the author does like to from scratch, shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. ru-vid.comUgkxD-QRFQz730FJEh4f9BYSf-nkIMIC9hL_ as another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us dont have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we wont be able to practice the full stack project, is still great.
Tip…put a strong magnet in a plastic bag, near the hole. As you drill just push the swarf to the magnet. Afterwards turn the bag inside out, remove magnet and the metal particles are captured for disposal. NB: only works for iron and steel. Great video TY.
I often use a magnet clear swarf and filings from my workbench, I always struggle to clean the magnet afterwards. I will use method in future. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. 👍
This video really helped me today, thank you. Had to put 10 12mm holes through the vertical section of an RSJ. I turned the battery DeWalt down to the 1 setting and discovered it was most effective at full speed after lots of testing. The last few holes only took 2min each. That final bit can be dangerous though if it bites it can snap your wrist. Soon learnt to hold back the pressure toward the end but keep the speed up. Two cheap and cheerful Erbauer bits to do 10 holes, one got a damaged tip from the final bite.
When drilling through steel, depending on steel thickness it NEEDS a variable number of pilot drills. No matter how thick the steel start with a 1/16 or 3/16 twist drill. Use lots of cooling lubricant not grease. Each successive drill is twice the diameter of the previous drill continue this routine until you reach the required hole diameter. The slower the drill speed the better, DO USE FAST SPEEDS unless you want to blunt or break the twist drill. Be mindful as you approach the other side. The twist drill may catch, jam as the twist drill breaks through.
Not "needed"...sometimes preferred, but not necessary. Biggest reason for using a pilot hole is for better accuracy in the location of the final hole. With press and correct bits, go big. and...1 pilot max is needed. Any additional step-ups is just time and bits wasted. The cumulative materials excavated is equivalent. Not to mention greater risk for heat transfer which can alter the steel, essentially inadvertently annealing it.
@@danallen4131 “needed”is probably correct in terms of hand held drills, look at this loon laying on his drill, it’s not good for the drill,or matey’s elbows, sharp(new) bits and take just enough not to stress the drill motor for succeeding cuts. The answer is to perform the task without hurting the drill or yourself, the time it takes, is what it is. I have seen this done with chest braces and hand braces, and the trick is to take it easy. I personally am a fan of proper cobalt alloy drill bits, but honestly most of the time you don’t need them.
Excuse me Sir, instead of using a normal drill U would better use a Step drill. U get them in package of 3 for 9€ in a German supermarket. U don't need much pressure to drill even if U drill holes with a diameter up to 30mm and steel plate 12mm thick. The power U need, depends on the friction of the material with Your drill and the amount of material U take away by each step. I learned this by drilling holes in the boom of my sailing yacht.
@@cbdcann5148 Exactly that at high speed for the small one then slower for the 10mm drill bit but it doesn’t need to be as slow as he’s using it. It overheats when people aren’t putting enough pressure on and are just “rubbing” at high speed. I drill steel most days with pillar drills and on site with cordless drills.
Thankfully watched this before drilling my new seat base. Used your tips and worked like a dream. I would have been burning out bits and blaming them rather than my lack of knowledge. Cheers. 👍🏽
My top tip for drilling holes in steel beams, I get the supplier to drill them. I also sometimes get a hole drilled in each corner of the flange, I then attach some caster wheels if I need to move it and the ground is suitable.
Followed this and totally worked with a 2cm thick RSJ and my small Dewalt cordless driver. I found it easier though to drill a small hole first, open the hole with a cone bit and then use the larger drill bit. Keep speed slow and use plenty of lubricating oil.
Great video Stuart I used your technique to successfully drill through the axle of my boat trailer after a pesky split pin had managed to get jammed fast inside the original hole. And I've still got my drill bit! Your Proper Engineering and Proper DIY channels are two of my favourite channels - always look forward to your next videos.
Drilling a pilot hole will make drilling a larger hole in steel much easier. The reason being that the chisel edge located at the centre of twist drills has no cutting effect. A lot of pressure is required to force the chisel edge through the steel. A pilot hole the width of the chisel edge eliminates this problem. Therefore, choosing a pilot drill with a diameter the same size as the width of the chisel edge of the larger drill will greatly reduce the pressure needed for larger drills to cut through steel.
Recently started working in a fabrication shop and found that applying a small amount of pressure in the beginning and increasing it as you drill helps a lot
Honestly, I'm GLAD you showed us your jig. Not everyone has access to a drill press or a magnetic drill for everyday DIY use (or could afford one!) I sure don't! very helpful video!
