Drilling sixteen 1/4-20 holes in 3/16" wall 304 sections; no electricity
is a big plus due to environmental factors.

Then to tap them; no lube is also a bonus (same factors), would a forming
tap work better?

On Jun 1, 9:44*am, xpzzzz wrote:
Drilling sixteen 1/4-20 holes in 3/16" wall 304 sections; no electricity
is a big plus due to environmental factors.

Then to tap them; no lube is also a bonus (same factors), would a forming
tap work better?

Where sparks are a minus, I've got pneumatic drills that work well,
keep cool and are physically smaller for the same torque. Use them
all the time under vehicles near fuel systems. No cutting lube on
stainless would seem to me to be asking for trouble. 20 TPI doesn't
leave a whole lot of threads in that 3/16" wall, hope you aren't
planning on hanging a lot of weight on those fasteners. Rivenuts
might be the way to avoid tapping and get you some more threads.

Stan

On Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:00:33 -0700, Stanley Schaefer wrote:

On Jun 1, 9:44Â*am, xpzzzz wrote:
Drilling sixteen 1/4-20 holes in 3/16" wall 304 sections; no
electricity is a big plus due to environmental factors.

No cutting lube on stainless
would seem to me to be asking for trouble.

I know, that's why I thought of the Cole drill.

20 TPI doesn't leave a whole
lot of threads in that 3/16" wall, hope you aren't planning on hanging a
lot of weight on those fasteners. Rivenuts might be the way to avoid
tapping and get you some more threads.

It's for location, not holding. Has to leave a flush hole when
unoccupied, so no rivnuts unless there exist flush ones (if so those
would be really good).

"xpzzzz" wrote in message
...
...
It's for location, not holding. Has to leave a flush hole when
unoccupied, so no rivnuts unless there exist flush ones (if so those
would be really good).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEM_nut

Any reason that can be found, is a good excuse to get a Cole drill. The
V-block base accessory is very useful.. get one with that included or
fabricate one.

Cole drills are not only useful where there isn't electrical power, but with
an adapter attached to the spindle's top end (crank handle removed) a drill
motor can also be coupled with a Cole drill.

--
WB
..........


"xpzzzz" wrote in message
...
Drilling sixteen 1/4-20 holes in 3/16" wall 304 sections; no electricity
is a big plus due to environmental factors.

Then to tap them; no lube is also a bonus (same factors), would a forming
tap work better?

I'd check if the SS is magnetic before buying
a big drill like that.

Martin

On 6/1/2012 8:57 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
wrote in message
...
...
It's for location, not holding. Has to leave a flush hole when
unoccupied, so no rivnuts unless there exist flush ones (if so those
would be really good).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEM_nut