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Drilling Stainless Steel




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From:  Jim Lux [SMTP:jimlux@earthlink.net]
Sent:  Friday, May 29, 1998 8:41 AM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: Drilling Stainless Steel


> 
> 
> ----------
> From:  terryf@verinet.com [SMTP:terryf@verinet.com]
> Sent:  Thursday, May 28, 1998 4:50 PM
> To:  tesla@pupman.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.
>