Drilling Hole In Sheet Metal

When drilling thin sheet metal clamp the metal over a piece of sacrificial plywood or other flat sheet good like mdf or particleboard to help prevent the bit from tearing up the hole.

Drilling hole in sheet metal.

You start off by drilling a small diameter pilot hole and then drill gradually larger holes until you get. The smaller drill bit puts less pressure on the metal and allows you to drill larger holes easier later on. Piercing cutting and drilling sheet metal is an integral part of metalsmithing. They re just the thing when you need a perfectly sized clean hole in a steel junction box electrical service panel or even a stainless steel sink.

But once you get to know the tools whatever your budget and how to use them you can start creating holes in sheet metal quickly and accurately. Step drill bits are designed to drill holes in sheet metal and other thin materials. Drilling a hole in sheet metal with a twist drill is a rather straightforward operation. X research source for example if you want the hole to be 1 2 inch 1 3 cm at the end start by drilling a hole that s 1 4 inch 0 64 cm.

The diameter of this pilot hole should be slightly larger than the chisel length picture below of the final bit. For holes up to 19mmø i would suggest starting with a piece approximately 100mm 4. This can cause corrosion rust to form in and around the hole. For the cleanest hole clamp a second piece on top of the metal making a sacrificial sandwich.

Than drill a smaller hole to guide the final drill bit. A step drill bit for metal allows you to drill holes in a variety of diameters and some will drill through. After you drill the hole it is possible to provide adequate corrosion protection for the drilled. It may seem daunting at first something as simple as learning how to cut a hole in sheet metal can seem like a tall order.