Drilling through mild steel with no cutting compound

[ELL]

Is this a big no no? I just want to know for sure. If so, I'll be sure to use cutting compound every time. Thanks.

 

[Munkul]

Only if you don't care about your drills. They will work for a while especially on the thinner stuff

 

[Hood]

I often drill through steel, stainless etc without it but using it can make it easier on the drill.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Depends on how often...I mainly use cobalt drills now and they will sail through mild without cutting fluid...but I do keep on top of sharpening them

 

[knighty]

I hardly every use cutting fluid, probably less than 1% of the holes I drill

never really see a big difference when I'm drilling with it tbh

3mm pilot hole makes a big difference

3mm drill on high speed, then step up bigger sizes, drill on slow speed and push really hard, works like a charm


drives me crazy when I see people trying to drill big holes with a drill on high speed burning away

 

[tom2207]

a drop of acf50 works well ,,

 

[Guineafowl]

Almost anything is better than nothing - once, when drilling a lot of 16mm holes in thick RSJ, I was having to sharpen the bit every ten or so until I started using some WD40, which was all I had. The edge then lasted for the remainder of the job.

I was also taught not to step up in drill sizes - pilot, then full size.

 

[roofman]

Send it....

 

[Pete.]

Stepping up in sizes is a recipe for a grabbing drill. Pilot hole at or just above your web thickness if you're hand drilling then full size on the drill.

 

[8ob]

I am with @Guineafowl . Anything is better than nothing, I knocked up a mobile suds pump/squirty thing that I use on anything cutting/drilling that’s not got one on board, can be set to a drip, handy for the mag drills and small portable bandsaws.

Bob

 

[tom2207]

an old fashioned pump oil can does the trick for me ,,,,

 

[Pond frog]

I’m with knightly I rarely use anything if I’m doing a single hole just a pilot hole to match the web size.
If I’m doing multiple holes I will then switch to the anything method, usually wd 40 or 3 in 1, whichever is nearest to the drill.

 

[brightspark]

always use a dab of cutting compound also use it on hacksaw blades and taps and dies cutting anything thicker than 10mm .. cuts and drills faster with less effort and drag and teeth and cutting edges last 8 times longer .. why wouldnt you. a drop of oil if you have none

 

[Erie Fred]

Keep the chip color (if any) to a light straw color and you will be o.k.

 

[Bornfree]

Rocol RTD every time for me unless it's really thin stuff

 

[brightspark]

Rocol RTD every time for me unless it's really thin stuff

thats what i use i also have some mixed with rigid thread cutting liquid and it can be squirted on

 

[daleyd]

I’ve used nothing, and it works just fine but edges seem to last longer if you use “something”. For convenience I carry an aerosol can of ct90 I got from Screwfix/toolstation in the car, it’s easy to carry and clean, I tend to do a fair few holes and tapping in electrical panels for mounting din rail etc. A quick squirt is all you need.

I’ve also got a little pot of trefolex in the drill box which I top up from the tin at home, in the garage I’ve got a squirty bottle of rtd liquid but that’s a bit of a liability carrying it in the car, if it falls over.

 

[Puglet1]

Stepping up in sizes is a recipe for a grabbing drill. Pilot hole at or just above your web thickness if you're hand drilling then full size on the drill.

I learn something every day from this forum. I’ve always gone pilot then step up sizes.
Yes you are right, my drilling process does “grab” but after reading this post I hope future drilling will not

 

[knighty]

Re: stepping up in sizes... for me totally depends how thick the stuff im drilling is and how big he hole

With stainless ill step up sizes a lot more than with steel