Drilling (or burning) large holes???

[J_J]

The OP did say: [ setting up a shop for fabrication ]

So it would be logical to recommend tools for that project.

 

[grsthegreat]

The OP did say: [ setting up a shop for fabrication ]

So it would be logical to recommend tools for that project.

If J.J. said it it cant be wrong .

 

[k0ua]

I have the Bosch hole saw set, with the quick change adaptors, (wife bought it for me, I would never spend the money) It is still going strong, as other have said, slowest speed on drill press, and lots of lube and dont crowd it, dont heat it up, and they will last a good long time. Bosch or Lennox I think are both good sets.

James K0UA

 

[wdchyd]

I've never tried it but a welder friend once told me if you take 6011 and soak them in water that they will cut better when cranking the amps......

Don't recall if AC or DC....:confused2:

 

[mjncad]

MJNCAD,
I don't want to scare off the O/P, but judging from the finished product in that hook you posted the picture of, I would say you might have messed with a little bit of metal before...
A lot of patience goes a long way when working with metal, doesn't it?
David from jax

Thanks David, and you're right that patience is the key. I have tons to learn about metal fabrication. I like working with metal; but am lousy with wood. I find it frustrating.

All good advice guys! A torch is certainly on my list of future tools (as is a plasma cutter, bigger compressor, mag drill, etc. etc. etc!) But I am getting some good ideas. And yes, the hole I had in mind is 2" and will just allow for a shaft to penetrate supported by a bearing, so burning it with a welder may be a way to try, or the hole saw option. I appreciate all the feedback and have learned alot by each response, so thanks and keep the info coming!

A 2" hole saw will do just fine.

And which hole-saws are preferred? The standard bi-metal? or another poster mentioned a carbide. I could not find that brand.

On a drill press, I assume you just clamp the work down, run it slowly, and flood it with cutting oil?

The bi-metal saws will be just fine. Yes, clamp the work down good and tight, run the 2" saw at your drillpress' slowest speed (probably ~200 RPM), flood with cutting oil, or even motor oil; just use something to keep the saw cool. A toothbrush is good for brushing away chips. Compressed air is handy too; but it will send oily chips everywhere...ask me how I know.

Remember, hole saws are not the most accurate cutting tool compared to annular cutters and boring bars on a mill; but they work well for this kind of work. The only other downside is they are time consuming and the hole may or may not need further work to remove the burrs.

 

[Soundguy]

The OP did say: [ setting up a shop for fabrication ]

So it would be logical to recommend tools for that project.

"slowly" setting up a shop for fab.

then mentioned a very few incedental jobs needing a few holes.

then asked about a hole saw.. and mentioned the welder.

sure sounds like a recipie for a few hundred dollars of victor equipment and owner or lease bottles vs the 25$ alternative ????????

no wonder this site has the reputation for spending other peoples money at a rate faster than howitzer shells were used on the opening hours of d-day....

soundguy

 

[Grayson Klassen]

I still say the Walter carbide hole cutters are the best for a precision hole, same deal go slow use cutting fluid, the differences are that the walter is all one piece and doesn't flex like bi-metal saws. I use drills up to 1-1/8 and hole saws after that.

Once you have tried the walter bits Lennox will be like using a cold chizel :laughing::laughing::laughing::thumbsup:

Champions tools makes them too 1-13/16 was 40 bucks online

 

[sandman2234]

Just food for thought, speeds and feeds charts are available all over the internet, and although a good word of advice is to run the drill press on it's slowest setting, a better word of advice would be to tell somebody to calculate the correct cutter speed and go with that. Most of us tend to run cutters about 50% faster than they should be run, at least for the larger sizes, and we run the smaller ones too slow, so the best bet is to find out what it should be run at and get as close as possible.
My drill press goes down to 40rpms, which is slower than most.
David from jax

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I've seen it mentioned, but I' figured I'd weigh in...
Durabilty of Holesaws....Like any other tool, if you take care of em, you'll get PLENTY of nice clean holes...certianly enough to "Pay for itself" so I wouldnt say they're expensive in that sense...I've drilled a BUNCH of holes with mine and they're still sharp as new. Key is KEEP THEM COOL. So that brings me to part 2...Cutting Oil. I've not tried a specially formulated oil, thats one of them things I keep saying I need to get but always forget to get some...but anywho, i've found so far the best thing I've used as a cutting oil is Windshield Wash Fluid...Cheap & Easily available... Even after cutting a 2" hole in 3/8" Plate, my hole saw is still cool enough to touch by hand.

Side Note...if theres a sharpening service in your area, check them out, Many sharpening services will sharpen holesaws...I've not needed to sharpen any of mine yet, but if you dont overheat & burn em up, you should be able to sharpen them and get a buch more use out of them.

 

[Soundguy]

Just food for thought, speeds and feeds charts are available all over the internet, and although a good word of advice is to run the drill press on it's slowest setting, a better word of advice would be to tell somebody to calculate the correct cutter speed and go with that. Most of us tend to run cutters about 50% faster than they should be run, at least for the larger sizes, and we run the smaller ones too slow, so the best bet is to find out what it should be run at and get as close as possible.
My drill press goes down to 40rpms, which is slower than most.
David from jax

i've used a router speed control device on a drill press before to get slower speeds than the standard pulley/ belt setups can give. I find most consumer grade drill presses are not suited for drilling metal , if you look at check speed.

for oil I use a real 'cutting' oil that I bought at the hardware store long ago.. bought in bulk.. am finally down to about a pint of it after 11 years.

I know some people use the water emulsions.. have tried those in one shop I worked at.. but not for my home setup.

for portable cutting / drilling, i use my standard bolt buster fluid i keep in a squirt bottle and custom mix. usually atf + 2 stroke oil, plus a lil naptha and either mineral spirits, diesel, or kerosene.. whatever I have on hand.

adds a lil lube, and flashes off pretty fast.. thus carrying heat.

soundguy