sized bits.

I think different metals or woods, different speed
and feed. For many metals, fast is better. For
example, thick aluminum works better for me,
with high speed and very gentle feed pressure.

Most steel, for me, high speed is better. High
pressure, to start, and then lighten up.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"SBH" wrote in message
...

All sound advice but one more which has always
been a rule that I learned is to drill slow.

When drilling wood, any speed is ok but fast is
better. When drilling metal, slow is better.

On Feb 2, 6:52*am, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. * They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

In a word, no. It would have to be approaching red heat to soften
noticeably and that would ruin the drill bit.

Harry K

notbob wrote:
On 2011-02-02, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

No. As you drill, the metal being drilled and the drill bit heat up
from friction. In fact, one should use a cutting fluid to both reduce
friction and promote cooling.

Sharpen your drills!

I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it makes a world of
difference when you have to drill a hole.

Jon

On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 11:38:46 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

You don't have a cordless drill? Thanks for the
humor, I'd also not want mollecules running up
my sleeve.

I have a 12 or some low voltage one I bought at a yard sale, after he
upgraded, but it would never drill all the holes I need. It's very
rare I need a cordless anything.

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:55:56 -0600, wrote:

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:52:57 -0500, mm
wrote:

Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

It's no harder to drill, but I would suspect that when it gets warm
outside the hole you drilled will be a very small fraction larger than
the diameter of the drill bit. Thats because metal shrinks in cold
and expands in heat. THe thought does come to mind that the drill
bit also shrinks, but once it heats up from use, it would be the
normal size. The metal on the other hand probably dont heat up except
at the spot of the drill bit.

Good thoughts, probably true. Small differences in dimension don't
matter at all here, but I'll bear your thoughts in mind in the future.

Thanks, and thanks all.

chaniarts wrote:

All sound advice but one more which has always been a rule that I
learned is to drill slow.

When drilling wood, any speed is ok but fast is better. When drilling
metal, slow is better.

that isn't correct. slow drilling, where the bit spins but doesn't
cut, will cause work hardening, and the cutting of the bit stops.

there are tables of recommended speeds for specific metals and
specific sized bits.

And all are slower than drilling in wood. Or bone.

?
"Jon Danniken" wrote

I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it makes a world of
difference when you have to drill a hole.

Jon



Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I think different metals or woods, different speed
and feed. For many metals, fast is better. For
example, thick aluminum works better for me,
with high speed and very gentle feed pressure.

Most steel, for me, high speed is better. High
pressure, to start, and then lighten up.

Agreed, but I've had good success with fast speeds on most woods, to avoid
splintering/chipping and slow speeds on most metals, especially aluminum.
Aluminum being soft is easy to drill at slower speeds, though, I can see
using faster speeds on it due to that softness.

"mm" wrote in message
...
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

No, unless you are talking about below zero, when everything becomes more
brittle. Take it easy, and the friction will heat it up in a couple of
seconds. Ever touch a drillbit that has just cut a hole? They get pretty
warm. Use a pilot bit to make it easier if you are going to be cutting any
holes larger than 1/4".

Steve

Heart surgery pending?
Read up and prepare.
Learn how to care for a friend.
Download the book.
http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:33:23 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

?
"Jon Danniken" wrote

I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it makes a world of
difference when you have to drill a hole.

Jon



Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.

But not as a cutting fluid. It's a lousy cutting fluid.

On 2011-02-03, wrote:

Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.

But not as a cutting fluid. It's a lousy cutting fluid.

......and only used as a lubricant by clueless dolts.

nb

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:17:17 -0500, mm
wrote:

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:54:45 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:



mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.
Hi,
B4 asking, why don't you try and tell us?

There's no electricity outside where the work is. I have to find out
when someone will be there and arrange to be there when the door to
the electricity is unlocked.

I'm not sure I could tell anyhow. It might seem to take longer if I
was cold.

What? No cordless drill???

On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 12:18:33 -0700, "chaniarts"
wrote:

SBH wrote:
"mm" wrote in message
...
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and
I can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

All sound advice but one more which has always been a rule that I
learned is to drill slow.

