Fast cutting drill bit for mild steel

I don't remember how thick the material you're drilling is. Something like a truck frame or something?

Anyway, you want a drill with some speed. Nothing less than 2000 RPM. Also grind a more aggressive clearance angle on your drill bit. Given the faster drill and more clearance, you'll get less cutting edge life on the drill bit but you'll be more comfortable while it's working. I'd get 5 drill bits and switch them as they wear out while you're doing your drilling. Once all five are dull, regrind them all at once to save travel time to and from the grinder.

I'd seriously consider investing time in making some type of simple lever. Given your situation, you'll find the difference astonishing. It's the difference between 5 holes/hour and 50, seriously. You could make some type of rigid post, one end with a 90º which will fit into previously drilled #1 holes, and the other end with a simple joint and the lever arm.

Regards,

Robin

Eric, that job sounds like pure misery unless you can devise a rig to help you do it. Can you use the surface that's in the way to push against? Fasten a right-angle drill to the lift point on a small scissors jack, use another drill to drive the jack, and still work from beside the drill but not trying to apply force yourself?

The only consistant surface that I can think of is the surface of the blade body on the underblade (grader blade) that they call the moldboard (don't ask). Maybe I could use a couple of magnetic bases like those used with dial indicators as the fulcrum for a lever to force a right angle drill. After reading your pose, Fred, I took a couple of those that I have and checked what force I could put on them straight up. It is approaching 50 lbs, so it might work. I think I will check this out a little further.

222 79198 body The only consistant surface that I can think of is the surface of the blade body on the underblade (grader blade) that they call the moldboard (don't ask). Maybe I could use a couple of magnetic bases like those used with dial indicators as the fulcrum for a lever to force a right angle drill. After reading your pose, Fred, I took a couple of those that I have and checked what force I could put on them straight up. It is approaching 50 lbs, so it might work. I think I will check this out a little further.

Robin had some outstanding advice-----but you may be able to achieve success using nothing more than a split point drill. They reduce cutting pressure tremendously and are readily available. They can even be reground by hand if you have the patience and steadiness (and a sharp corner of the wheel).

Harold

According to Eric Anderson :

Look into a split-point sharpened drill bit. Go to MSC (or some other vendor of your choice) and order a package of 10 (or 12 -- whatever the standard is in that size). If you've got a *lot* of work to do, get several packages. You'll work faster if you toss the drill when it just barely starts to get dull instead of trying to stretch more life out of a worn bit. And the split point significantly reduces the force needed to properly feed the drill bit.

Enjoy, DoN.

At the very least, give yourself a break by drilling a smaller hole, and then going up to the final size.

Man, it looks like all great advice. I am going to look into a pack of split point #1 & 1/8" drills at McMaster Carr and trying the fulcrum idea. As I said in my previous post, I think I will try the magnetic base to create a fulcrum first, but McMaster Carr has some real powerful (like 200 lbs) releasable magnets at about $200.

It's amazing what a length of 2 x 4 can do for you in a situation like this. Just use the stick to apply pressure to the backside of the drill by prying against something close to the location. Build up whatever you need to do the job, but the added pressure makes a quick job of it. HTH Ken.

Moldboard - just like the corresponding part on a plow, no problem!

Glad it sparked a thought; 240 holes sideways at full arm extension just sounded terrible.

Eric, I can't picture what exactly your space constraints are, but here's another idea for applying pressure. HF and Wilmar and Sears all offer a miniature racing hydraulic jack that works like the big ones. It's aluminum, bolts together, removable handle etc. the base is approx

10 inches long. It might make a basis for a force-application tool in tight quarters. Magnet attached to the lift pad, right-angle drill extension attached to the base?

I've used mine to reposition bench lathes and raise them for shims. They are also pretty cute to look at and play with, so I have a virgin copy on the bookshelf

- - Rex Burkheimer Fort Worth TX

Eric Anders> The only consistant surface that I can think of is the surface of the

What everyone else said about the lever and fulcrum. Since magnetic base seems to be a problem, how about a bar several feet long that clamps over the top and bottom of the plow. It might have to have some feet or brackets to get it postioned correctly. (a picture is worth a thousand words on this on!) Sounds like a lot of work to build but if reduces a horrible job to something simple it's worth it.

As another thought, how about a very long extension? I have a piece of

1/2" cold rolled with a coupl> I need a #1drill to put a hole in some mild steel in cramped quarters.

When you posted with this problem a month ago, you got 25 replies. If your question wasn't answered then, I don't think that it will be now. But good luck. Bob