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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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#1
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're
cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave |
#2
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
"Dave D" wrote in message ... We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave I too have a bunch of cheapies. I think we have replaced bearings in all of them. And, the bearings don't always fit into a good bore and the shafts aren't great fits either. I won't buy them anymore, there are too many used good ones out there. |
#3
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Two drilling questions
On Aug 24, 2:14*am, Dave D wrote:
We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave You might have better luck with single flute step-drill bits in sheet metal. They are less likely to make oblong holes in thin stock. http://www.mcmaster.com/#step-drills/=3br6fp |
#4
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Two drilling questions
On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:14:51 -0700 (PDT), Dave D
wrote: We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave for sheet metal use a unibit, they will cut a round hole. http://www.mcmaster.com/#unibit-drill-bits/=3brf6o above is just one size, they make 2 or three others. Thank You, Randy Remove 333 from email address to reply. |
#5
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Two drilling questions
On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:14:51 -0700, Dave D wrote:
We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave So find some _decent_ drill presses, and expect to pay at least 10x for one instead of 4x -- but expect to never mess with it again. Alternately, as 'Buerste' suggests, get an older good drill press, rebuild it, and use it forever. Getting a cheap Chinese tool is kind of like getting a comprehensively clapped-out tool -- you can't rebuild it, because every part is just _wrong_; by the time you got all the problems fixed you'd have a scratch- built tool with the original power cord. -- www.wescottdesign.com |
#6
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Two drilling questions
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:46:38 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote: On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:14:51 -0700, Dave D wrote: We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave So find some _decent_ drill presses, and expect to pay at least 10x for one instead of 4x -- but expect to never mess with it again. Alternately, as 'Buerste' suggests, get an older good drill press, rebuild it, and use it forever. Getting a cheap Chinese tool is kind of like getting a comprehensively clapped-out tool -- you can't rebuild it, because every part is just _wrong_; by the time you got all the problems fixed you'd have a scratch- built tool with the original power cord. I have one with a bad (intermitttent) power cord. |
#7
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
On Aug 24, 12:14*am, Dave D wrote:
We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave Have you tried the "bullet-point" drills? These were made for thin stock, I have a set I use for just that. B&D I think is the one that owns the trademark but there are other makers. If you haven't seen them, they're like a two-step step drill, the small nib acts like a spotter. No wandering. I've used them on 4140 thinwall tube, worked fine. If you need accuracy, go with bushings and a drill jig. Heinrich makes a number of different ones for drilling on the centerlines of round stock, for a price. Strictly production-level stuff. MSC has them. Stan |
#8
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
Solid carbide drills are great for drilling hard to drill materials.
Just yesterday I used one to drill a bearing ball made from bearing ball steel. Even with the carbide drill, it generated a tremendous amount of heat. I drilled it with a 3/16" carbide drill, and then enlarged the hole with a 3/8" carbide endmill. This is a stupid thing to put a ball at the end of a formerly ugly key for a Jacobs 18N chuck. In any case, aluminum is not a hard to drill material, but I think that what your application lacks is tool rigidity. Assuming that your drill spindle has no runout, I would try very short drill bits that do not flex much when coming out of the drilled hole. McMaster has plenty of those. Use of carbide drills in cheap drill presses is questionable, as they do not like to flex much and can be broken by excessive runout or just flexing of the drill press. If I were you, I would try short drill bits first. i |
#9
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
"Dave D" wrote in message ... Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave For small diameter holes I like brad point bits for aluminum or soft copper. For larger holes the uni-bit works well. You might also get good results drilling close to size with a center drill and then finish with an end mill. You can also try punching the hole. the technique I would try would depend on how many holes I needed, and how accurate I needed to be. As to your inquiry about spade bits I find these to be virtually useless. -- Roger Shoaf If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent. |
#10
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
Dave D wrote:
We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. Thanks for any help, Dave There's an old boy on ebay that has a lot of drill bits--he calls them "Piloted" they have an undersized 3/8 to 1/2 start which gives you your 3 lobed hole in thin metal, but then the remainder is full size and seems to ream the hole true round. |
#11
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
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Two drilling questions
On 2009-08-24, Dave D wrote:
We use a number of the small bench-top drill presses. Yes they're cheap, but it seems like the ones that are 4 times more are just the same models with more fancy colors, so I go with the cheap ones. Lately I've noticed a number of them have started making a chattering sound somewhere in the head. They still drill fine. Whatever it is doesn't seem to affect anything, but it sounds like it will eventually. I just thought I'd throw it out there and see if anybody has noticed a certain part that starts going, just to save myself the trouble of taking them apart and figuring it out. Hmm ... try squirting some lubricant into the spline in the center of the spindle pulley. Probably something fairly thick, like Vactra No. 2 waylube will do well. Also -- try running it (carefully, of course) with the belt guard open. Sometimes, especially if it is the three pulley kind and depending on belt length, you can have the center pulley swing over to where it is rubbing against the guard. If you have this -- either get a belt one size shorter, or drill or punch new holes for the screws holding it onto the top of the head casting