Drilling through stainless steel tubing

[hz293]

i have installed Scotty rod holders on my stainless rails. The problem I have is that they are not rigid and roll to one side. The stainless Phillips head bolts are stripped and the nuts rotate so the hardware can't be tightened or loosened. The only thing I can do to use them is to run a bolt through the rod holder, rail and the backing. How the heck do I drill through a stainless steel tube. I can't make any progress through it?

 

[flyingscott]

Get a cobalt bit go slow and lots of lube stainless is a pain to drill. Otherwise find a machine shop and let them do it. If you do it yourself get a good cobalt bit not the place to be cheap.

 

[Fun Times]

Get a cobalt bit go slow and lots of lube stainless is a pain to drill. Otherwise find a machine shop and let them do it. If you do it yourself get a good cobalt bit not the place to be cheap.

+1 for the cobalt drill bits.

Has anyone tried their luck with the $100.00 cobalt drill bit set from harbor freight for quality yet? Not a bad price for 115 cobalt drill bits. Just not sure of the quality of them being from H F.:yo: http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/drilling-bits/115-pc-cobalt-drill-bit-set-61886.html

 

[ziggy]

and + 1 for slow and lots of lub. don't let it become hot. also the cobalt drill bit must be sharp.
let the drill bit cut the SS. don't try speed, it'll just melt the cutting edge of the drill bit. ya need to see the metal shavings being cut come off the drill bit. least that's been my experience when i've had to drill SS. SS is one of the more miserable things to have to drill through. that for sure.

 

[Watermann]

I would try cutting or drilling out the mangled rod holder bolt before I would ruin my railing.

 

[mr 88]

You need a solid 1/8 or 9/64 carbide drill bit to make a clean pilot hole,some hardware stores have them or check ebay. Then you enlarge it with a cobalt bit. I use a size drill bit that is slightly under a 1/4 -20 bolt size.,maybe start with a 7/32 . Then I use a 1/4-20 tap,that allows me to use a SS bolt without having to use a nut and drill all the way through the railing. Yes there is enough material on the railing that the bolt grabs the threads. I have also enlarged the factory hex set screws for the railings when they fail to work the same way.I sell tools for a living and a machinist customer turned me on to the solid carbide bit and it works 100 times better than colbalt for slippage and the pilot hole. Irwin makes the best consumer colbalt drill bit and they have two grades a m35 and 42 , 42 being the better grade but once you get the pilot hole either will do,stay away from harbor freight for those drill bits.

 

[gm280]

I have to absolutely agree with waterman. I would do whatever possible to NOT drill the stainless steel rail. One day you may want to sell it or replace the ruined rail and that wouldn't be easy or cheap. So attack the issue some other way. There are always a few ways to accomplish things. Time to step back and think. JMHO!

 

[Thalasso]

i have installed Scotty rod holders on my stainless rails. The problem I have is that they are not rigid and roll to one side. The stainless Phillips head bolts are stripped and the nuts rotate so the hardware can't be tightened or loosened. The only thing I can do to use them is to run a bolt through the rod holder, rail and the backing. How the heck do I drill through a stainless steel tube. I can't make any progress through it?

Do you have the 242 Rail Mount ? Take them off and wrap the rail with some electrical tape. get some new bolts. They shouldn't turn then. If you have to, use a die grinder to cut the bolts. Apparently your rail is a little to small in diameter for the holder brackets

 

[airshot]

First to answer your question, I am a toolmaker and cutter grinding specialist for more than 45 years, yes stainless is tough to drill but with the right style drill bit it is a piece of cake. See if you can find a cutter sharpening service in your area and ask them to make a sheet-metal drill for you from a good quality drill bit then use a lot of oil type cutting fluid and it will drill right thru without wandering. Regular drill bits are a real pain in the a$$. Now for my recommendation on what you are doing....
I would "not" drill thru my railings, but would modify the holders as suggested by others. It would be easier to drill out the rod holders and replace the bolts in them. You could also use a small piece of an anti-slip mat inside the area attached to the rail so it will not rotate. With better bolts you should be able to tighten them better.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Slow speed, lots of lube, go slow. However if it was me. I would use black 5200 to keep them from rotating after new bolts

 

[61mysteryboat]

I bought a set of harbour freight titanium bits for under $12. Actually pretty good. Can't speak for the cobalt. Another thing is that it is hard to start a bit into a round edge. As an avid woodworker I always use a drill bit guide. It is a piece of steel with about 12 different size holes drilled into it. Each hole corresponds to a standard drill size. I clamp the guide to the workpiece and slide the bit through the hole in the guide. The guide insures that the bit stays perpendicular to the workpiece. The guide also had groove running down the backside. The groove centers the guide on a round dowel or pipe. Got mine at Lee valley tools.

 

[StarTed]

I've drilled lots of stainless steel for various projects. There are many stainless steels, some almost impossible to drill and others fairly good. Stainless will glaze over if the drill is allowed to spin without cutting then it becomes much harder to drill. Don't let the drill bit spin and glaze. A small grinding burr may be needed to remove the glaze. I use an automatic center punch to mark the hole followed by another punch with a good blow by a hammer to make a small dent. That'll keep the drill bit from wandering. I often use the cheap HF drills successfully although some of them are not straight. A drill press works best because you can keep enough pressure on to keep the drill cutting. I also keep the work well flooded with cutting or tapping fluid.

Good luck and keep your bits sharp.