I'd second using aluminum over stainless steel. Stainless steel is a far more difficult a material to work with.
Winch backing plates
- Thread starter Blitz
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drilling Stainless
Yes, use titanium coated drill bits, and avoid drilling at high speeds! Almost every 3/8" electric drill out there is way too fast for most metal work. Stainless is a 'gummy' metal alloy and will smear itself on the cutting edges til they heat up and burn to uselessness. Slowest setting on a drill press or a light touch on the variable trigger should prolong your too life. Even then, stainless can be a pain!
Yes, use titanium coated drill bits, and avoid drilling at high speeds! Almost every 3/8" electric drill out there is way too fast for most metal work. Stainless is a 'gummy' metal alloy and will smear itself on the cutting edges til they heat up and burn to uselessness. Slowest setting on a drill press or a light touch on the variable trigger should prolong your too life. Even then, stainless can be a pain!
Bob—
Generally, for cutting stainless steel, cobalt drill bits are generally what is recommended, not titanium nitride coated bits. Cobalt bits are harder IIRC. You need to work at a speed slow enough so that you can see the flutes on the drill as it rotates.
BTW, the real problem isn't that stainless steel is a gummy metal alloy—it is that stainless steel work hardens due to the friction and heat caused by the rotating drill bit. This is why cutting fluid and slow drill speeds are recommended—to prevent the stainless steel from work hardening. Hardened metals are far more difficult to cut through than non-hardened metals, regardless of the cause of the hardening.
Generally, for cutting stainless steel, cobalt drill bits are generally what is recommended, not titanium nitride coated bits. Cobalt bits are harder IIRC. You need to work at a speed slow enough so that you can see the flutes on the drill as it rotates.
BTW, the real problem isn't that stainless steel is a gummy metal alloy—it is that stainless steel work hardens due to the friction and heat caused by the rotating drill bit. This is why cutting fluid and slow drill speeds are recommended—to prevent the stainless steel from work hardening. Hardened metals are far more difficult to cut through than non-hardened metals, regardless of the cause of the hardening.
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