so you can shift it so it does not rub. The latter approach is what I took with my floor-standing 16-speed version. Second... I've always had difficulty drilling through thin metals... Anything less than 1/8" aluminum... say 1/16" aluminum mainly. The problem seems to be that the point runs out the other side and doesn't guide the bit enough, which leads to a less than round hole. On flat stock I can put scrap behind it, but that won't work with tube. I've tried numerous bits, but I noticed these on Mc Master's http://www.mcmaster.com/#8769a27/=3bmsl6 Just wondering if anybody has used something like that for that purpose and what they think. I would try a Unibit, personally. How big are your holes? I think that you can get some which start at 1/8" and then go up in steps of 1/32" to 1/2". Others are larger, or go in larger steps. The larger and fewer the steps, the thicker the metal they will drill to a specific size. You even have an advantage on anything but the largest step that you also can deburr the top side of the hole with the chamfer to the next step. If you are sticking with Mcmaster-Carr, then enter the following into their search field: ================================================== ==================== Multidiameter Step Drill Bits ================================================== ==================== and you'll hit a page with a bunch of them at the bottom. If you are drilling fairly small ID tubing, you may need to select one with a larger starting diameter or fewer steps, so the point does not hit the far wall (assuming that you don't want to drill through both sides). Enjoy, DoN. -- Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564 (too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero --- |
#12
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Two drilling questions
On 2009-08-26, bob prohaska's usenet account wrote:
Buerste wrote: them. And, the bearings don't always fit into a good bore and the shafts aren't great fits either. I won't buy them anymore, there are too many used good ones out there. I'm in the market for a good used drill press. Do you have any suggestions as to brand/type? Smaller is ok, low speed (as for a hole saw) would be a plus. Everything I've seen is an East Asian import except for one vintage Delta with a bent spindle. I have a hobby of buying stuff in liquidations. Here are some observations. We are in the middle of a once in a generation destruction of American metalworking industry. This may not necessarily be a negative for the country, as the old technology would possibly make way for new technology, but this old technology is valuable to hobbyists because we can actually comprehend it. So, where to look for those drill presses? The answer is, at liquidation auctions. Two weeks ago I bought an old 1/2 HP Craftsman bench drill press for $15, for example. It worked great. It is nothing like what you can buy at Sears today. It weighed at least 120 lbs. check out also https://www.premierarg.com/live/jsp/...&imageId=75680 (the motor here may be somewhat underpowered) i |
#13
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Two drilling questions
On Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:50:24 +0000 (UTC), bob prohaska's usenet account
wrote: Buerste wrote: them. And, the bearings don't always fit into a good bore and the shafts aren't great fits either. I won't buy them anymore, there are too many used good ones out there. I'm in the market for a good used drill press. Do you have any suggestions as to brand/type? Smaller is ok, low speed (as for a hole saw) would be a plus. Everything I've seen is an East Asian import except for one vintage Delta with a bent spindle. bob prohaska Where do you live? Ive got several Deltas, Rockwells and whatnot. Gunner, California Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do something damned nasty to all three of them. |
#14
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Two drilling questions
On Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:50:24 +0000 (UTC), bob prohaska's usenet
account wrote: I'm in the market for a good used drill press. Do you have any suggestions as to brand/type? Smaller is ok, low speed (as for a hole saw) would be a plus. Everything I've seen is an East Asian import except for one vintage Delta with a bent spindle. bob prohaska Watch on Craigslist and look in the local shopper newspaper. I'm partial to Rockwell, old Delta Milwaukee and Walker Turner drill presses. All three companies became related due to buyouts. I prefer step pulley models due to simplicity and I'm told that there was a period of time in the (I think) 1970s-1980s where Rockwell variable speed machines were not well made. If you're in central PA, I"m going to sell my bench model Walker Turner which I replaced recently with a 20" floor model Rockwell. RWL |
#15
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Two drilling questions
Thanks for all the suggestions. Getting better presses is ideal, but
that's going to take some time and I'm just looking for a easier option for now. The right bits work fine. I was using bits I found with an almost neutral rake and that solved the problem. But I can't find those or anything like them anymore, nor can I find anybody that is capable of sharpening some like them in this ever de-evolutionized world where nobody knows how to do anything anymore... So I'm still looking. I tried the Unabit and they do work well, but sorry... I should have mentioned this is mainly for doing two sides at a time through tube. So every extra step greatly lengthens the amount of work. Ideally I would love to find letter sizes, which would eliminate one more step. I'm mainly doing about 1/8 or #27 to about F or G. The biggest is maybe 21/64, but for some reason those don't seem to have a problem. mainly around the 1/4 size do. Somebody said I should try the straight flute or the one I originally showed, because they have a low rake. But I've tried so many, I just wanted to see what people thought before I spent more money. Some day I want to do this with CNC, but that's a ways off. On the subject of the evaporating American heavy industry... It's a sad thing, but as mentioned, there can be an up side. There's some surplus stores out there that are awesome. Stainless fasteners dirt cheap... all kinds of stuff. There's a place in CA that got a lot of it's stuff from Lockheed Burbank when it closed... They've even got some of the old metal placards and stuff. |
#16
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Two drilling questions
Update... I've found that the DeWalt "Pilot Point" bits seem to work
fairly well in thin stock. They still need a smaller pilot hole to work perfectly on larger sizes, but they do work. So that at least helps until I work out the real issues, which is probably just drill machine quality. But the next step is to find pilot point style bits in letter sizes. DeWalt apparently doesn't have them. I've seen other brands in the same style, but no letter sizes yet. |
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