# Drilling stainless



## billy_awesome (Dec 19, 2011)

Anyone have any good tips on drilling stainless sheeting?

Mounted a wall hung sink today and I had to drill threw a heavy duty gauge stainless sheet to get to my backing, I pulled out the cobalt bit, used a lot of pressure, straight, and slow speed, worked good for a few holes but I ended up burning out 2 bits that were 40 dollars each.

Let me know your tips.....thanks


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Fill your bits with small pieces of ice. Your bits will last a long time.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Slow and lots of oil. They make oil special for stainless but I am not sure if it is really any better. I think I use Titanium/cobalt. They are gold and black bits.

I have heard a lot of oil and cheap bits will work if it is slow and the bit stays cool.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

Drill in steps. Start small and move up slowly to the desired size. Not only will this help to save your bits, it will help to insure you stay centered. And yes, as with all metals, drill slowly.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

If it is just to screw a sink to a wall, they make clip on brackets that have a hole in them to secure the sink to the wall. Or if I am in a bind, I have been known to use a few 3/8 self tapping screws to make the hole.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

Plasma cutter


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

I use "cone bits" or "step bits" for this. They work well if you go slow and keep the work cool.

You will essentially get a couple holes out of a bit before they are no longer aggressive enough for stainless so, I charge the cost of the bit to the job.

Lennox makes decent ones.

They are still great afterward for drilling acrylic tubs and showers.


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## billy_awesome (Dec 19, 2011)

I was trying to cool the bit by opening one of the R19 valves and dipping it in water, but maybe using small bits and working up is the best bet.

Thanks all for the help


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## rombo (Jul 17, 2008)

I like to use a cutting paste instead of oil. Lather lots on your bit. Then a it heats up it will liquefy and feed your contact point.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

rombo said:


> I like to use a cutting paste instead of oil. Lather lots on your bit. Then a it heats up it will liquefy and feed your contact point.


Any particular brand?


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## rombo (Jul 17, 2008)

No not really. They usually come in 10oz tubes and last years. I can check what the brand I currently have is.


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## rombo (Jul 17, 2008)

Alternatively if you have to drill your material in the vertical position, a marble size piece of paste is perfect if you stick about a 1/4" above.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Have someone with a spray bottle, with water to keep it cool. Non stop spraying...

Plan for extra bits...

Go slow...


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## Pipeman77 (Jun 2, 2012)

Try using a grinder to get through the stainless if its in a spot that you can hide it or go to Brafasco and get one of there stainless steel drill bits. One of the H&K guys gave me one and its the cats whiskers it will go through stainless steel and tile like it was going through wood i have had it for about 6 months now and keep it hidden so the guys i work with won`t steal it.


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## user7551 (Oct 21, 2011)

http://www.forneyind.com/catalog/de...rial_pro_eez_foamy_spray_cutting_fluid_17_oz/

These types of products are best for what your trying to do , it is a foam material that sticks to you bit while your drilling , I have used this product while I was drilling 1" holes in a 4" ( 3/8" thickness steel) gas line with a regular bi-metal hole saw bit. I was able to drill about 15 holes with 1 bit to install our tee lets. A good place to find multiple brands of this style of spray foam is Grainger.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

playme1979 said:


> http://www.forneyind.com/catalog/de...rial_pro_eez_foamy_spray_cutting_fluid_17_oz/
> 
> These types of products are best for what your trying to do , it is a foam material that sticks to you bit while your drilling , I have used this product while I was drilling 1" holes in a 4" ( 3/8" thickness steel) gas line with a regular bi-metal hole saw bit. I was able to drill about 15 holes with 1 bit to install our tee lets. A good place to find multiple brands of this style of spray foam is Grainger.


I used that for coring 1-1/8" holes in porcelain American Standard toilet tanks several years ago. It worked great.


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## user7551 (Oct 21, 2011)

Widdershins said:


> I used that for coring 1-1/8" holes in porcelain American Standard toilet tanks several years ago. It worked great.


Yea its good stuff , not cheap but works . I keep a can of it on my truck.Grainger carrys a yellow labeled can that works great. I have never had to drill porcelain that would be interesting to see.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Only thing to add that hasn't been said is use plumbers putty to make a small "volcano" around the bit and fill with cutting oil. I also used to have bunch of 3/8 and 1/4 bits. Soon as one got dull, change it out for a fresh one and sharpen the dull one with a drill doctor.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

playme1979 said:


> Yea its good stuff , not cheap but works . I keep a can of it on my truck.Grainger carrys a yellow labeled can that works great. I have never had to drill porcelain that would be interesting to see.


They were vintage American Standard Monaco toilets from the early 30's that filled from the top, which was essentially a cross connection. I think there were 6 of them.

It was a gut and remodel, but they wanted to reuse all of the original plumbing fixtures, so I had to bring them up to code by drilling holes in the bottoms of the tanks and retrofitting them with Fluidmaster Ballcocks. The bottoms of the tanks were about 3/4" thick -- I'd never seen anything like it.

The photo's are 'borrowed' from an ebay seller, but they give you an idea which toilets I'm talking about.


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## Terb (Jun 6, 2012)

I have had the best luck using these bits on stainless.

http://www.irwin.com/tools/drill-bits/unibit-cobalt-step-drill


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Petroleum based oil is not a good cutting lubricant, I use cutting lubricant designed for metal cutting machinery when I have to drill hardened metals.


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## Adamche (Feb 10, 2012)

If you want a seriously sharp Bit for stainless, buy a standard tungsten carbide masonry bit (NOT ROTARY HAMMER SDS TYPE) and sharpen it as you would a standard HSS bit. Go slow, lots of pressure, plenty of cutting fluid. if the stainless heats up , thats it game over. It has "work hardened" and you will have to grind it out with a pencil grinder or dremel!


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## davjowett (Jan 22, 2012)

I once had to drill two 1-1/8" holes in 30 stainless steel valve boxes. I used a hydraulic knockout kit. Electricians typically use them for their panels. I bought one and it worked great. Still had to use a pilot but to get it set up, a little bit of nuclear cutting oil and a sharp bit blew right through.


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