When drilling wood, any speed is ok but fast is better. When drilling
metal, slow is better.

that isn't correct. slow drilling, where the bit spins but doesn't cut, will
cause work hardening, and the cutting of the bit stops.

there are tables of recommended speeds for specific metals and specific
sized bits.

Slow cutting speed and fast feed is the secret. Do not let the bit
"slide - it must "dig" - particularly on stainless or tool steel

On Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:49:34 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:33:23 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

?
"Jon Danniken" wrote

I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it makes a world of
difference when you have to drill a hole.

Jon



Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.

But not as a cutting fluid. It's a lousy cutting fluid.
Except on aluminum, where it works fine. (about the only thing it
works well for, other than displacing moisture,in my experiece)

In article ,
"SBH" wrote:

When drilling metal,
slow is better.

As others have said, that isn't quite true. Metal cutting speeds are
properly measured in "inches per minute" (IPM) not "revolutions per
minute" (RPM). Bearing in mind that softer metals like aluminum can be
cut faster than harder metals like steel, for any given material, some
observations:

A drill moves faster near its perimeter than it does near its center,
making RPM to IPM conversions elusive. That's why metals are often
step-drilled. Start with a small bit and a high RPM, work your way up to
larger bits with progressively slower RPMs.

High-speed machining aside, I'd drill a 1/16" hole in steel at about
1500 RPM. If I worked up to 1/2", I'd be down to 100 RPM. That's why
step drilling is so important.

Matching the feed rate (how fast you push the drill through the
material) to the speed (IPM or RPM) is something that is learned by
cutting thousands of holes.

wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:33:23 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

?
"Jon Danniken" wrote

I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it makes a world of
difference when you have to drill a hole.

Jon



Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.

But not as a cutting fluid. It's a lousy cutting fluid.

It makes women scream when used as a personal lubricant.

Steve

wrote

Slow cutting speed and fast feed is the secret. Do not let the bit
"slide - it must "dig" - particularly on stainless or tool steel

I watch for chips or better yet, spirals. I love to watch guys use high
speed and watch the drills get red hot. I just use high speed when drilling
wood. Slow and steady and as long as I'm getting chips or spirals, I just
let it work.

I also like my Drill Doctor. I used to have about 500 drill bits, about a
dozen of them sharp. Now I have two full indexes of sharp bits.

Steve

On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold weather. I have
very few drill bits break in warmer weather. If I'm doing serious
drilling in any metal other than sheet metal, I use a lubricant
called Tap Magic. It's for drilling and thread cutting.

TDD

On 2/2/2011 4:33 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
?
"Jon Danniken" wrote

I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it makes a world of
difference when you have to drill a hole.

Jon


Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.


But being basically kerosene, it doesn't make the best cutting oil.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On Feb 2, 11:34*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
?"notbob" wrote in message

...

On 2011-02-02, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?



And make sure it is not in reverse. *A guy at work, Bob, was having trouble
drilling a hole so he asked the maintenance guy to sharpen the bit. He did.
A few minutes later, Bob comes back and says "you sure screwed can't sharpen
a drill bit, it is no better than before" *The maintenance guy took the
drill from his hand, pulled the trigger, and you can guess the rest.

Have to admit; been there, done that, with a new set of bits, felt
like a fool.
Rene

On Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:39:49 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold weather. I have
very few drill bits break in warmer weather. If I'm doing serious
drilling in any metal other than sheet metal, I use a lubricant
called Tap Magic. It's for drilling and thread cutting.

Thanks. I'll keep my eyes open for that, and bring some kind of lub
with me for this.

I don't have an enormous number of bits, certainly not in the right
size, so I'll take them all with me. This weekend it's supposed to be
in the 40's and he'll probably be there**, but I just learned I need
to buy one more part, maybe today if I find it.

**Not only that, I stopped by to check on the work to be done and
indeed he does have an outdoor outlet, just 10 feet away. Maybe it's
not connected at the moment, but even if it is, I don't know how to
use it after he told me he didn't have one. I vaguely think he'd
resent it. And I don't know how to tell him he has one. Same reason.