Great advice, builder asked me to hire a magdrill, to drill steel. Decided to do it myself with this method. Saved myself £90. But more importantly I learnt how to drill steel. Cheers mate 👍
FANTASTIC Idea. I used it to drill a 5/16" hole through a 1.25" thick piece of steel after hand drilling a 1/8" pilot hole. I had been hand drilling prior and I still have a sore hand, a sore wrist and a sore neck from looking upwards while applying enough up pressure. I did ten holes that way before finding this video. Arghhh. I tried your version 1 and the drill bit was barely warm when I finished. I just now saw your second version. Another great solution to the problem I was having holding pressure on the hand clamp. Heading home now and I'll return tomorrow with another clamp and get those last 11 holes drilled. Thank you for sharing this technique.
Thank you so so much! I did it just about as you showed and was able to drill 20 holes with only one drill bit and with no real fatigue on me, either. I had actually put off the job for a while because I was dreading drilling these holes.
Followed your advice and managed to drill several holes in an RSJ with minimal effort. Those Bosch drill bits are the right ones for this kind of job. Many thanks
Best video I've found on the topic of drilling through steel without epicly expensive industrial equipment! Thanks a lot, will make my life a lot easier at home. Subscribed!
Thank you! Was trying to drill through steel at high speed with no success, just a smoking drill bit. As soon as I put it on to the lower setting and slowed down the rpm it worked a treat!
Followed the instructions in this youtube and worked perfectly to drill my lintel. Used HSS drill bit at slow speed and some WD40. Allowed me to fix my garage door frame that was sagging below the lintel. Thanks
Very excellent and marvellous. I have to drill 4 holes in the bucket of a (Takeuchi) digger. New Bosch bits, old corded Bosch drill with multiple adjustments-- thought I needed the permanence/ power of a corded tool. Didn't do a pilot. Oil, plenty of cooling stops. After an hour I didn't even make one hole! I'll try all the ideas I've found on the tube. Thank you, much.
That's the right way to drill through steel beams. I've had the "pleasure" to work with two brothers who would burn through drill bits at a high rate and would take an hour or so to make a hole and their cost per one hole was like 150€ which is insane. When told that they should do it slowly and steady they just couldn't understand it. With the proper way me and my father drilled 5-6 holes each in just an hour and using the same drill without destroying it, which give you 5-6 holes for about 75€ which is around 15€ per hole. 10x less. This simple knowledge makes it faster, less frustrating and stressful and also more easy physically.
Just by chance, I've seen this method of using a clamp to exert the pressure you need to drill through the steel, but what I've never known is "to drill at a slow speed" ...... such simple advice that will help me from this day on.
Thank you , sir, you just now saved me from doing this at home. I need to drill the holes in the beams so that i can use pulleys for my home gym, but looking at your video i realized that my original thoughts require more to it.
Totally agree about pressure and speed on steel drill hole, maybe start with a bit small than original hole will help a lote. Note that in big size drill bit the Sharp start a litlle up above the point of them. Fixing using a small drill bit first. Maybe because this you put a more pressure and the cut delay to start. Tks for sharing.
I use two bits, one smaller for the pilot hole. The other for the diameter. Use cobalt alloy drill bits. Dip them in lucas oil or other thick sticky grease. Drill slowly with firm pressure. You are doing it right when you get spiral chips.
Should always use a pilot drill for larger holes. The centre of a drill bit doesn't have a proper cutting edge if you look closely. It's more like a flat screwdriver end with the shape of a pitched house roof set at 120°. The larger bits have larger centres that don't cut easily so you make the job harder for yourself trying to push that through. Best to start with a smaller drill so the non cutting centre is much smaller so you don't need to push as hard. Use a higher speed for smaller drills too as the ideal cutting speed is a linear speed so related inversely to the diameter. With a pilot hole drilled the larger drill will self centre and not wander and the non cutting centre will be inside the pilot hole allowing the actual cutting edges milled to the flutes to properly engage with the edges of the hole and cut efficiently - not waiting for the metal under the pointed centre to be burred out of the way. It will be so much quicker you probably won't need your jacking arrangement.
All your videos are so helpful Stuart; thank you for taking the time and trouble to create brilliantly thought out and informative videos. I've been fitting some conservatory blinds within a window recess and needed to screw into an extremely tough old lintel. After jamming and snapping two basic DeWalt HSS bits, blunting a new CK HSS bit and another Bosch bit, I tried a HSS PointTeQ. It performed really well, lasting much longer than all the others and helped me finish the job. Keep up the great work!
