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Drilling Stainless Steel
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From: Jim Lux [SMTP:jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net]
Sent: Friday, May 29, 1998 8:41 AM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: Drilling Stainless Steel
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>
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> From: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com [SMTP:terryf-at-verinet-dot-com]
> Sent: Thursday, May 28, 1998 4:50 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Drilling Stainless Steel
>
> Hi All,
> Like many people, I like to use two large 12 inch salad bowls as
a
> top terminal. For my new one, with built in current sensors, I had to
drill
> 5 holes through the bowls. WOW! was it hard. The stainless steel in
those
> things must be very high in chromium content or something. I trashed a
> number of nice drill bits. The titanium nitride bits work for a moment
then
> just slide on the surface. If anybody has any better ways to drill nice
> holes through this stuff, I would love to know about it.
leaving aside exotica like EDM, lasers, and diamond bits, you might try
heating the spot up with torch and letting it slowly cool. A real problem
with a drill that doesn't cut right through is that it starts to work
harden the metal, which then makes the drill cut slower, etc.
I assume you put some lubricant on the metal before drilling (oil, saliva,
whatever?)?
The other approach is a carbide grinder bit in a dremel or equivalent. For
hard metals, it is usually easier to grind than drill.
>