Drilling stainless / what pillar drill?

I'm sure that will be fine unless you need holes larger than 12mm. I got a Lidl one for half that price and it had a bendy pressed steel table rather than cast iron. It still managed to drill lots of 16mm holes in 5mm mild steel although it did struggle a bit. It also did fine with 8mm holes in 6mm stainless. I wish I had spent a bit more but you need to draw the line somewhere.
Important to get a good drill press vice and cutting oil and with sharp good quality drill bits you will have no problems. For serious fabrication you need a heavier more rigid drill but for occaisional DIY use it will do the job.
 
One that has a slow speed and a table that you can clamp the workpiece on.

Sharp good quality drills, cobalt are excellent for this. The object is not to heat up the workpiece or the drill hence slow speed, cutting fluid is excellent for an industrial application where you can collect and recycle it but unlikely or messy in a domestic set up.
 
Minerva said:
I need to make a number of brackets out off 5 or 6mm thick 316 SS flat bar.

I know this is not a job for my battery makita so change to buy a new toy.

Is one of these sufficient or so I need to go higher quality?

Clarke CDP5RB 5 Speed Bench Mounted Pillar Drill (230V) - Machine Mart

Is need something better, what sort of specs should I be looking for?
Click to expand...

I have had one of those for twenty years and it has been fine. Clamp your brackets to the table securely; this cutting paste is widely used in industry where tool life is a priority:

Pardon our interruption...

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I have the same drill - nowt wrong with it at all, though there have been times when a longer pillar would’ve been handy but I’ve never got round to buying a longer bit of tube.

I use old engine oil as cutting fluid.
 
Minerva said:
I need to make a number of brackets out off 5 or 6mm thick 316 SS flat bar.

I know this is not a job for my battery makita so change to buy a new toy.

Is one of these sufficient or so I need to go higher quality?

Clarke CDP5RB 5 Speed Bench Mounted Pillar Drill (230V) - Machine Mart

Is need something better, what sort of specs should I be looking for?
Click to expand...
I used to have something similar to that. Changing the speed involves removing the top cover and swapping belts around. Fine if you will rarely swap materials - a PITA if you do it a lot. I will have drilled 6mm holes in 5mm stainless with it. It gets there with the right bits and lots of cutting fluid/coolant. I got rid of it in a house move as I no longer had a garage but I’ve not missed it - if I was going to make brackets then rather than £100 drill + expensive drill bits etc I’d just go to a local machine shop and pay them.
 
Thanks all - I need to check the dimensions but most should be 8mm holes with one probably 10mm - maybe 11 or 12mm though
 
I have a similar one, baught of eBay for £15, really usefull and has done many jobs to a max of 14mm, belts can slip if push it too hard so just take it steady. Fir the job you have I would speak to a local engineering guy, they would do it quicker and for not a lot of cash if you prepped the work
 
How about a second hand one.

Pardon our interruption...

Mine is an old industrial one my wife bought me for a birthday present from a tool recycling business for £60. I stripped it down and cleaned and greased it, spray painted all the relevant bits and it’s been a welcome addition to the workshop for the last twenty plus years.
 
PetiteFleur said:
Perhaps getting a local engineering company to drill them for you? Could be cheaper than buying a pillar drill.
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Yes, but a pillar drill is probably the second most useful fixed tool in a boat owners shop, IMO. They can do a lot more than drill.

Like many tools, remember to spend some money on the tooling to go with it. Only then will you realize the full value.
  • A light. Safety.
  • Vice-grip type table clamp. Safety. Work can spin viciously and hands can be badly injured. Pretty common.
  • Drill press vice.
  • V-blocks.
  • sanding and grinding adapters, and the jigs that go with them (you can make these).

(A large machinist's vice is the first IMO.)
 
Post 7 and 8 (far as I read) state the necessary facts.

A hand drill will do it with correct drill bit (and a lot of time and energy),

But drill bit, method, lubrication etc are key.

I never had a pillar drill when I began sailing eons ago, but had to drill two bits of stainless of same thickness.

One piece was easy with cheap battery hand held drill, other took a lot longer - I found out from experts at my club it was a very tough (or grade) of stainless.

Fortunately I was using top quality drill bits (why bother buying anything else?)

Still got the job done with a handheld (battery) drill.

If have a pillar drill, well, you are very sorted and an easy job awaits.

Bit like a band saw; I managed for years without, but once obtained, jobs were SO much easier.
 
A related question if I may, how do you know that you are buying good quality drill bits these days? Is it just price, and if so what’s a reasonable guide?
 
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