This helped me sooooo very much..Thank you!!!!!…I was going thru wood to attach it to steel (cedar slats on an iron frame gate) and didn’t think I was making enough or quick progress..the wd40 made a huge difference..it takes a lot but it worked..thanks again🙏🏽👍🏾
Thank you ! The amount of drill bits I've gone through, u made it look so easy. I got some work to do on a truck body and this really helps, thanks again.
I love your initiative of making such a jig.... it’s only by trial and error you move forward.... but the fact you’ve used your brain with your experience in construction is remarkable and encouraging. Spot on. I will be watching more of your videos 👍🏽👌🏽
Thank you. This is genius. I built a version of this with supplies I already had in my shop. The low speed suggestion is particularly telling. My drill press only goes down to 760 RPM and I am discovering that is too fast and wears out my bits. Thanks again. Genius.
Clever. I just purchased a box of screws from Simpson, here in the States, that have a 1/2", or 12 mm carbide drill. These are for use with the Simpson Quickdrive System, and are collated in plastic strips. You clamp your wood piece to the steel and drill through both with this self tapping and threading screw. Pretty slick. It is driven by a drywall screw gun.
Fantastic video. Very helpful and well presented. I didn't know about magnetic drills until you mentioned them. I did a little research and man do those things rock. I suspect for a few holes of minimal diameter, your manual approach is reasonable. But the amount of pressure you need to apply undoubtedly grows exponentially as the the diameter of the desired hole increases. I think this technique of yours becomes impractical as you go much above the 9mm hole you demonstrated. But again, very useful information and a great technique for the right-sized application.Thanks!
Drilled 30 holes through 10mm thick steel beam , battery drill , 11mm holes , 1 DECENT Dormer drill bit , high speed , no lubricant - didnt have any issues at all apart from batteries running out
Speed kills. Finally explained all my dead drill bits and why I started buying 'holes', yes, I would weld on washers when possible to avoid drilling and killing..yet another bit. Thanks! PS, I thought you were going to wrap a bungee cord around the drill handle and beam to apply elastic force.
Good tips, which I used too. But I recently had to drill 18 mm holes through steel beams from the side. It was for pvc tubes, for electric wiring. I did it on a ladder and leaned into the drill, to put as much pressure on the bit as I could. An I drilled it with 8 mm first and then 12 mm an 18 mm last. Apparently I'm Arnie Schwartzenecker. But I wish I had a top-tip like this for it.
Good advice, thanks for a good explanation. Pilot drills and a lubricant like CUT-IT are the way to go, also beware of brushing steel swarf away with your fingers as it will be sharp ! Better to use a brush and dustpan.
Very informative and helpful, and most innovative. Regarding devising ways and means to cope with unusual circumstances (i.e. relieving pressure on your hand to hold the drill in that awkward position and also to generate sufficiently necessary upward pressure for the overhead drill force ) my Dad would have raised a glass to you in what he called "making bread out of stone" by the use of your self-designed jury-rigging to hold the drill in place and use of the clamps to maintain pressure. Well done my son.
I was taught to use a pilot drill the thickness of the twistdrill web, but yes breakage of the pilot drill is a common occurrence and the use of swear words when this happens is also a common occurrence. Great videos
@@ProperDIY I think as long as chips are coming off you don't necessarily need a pilot. Sometimes it's hard to get a hole started if the steel is very hard, but it also helps to have a really good set of Cobalt drill bits in those situations.
It’s all about cutting velocity. Pilot bits therefore need a faster speed than a bigger bit. My current favourite drills are the DeWalt** with a double tip. The point has a smaller diameter that pre-drills the hole. But even they work better with a 3 or 4 mm pilot hole. ** Other brands a probably available.
The jig and clamp is a nice idea, but it would be quicker and safer all round to drill a pilot hole. For 9mm holes, a 4mm drill on as high a speed as possible would require hardly any force at all. Putting that much pressure on the drill isn’t necessary. Drill speed is your friend. The correct speed for a 9mm drill is closer to 1000rpm. Use cutting oil and you’ll go through it like butter. Proper safety glasses are a must, and please be careful wiping away swarf with bare hands. It can be mega hot and razor sharp!!