TDD

On 2/4/2011 11:56 AM, mm wrote:
On Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:39:49 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold weather. I have
very few drill bits break in warmer weather. If I'm doing serious
drilling in any metal other than sheet metal, I use a lubricant
called Tap Magic. It's for drilling and thread cutting.

Thanks. I'll keep my eyes open for that, and bring some kind of lub
with me for this.

I don't have an enormous number of bits, certainly not in the right
size, so I'll take them all with me. This weekend it's supposed to be
in the 40's and he'll probably be there**, but I just learned I need
to buy one more part, maybe today if I find it.

**Not only that, I stopped by to check on the work to be done and
indeed he does have an outdoor outlet, just 10 feet away. Maybe it's
not connected at the moment, but even if it is, I don't know how to
use it after he told me he didn't have one. I vaguely think he'd
resent it. And I don't know how to tell him he has one. Same reason.


One thing I do recommend when drilling small diameter holes with a hand
held drill, is to use the short jobber length bits. You can pick them up
at most industrial suppliers in packs of 10 or I believe Harbor Freight
has them too. The 1/8 bits are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and less
likely to break in a hand held drill. I use the titanium nitride coated
bits, they're gold in color.

TDD

....

:::::
:::::
::::
:::: Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.
:::
::: But not as a cutting fluid. It's a lousy cutting fluid.
::
:: It makes women scream when used as a personal lubricant.
::
:: Steve

WD-40 is NOT a lubricant! That's an urban myth and totally wrong. Just the
opposite, it removes all oil, grease, water, etc. from wherever it's used.
Look it up. Using WD-40 without following up with a light oil will only
increase the wear rate on the parts it's used on. Look it up. With the
parts now dry after using it, it may seem to work freely for a bit, but
it'll screw up sooner and you'll spray it again, it'll lock up again, spray
it again, etc..

HTH,

Twayne`

In ,
Steve B typed:
:: wrote in message
:: ...
::: On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:33:23 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
::: wrote:
:::
:::: ?
:::: "Jon Danniken"
:::: wrote
:::::
::::: I second the suggestion to use a cutting fluid, it
::::: makes a world of difference when you have to drill a
::::: hole.
:::::
::::: Jon
:::::
:::::
::::
:::: Spray it with WD-40, it is widely used as a lubricant.
:::
::: But not as a cutting fluid. It's a lousy cutting fluid.
::
:: It makes women scream when used as a personal lubricant.
::
:: Steve

It's a lousy cutting fluid because it is NOT a lubricant! Go to their site
and read up.

In ,
The Daring Dufas typed:
:: On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
::: Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is
::: cold?
:::
::: For some reason I think so.
:::
::: I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel,
::: outside, and it's about 30 degrees most days lately.
::: They are going to be awkward to drill in the first place,
::: so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I can delay it
::: to 70 degree weather.
:::
::: That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as
::: an academic question.
::
:: I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold
:: weather. I have very few drill bits break in warmer
:: weather. If I'm doing serious drilling in any metal other
:: than sheet metal, I use a lubricant called Tap Magic. It's
:: for drilling and thread cutting.
::
:: TDD

I do the same but if I get caught short, I'll sometimes use kerosene. As
long as you're not stupid enough to let the bit get red hot, it'll never
ignite on you and if it does it's easy to quench that little bit. Most of
the so called drilling "lubricants" are mostly kerosene anyway if you look
at the contents.

HTH,

Twayne`

On 2/4/2011 7:57 PM, Twayne wrote:
In ,
The Daring typed:
:: On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
::: Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is
::: cold?
:::
::: For some reason I think so.
:::
::: I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel,
::: outside, and it's about 30 degrees most days lately.
::: They are going to be awkward to drill in the first place,
::: so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I can delay it
::: to 70 degree weather.
:::
::: That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as
::: an academic question.
::
:: I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold
:: weather. I have very few drill bits break in warmer
:: weather. If I'm doing serious drilling in any metal other
:: than sheet metal, I use a lubricant called Tap Magic. It's
:: for drilling and thread cutting.
::
:: TDD

I do the same but if I get caught short, I'll sometimes use kerosene. As
long as you're not stupid enough to let the bit get red hot, it'll never
ignite on you and if it does it's easy to quench that little bit. Most of
the so called drilling "lubricants" are mostly kerosene anyway if you look
at the contents.

