# Drilling Steel Studs



## Marquise (Sep 1, 2011)

I need to find something new to drill steel studs for waste and vent. There seems to be new tools coming up all the time. I had a steel eater kit but it did not last. It was expensive for how many jobs we used it with. Any suggestions?


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## sikxsevn (Jun 23, 2009)

Marquise said:


> I need to find something new to drill steel studs for waste and vent. There seems to be new tools coming up all the time. I had a steel eater kit but it did not last. It was expensive for how many jobs we used it with. Any suggestions?


If your drilling lots of holes, O/A torch or a plasma cutter is the way to go. If your dealing with thin sheetmetal(paper walls) then a stud punch ad knockout set works well too

There's also the option of a unibit and a hydraulic knockout set for the thicker stuff

Holesaws are for apprentices


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

A GOOD plasma cutter is going to be the fastest for production. If we are talking 2 or 3 holes per jobsite then a holesaw is the best bet.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

Protech said:


> A GOOD plasma cutter is going to be the fastest for production. If we are talking 2 or 3 holes per jobsite then a holesaw is the best bet.


 agreed


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## sikxsevn (Jun 23, 2009)

Protech said:


> A GOOD plasma cutter is going to be the fastest for production. If we are talking 2 or 3 holes per jobsite then a holesaw is the best bet.


Have your helper do it lol


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## c-note (Aug 12, 2011)

Lennox hole saws work great for larger sizes.Stud punch is fast for smaller diameter


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## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

I use a greenlee stud punch. you can just make a couple holes touching each other to fit a drain pipe through.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Plasma cutter, on a twenty story building it will pay for itself ten times over.


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## 100 Watt (Aug 11, 2011)

Metal stud punch is all we use. Of course this is for thin metal studs 18-22ga. Need a bigger hole just punch a few together. The pipe insulators for waterlines are made for them and when it gets dull I touch it up with a dremel.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

For 20 gauge this is the only way to go:









For thicker metal, a portable plasma cutter is the ticket:
http://www.millerwelds.com/products/plasma/product.php?model=M13811


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