It has been mentioned elsewhere, but it is worth stressing that it is far easier to drill a pilot hole first. Generally speaking 5-6mm (say1/4”) is a good size, the purpose being to avoid the chisel-like centre of the larger drill having to be forced through the metal. Some say to drill through in small increments until you get the large target size. As an engineer and a model engineer, I can say that this is absolutely not necessary, and it is also an expensive option. Others have said, quite correctly, that cutting oil is beneficial, but to be honest, if you don’t have any don’t rush out to buy some - any oil is better than none! Finally, and here I take issue with at least one other, a good quality drill is a true investment and do avoid those from China that are made from hard cheese. We had a fitter come to fit roller blinds to the underside of an RSJ and I watched as he drilled away with a cheap 5mm drill at high speed. Eventually I took pity and gave him a Dormer 4-facet drill and told him to reduce the speed. He was simply astonished at how easily the holes were formed, and I told him where to buy one from (approx. £5). Since he would be drilling the same size every day I suggested that a Dormer Cobalt drill would be even better and longer lasting (approx. £7). I have never used them but I reckon that Bosch would be a good second choice to Dormer (and far more readily available). Incidentally, if you are drilling stainless steel (SS) then beware. It work-hardens very readily which means that if you let the drill bit spin without cutting (because you haven’t applied enough pressure) then the SS will become too hard to cut and your drill will immediately become blunt.
I tried a pilot hole off camera to start with and to be honest all it did was slow the process down. To drill the main 10mm hole only took about 1 minute so to drill a smaller hole to start with then dismantle the rig and put in a new bit and set up again just added time to the process.
Hi Stuart, as a subscriber to Proper Dubai (you were responsible for me staying at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi which I thank you for) I was more than happy to come across your latest channel. Subscribed.
Oh wow - that's a first! Thank you for watching both - sort of 2 totally different subjects but I know a little bit about both. I hope you enjoyed Etihad Towers - I now feel responsible for the quality of your stay!
@@ProperDIY Ha Ha no worries Stuart, fantastic place. Aiming to go back when possible. Will you still be doing the travel vlogs when things settle down ? Always found them very informative.
@@mbp1505 Yes I intend to keep going once things have got back to normal. I've also got a few recorded but not edited - will have to get around to finishing them and getting them publish once I'm not in the workshop cutting up timber!
When you want to cut in metal (drilling is cutting in metal) there is a thing called cutting speed for your tool, it depend on the metal you are cutting into and the metal that are doing the cutting, and in this case my ballpark figure says 25 meters pr minute, to find the rpm we could use "cutting speed" x 1000 / drill diameter x 3.14, = 884 rpm, so with your Dewalt on low speed (0-450 rpm) you could give it full speed no problem.
And if you're out on site and don't have a small drill bit to do a pilot hole here is an alternative way to drill your hole successfully by the looks of things thanks for sharing mate enjoyed it 👍
Good tips and ideas, I always like your ways of overcoming problems. Personally, from my days as a fitter I would use a pilot drill and step to finish size, we even did this with a drilling machine. 3mm, 6mm, 10mm, something like that. Bit of a factoid, in metal work the 'bit' is called the drill, the thing that turns it is the machine. So if you ask an engineer for a drill he'll ask what size. Ask him for a ruler and he'll say the Queen.. followed by, did you mean a rule.!
Starting with smaller drill bit will help you get start and work faster with less effort, the you can fit your original sizing bit to thr small hole that already exist.
Omg thanks for this I'm building my own workshop and need to drill through several steel I beams to build walls and attach shelves. It took me ages just to drill through the steel brackets to attach the wood beams to the steel just now so was dreading drilling the steel I beams. I will try you tips tomorrow.
Correct cutting speeds and use oil on Tip to keep it cool. Pilot drill and open up. Dont play with swarf use a brush. Wear safety goggles, when drill bits snap....... Support the drill to prevent over shooting and punching the chuck into your work.
Yeah really good. I was always in the faster faster camp! Always happy to learn though. Cheers Stuart. BTW. Are bank safe's made of the same grade steel? 😁
Great video PD some great information there mate I used to be a driller in the shipyard & I used to a piece of timber with a steel hook through it at one end & it was called a swage stick the steel hook would be placed on to the flange of the rsj & the timber was used to form a fulcrum at the back of the drill & i would apply pressure on the timber using my shoulder
Yes got it! I suppose any way to exert pressure safety is the way to go - my way was maybe a bit 'Heath Robinson' but it gives the average DIY'er some ideas.
I needed to drill into some steel to cut a section out to run some piping for a/c,managed to get 9 holes drilled with a cobalt bit before it wouldn't cut anymore
Hai I'm sorry but my father god rest his soul taught me that the best way is to start drill with a smaller drill bit and then past to a bigger drill bit . By the way i like watching your films .
I would start with a 1/8" bit, then a 1/4" bit, then the finished size that is needed. Or Goggle Cole Drill and you could dill by hand no power tools needed. Play safe from Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada.