HTH,

Twayne`



One of the purposes of a "cutting" lubricant is to cool the cutting
tool. The Tap Magic will actually flow toward the action. I got the
stuff when I was doing a lot of fabricating out of aluminum and the
product eliminated all drilling and tapping problems I was having.

http://www.tapmagic.com/

TDD

?
"Twayne" wrote

WD-40 is NOT a lubricant! That's an urban myth and totally wrong. Just
the opposite, it removes all oil, grease, water, etc. from wherever it's
used. Look it up.

From their web site; note number 4:
http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#a96

What does WD-40 do?WD-40 fulfills five basic functions:
1. CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also
dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape and excess
bonding material.
2. DISPLACES MOISTU Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries
out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
3. PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or
rusted metal parts.
4. LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and
tenaciously held to all moving parts.
5. PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant
ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements.

What does WD-40 contain?
While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does
NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax,
graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.

On Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:53:31 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 2/4/2011 11:56 AM, mm wrote:
On Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:39:49 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is cold?

For some reason I think so.

I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel, outside, and it's
about 30 degrees most days lately. They are going to be awkward to
drill in the first place, so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I
can delay it to 70 degree weather.

That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as an academic
question.

I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold weather. I have
very few drill bits break in warmer weather. If I'm doing serious
drilling in any metal other than sheet metal, I use a lubricant
called Tap Magic. It's for drilling and thread cutting.

Thanks. I'll keep my eyes open for that, and bring some kind of lub
with me for this.

I don't have an enormous number of bits, certainly not in the right
size, so I'll take them all with me. This weekend it's supposed to be
in the 40's and he'll probably be there**, but I just learned I need
to buy one more part, maybe today if I find it.

**Not only that, I stopped by to check on the work to be done and
indeed he does have an outdoor outlet, just 10 feet away. Maybe it's
not connected at the moment, but even if it is, I don't know how to
use it after he told me he didn't have one. I vaguely think he'd
resent it. And I don't know how to tell him he has one. Same reason.


One thing I do recommend when drilling small diameter holes with a hand
held drill, is to use the short jobber length bits. You can pick them up
at most industrial suppliers in packs of 10 or I believe Harbor Freight
has them too. The 1/8 bits are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long and less
likely to break in a hand held drill. I use the titanium nitride coated
bits, they're gold in color.

Good to know. Thanks. I was at HFreight yesterday, but may be there
again in two weeks.

I did find the part I need, but the immediate need for the trailer
faded today when I didn't bid on the furnace and someone else did with
9 seconds left. I thought he would have to relist it. I don't know
if I wanted it or not, but I'm still depressed.

TDD

On Fri, 4 Feb 2011 20:57:56 -0500, "Twayne"
wrote:

In ,
The Daring Dufas typed:
:: On 2/2/2011 8:52 AM, mm wrote:
::: Is it harder to drill holes in metal when the metal is
::: cold?
:::
::: For some reason I think so.
:::
::: I have a few holes to drill in 1/8 or 3/64" steel,
::: outside, and it's about 30 degrees most days lately.
::: They are going to be awkward to drill in the first place,
::: so I don't want it to be harder to do, and I can delay it
::: to 70 degree weather.
:::
::: That's no big deal but now it's more important to me as
::: an academic question.
::
:: I've noticed that I have more bits shatter in cold
:: weather. I have very few drill bits break in warmer
:: weather. If I'm doing serious drilling in any metal other
:: than sheet metal, I use a lubricant called Tap Magic. It's
:: for drilling and thread cutting.
::
:: TDD

I do the same but if I get caught short, I'll sometimes use kerosene. As
long as you're not stupid enough to let the bit get red hot, it'll never
ignite on you and if it does it's easy to quench that little bit. Most of
the so called drilling "lubricants" are mostly kerosene anyway if you look
at the contents.

HTH,

Twayne`

Does this or the other lubricants work when you're drilling up?