How To Make Large Holes In Sheet Metal

Drilling large holes in metal can be difficult as many lager drill bits use taper shanks which will not fit in regular drill chucks.

How to make large holes in sheet metal.

Typically the hole is large and the sheet metal won t fit on my cnc milling machine so i m left flailing. You ll need to start by securing your metal sheet in place before. Hole saws work well and. How to use chisels instead of files to cut a share hole for carriage bolts.

In response to a question about h. Blacksmithing for beginners cutting a square hole in sheet metal. It is common practice to use a self starting step bit to form the. Use a scrap of plywood as a backer for the hole saw s pilot bit and to protect your work surface.

Use a piece of scrap wood to prevent the sheet from bending when working on it. Like twist bits hole saws chuck right into your drill and will cut through thin gauge sheet metals like aluminum and steel. In this video i want to show you how make a hole for switch to the thin sheet metal. Step bits can be used to make even larger holes typically 1 3 8 inch wide or smaller in sheet metal but do require pilot holes.

First mark the exact position of the holes and install the piece in a vice. How to drill a hole in metal with a rotary drill kit this process is just like piercing a hole in metal. Use a center punch to make a small dent in the surface of the metal to prevent the drill bit from sliding away when starting to drill. With this tool you stick an endmill in a die grinder put the grinder in the little fixture so it can pivot drill yourself a pilot hole for the pivot and away you go.

Using a black marker pen mark where you want to start drilling.