Mag Drill Comments

[lennyzx11]

After wanting a magnetic drill for years and years, I just ordered an Evolution Mag42 Magnetic drill and a set of annular cutters.

For the price, I sure hope to not have buyers remorse!

Any comments, tips, etc are appreciated.

I have some projects in mind that I think it will help me a lot.

Lenny

 

[oldnslo]

If being used vertical I would suggest a chain or strap tied to something to keep it from falling if you lose power or magnet is accidentally shut off. Maybe even two people or a lift to help hold the weight and position on vertical application since those drills get heavy and in my experience are awkward weight to handle.

Also look at thickness of material the magnet is sitting on. I have put additional plate on back to increase magnetic clamp capacity. I.e. sitting on 3/8" plate added addition 1/2" plate made a world of difference in magnetic holding power.

 

[mrmikey]

Make sure it's solid, any shaking at all and the cutters will shatter.
As OS said above, a backup catcher in case the magnet lets go either thru loss of power or pushing too hard and thickness helps.
Keep the coolant to it, not lots, just steady, I've had good luck with anything sulpherized, the cutting oil for the Rigid pipe cutters works well although messy.
If you're cutting thru something double, a double frame for instance, make sure you get the cutters sharpened the correct way so the inner lip cuts first. Regular grind will cut but the slug breaks free from the main body first and starts spinning with the cutter overheating if you don't realize it's thru. It leaves a thin lip attached to the slug, looks like a top hat and the teeth with catch the thin lip and it'll spin. If you can tell when the slug breaks free you can use a regular grind but you have to be aware.
Be sure to keep feed pressure on it, if you let it bear without cutting, it'll dull the cutter in no time .....Mike

 

[lennyzx11]

Make sure it's solid, any shaking at all and the cutters will shatter.
As OS said above, a backup catcher in case the magnet lets go either thru loss of power or pushing too hard and thickness helps.
Keep the coolant to it, not lots, just steady, I've had good luck with anything sulpherized, the cutting oil for the Rigid pipe cutters works well although messy.
If you're cutting thru something double, a double frame for instance, make sure you get the cutters sharpened the correct way so the inner lip cuts first. Regular grind will cut but the slug breaks free from the main body first and starts spinning with the cutter overheating if you don't realize it's thru. It leaves a thin lip attached to the slug, looks like a top hat and the teeth with catch the thin lip and it'll spin. If you can tell when the slug breaks free you can use a regular grind but you have to be aware.
Be sure to keep feed pressure on it, if you let it bear without cutting, it'll dull the cutter in no time .....Mike

I haven’t ordered or went out for cutting fluid yet. I have a partial bottle of TapMagic cutting fluid left by my drill press.
Recommend something different?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

For me, TapMagic has been best! I REALLY like that as a fluid for drilling.

SR

 

[mrmikey]

I've used TapMagic but I can't remember what it was like LOL. I'm thinking it was the dark, thick oil similar to the Rigid oil, had a bad odour to it, not that it matters much................Mike

 

[Root Cause]

TapMagic will work great but that is extremely expensive and intended to tap threads.
Soluble oil is brown and smells bad and used for years in machine shops.

There are options out there and whatever you pick, I would put a bucket to reclaim it whenever I could and keep a magnet close by to get the chips.
Good luck.

 

[JimRB]

I use Slugger cutting fluid. I have some Evolution steel cutting bits, not the carbide. I have a borrowed Mag42. I do not have the dispenser bottle from Evolution, I just squirt from a 20 ounce pop bottle. I am sure the bottle that came with the drill would be a better setup. The Slugger cutting fluid is not messy and it does seem to keep my plain cutter from having issues so far cutting over a hundred holes in 1/8 and 3/16" steel.

 

[bcp]

I passed up a good buy on one. Thinking back over the years when I've had to drill steel away from the drill press, there have been few or no situations in which there was anything suitable to stick a mag drill to.

Bruce

 

[lennyzx11]

I passed up a good buy on one. Thinking back over the years when I've had to drill steel away from the drill press, there have been few or no situations in which there was anything suitable to stick a mag drill to.

Bruce

I agonized over buying it. I also caught this one new on a sale.
I have a floor mount Jet drill press that’s done everything for me for 25 years. But I wanted to use annular cutters and looking at the costs of getting a Weldon adaptor or rotabroach bits for it plus using it also for wood working occasionally and messing it up with lube, I was looking at a lot of the purchase price of getting another press.
I have some mods to do to existing implements and wood splitter that I can’t get into the press easily also.
I used one in the past to repair my truck frame and add a dump bed setup and was impressed with its capabilities.

 

[Smokeydog]

Use Milwaukee fabrication mag drill with a Jacob 3/4 chuck. Adjustable base in addition to magnetic to make precision alignment easy. Variable speed forward/reverse. Used as much for tapping as for drilling. Having threaded holes on welding bench helps building jigs. Use on welding bench like drill press or on equipment to big shop drill press.

Chain or strap for out of position work. Most come with one new. Heavy and expensive to take a fall.

Use tap magic or cutting wax with regular drill bits, taps, hole saws. See the advantage of annular cutters but haven’t had a job yet to pay for them.
Not the most used tool in the shop but vary handy in fabrication.

 

[Jeepnford]

Hougen makes a wax type lube if the liquid coolant isn’t practical and also some in an aerosol can.

 

[BukitCase]

Here's one DIY add-on that can drill pipe from about 1" up to at least 5" - pics show it using the Jacobs chuck adapter and a "mini-mag" aka Blair rotobroach kit - the mag base sits on a spare chunk of 3/4x3 FB -

Not sure where the pic is, but I also used my 1-1/2" annular to put a "window" in ANOTHER piece of 3/4x3 FB, I can either clamp that piece onto thinner stock or just place it BEHIND the thin stock. Works fine either way.

For vertical drilling, my drill is the Hougen 917, has quite a bit more pull than smaller drills - I've drilled .120" wall tubing without the magnet pulling off (mostly 5/8" holes)

I've had good luck with the Evolution HSS cutters, the ones I've used the most have several hundred holes done and STILL cut a 5/8" hole thru 1/4" wall tube in about 23 seconds. Other thing I like about the Evo cutters is that a LOT of 'em use the same size canister, made it easier to come up with a stand for 'em (see pics) - Just a scrap piece of 2x6 and a snug fitting forstner bit in the wood shop's drill press (uniform depth setting) ... Steve

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I can't stress enough about tying the drill off when drilling anything sideways. Clamp it or whatever. If it loses power for any whatever reason, it's gonna hit the floor and bust.

 

[Renze]

If you need to drill holes bigger, or move half a hole, tack weld a washer on the workpiece to guide the kernel drill. Without guidance it will definately grab, jump sideways and shatter.

We had to weld and redrill holes at work. We tacked the washer on the workpiece and drilled away the damaged threads in order to get good weld penetration to the sides, while welding 30mm blind holes in 60mm plate. Worked a charm.

 

[Smokeydog]

If you need to drill holes bigger, or move half a hole, tack weld a washer on the workpiece to guide the kernel drill. Without guidance it will definately grab, jump sideways and shatter.

We had to weld and redrill holes at work. We tacked the washer on the workpiece and drilled away the damaged threads in order to get good weld penetration to the sides, while welding 30mm blind holes in 60mm plate. Worked a charm.

Washer = hole guide plate. Use the same technique with hole saws without the center drill.

 

[lennyzx11]

If you need to drill holes bigger, or move half a hole, tack weld a washer on the workpiece to guide the kernel drill. Without guidance it will definately grab, jump sideways and shatter.

We had to weld and redrill holes at work. We tacked the washer on the workpiece and drilled away the damaged threads in order to get good weld penetration to the sides, while welding 30mm blind holes in 60mm plate. Worked a charm.

I’ve done this with hole saws. But annular cutters don’t use a center drill.
Can annular cutters be used for “half a hole” drilling?

 

[lennyzx11]

I got the Evolution Mag42 as previously posted. Here’s some thoughts from my first time using it.
Came in a plastic case that was pretty neat till I tried to put everything away. It’s not practical for shop storage. Shipping and moving from job to job would be its main use.
You have to take the handles off, remove the oil reservoir which has a vented cap so any residual fluid will get dumped into the case since it’s stored on its side. Then the fluid still in the drill gets dumped out.
So it’s standing on a unused grinder pedestal for now. A handy spray can lid under the bit catches any fluid dripping out of the bit.

It drilled 12 1 & 1/16” holes in 3/4” plate in nothing flat. I’m impressed with how fast it works.

I’m working on my log splitter and put it on the side of the beam to drill some 1/2” holes
For mounting points. I did use a strap as y’all had warned.
It worked flawlessly. The days of the old holehog drill trying to break my wrist are past.
I had gotten a gallon of Slugger fluid and sprayed it on while drilling horizontally but I’m going to find some of the wax stick stuff that was mentioned.
The tank system didn’t want to feed the bit horizontally and I’m sure using it upside down wouldn’t work out.

I’m going to build a stand to use it as a drill press on the bench when needed but though the price point stung a bit, I’m really happy with the purchase. I have some projects I want to do for the tractors and this will sure make life easier.
Lenny

 

[sandman2234]

I acquired a Milwaukee mag drill back in the mid 70's, but sold it when I moved to Jacksonville, because I needed to downsize and the cash didn't hurt with the cost of moving. Fast forward to the 90's and a friend who owned a pawnshop came across one, and I bought it for $75!! Sad to say it gets used by a friend at his work (from where he just retired) more than anything for drilling pump base holes. However, once I retire, the two of us can put it to work to earn it's keep!
David from jax

 

[BukitCase]

"Can annular cutters be used for “half a hole” drilling?"

Lenny, I'm not sure about exactly half but I did "3/4 of a hole" for a mod to my flail mower's "float" linkage on the lower mounts - the bars are beefy enough I wasn't worried about weakening by effectively decreasing their width -

My thoughts on why I got away with it - the "more than half" that I cut kept the cutter from being able to easily jump to the side, so minimised any side loading (DEFINITELY a cutter killer)

I've not needed a "half or less" hole in anything yet, but I would think long and hard before trying it - anyway, "pics or it didn't happen" - plus, if you're gonna build a dedicated mag drill area I have a LOT more pics of the way I did mine, just ask if interested... Steve

Pics 4 and 5 show one of my methods for ensuring that duplicate parts REALLY ARE - the table is a 12" piece of 10" C channel, overlaid with 1'2
[ plate for more magnetic pull. After welding the plate on I surfaced the whole thing on the mill for maximum magnet contact. Oh, and that vise is a reversible Wilton - haven't needed the extra jaw opening yet but if I do...