Drilling Stainless Steel

[goatus]

Hi All,

I have just got a shiny new stainless steel pot to replace my "bucket-o-death".

Anyone got any advice on drill bits or techniques to get a hole through this tough bugger so I can install my weld-less kettle element?

Cheers
goatus

 

[rude]

Use kero as a lubricant just spry on & drill nice & easy

 

[_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_]

Hi All,

I have just got a shiny new stainless steel pot to replace my "bucket-o-death".

Anyone got any advice on drill bits or techniques to get a hole through this tough bugger so I can install my weld-less kettle element?

Cheers
goatus

just get a hole-saw and arbour (sutton or something decent - stay away from chinese ****) to suit the element. i used a 31mm hole saw to cut 4 holes in a ss keg. a thin-walled pot should be a piece of piss.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Step drills are the go if the hole is not too big. Go slow and plenty of Tap Magic (lube)
GB

 

[DU99]

remember to use plenty of coolant on the driil bit and slow speed..and protective eye wear

 

[browndog]

Or another way do do it is with a small (2-3mm) drill bit and stitch drill the hole with a series of small holes then finish it off with a file. When drilling stainless you need a slowish speed, constant pressure once the bit starts to cut and some form of lubrication to keep the bit cool.

cheers

Browndog

 

[white.grant]

Or another way do do it is with a small (2-3mm) drill bit and stitch drill the hole with a series of small holes then finish it off with a file. When drilling stainless you need a slowish speed, constant pressure once the bit starts to cut and some form of lubrication to keep the bit cool.

cheers

Browndog

If you are a machinist perhaps, but a hole saw or stepped bit provide less opportunity for error.

Cheers


Grant

 

[razz]

if it's one of the thinner style pots from Asia then a step drill will rip through it quite quickly. Last one I got I barely used any lube.

 

[Crusty]

Step drill bit for sure.

This is the one I used for all my 1/2" fittings in my keggles.

 

[lordofthebottleshop]

Step drill bit for sure.

+1. I just did a brand new pot a coupple of weeks back with one of these. No lube nessecary. When drilling the pilot hole, put a couple of spots of masking tape over the spot you want to drill, just to make sure the bit doesn't slip all over the place.

 

[OLDS2006]

+1 for hole saw, my step drill went to **** after 4 holes in my mash paddle.
Use plenty of cutting oil or tap magic as it a lot cheaper than drill bits.

 

[zebba]

For my pot we used just a regular bit to drill the initial hole (biggest bit we had), then, and I'm not kidding, a rattail file to make it big enough. The rattail file chewed through the SS like butter - shocked us both. She ain't perfectly round, but a silcone o-ring and it holds water just fine.

If it were available I'd go the step bit or something like that, but I wouldn't go out buying something special for the task.

It should be pointed out that this was for a keggle, so the walls are fairly thick SS. I imagine a thin-walled BigW pot or something like that might deform if you got a file onto it.

 

[bear09]

Use kero as a lubricant just spry on & drill nice & easy

Is this supposed to be a joke? This is a 100% serious question.

I, knowing nothing about drilling or machining, was a little shocked to read this. Would this not be bloody dangerous? Isnt kero flammable?

 

[Howlingdog]

another option Qmax punch https://www.alltools.com.au/shop/index.php/...sis_Punchs_QMAX

 

[Kleiny]

step drills are the go, you can pick cheap sets up on ebay.

I got a set the other day for under$40 with about 5 different step bits in a case and it rips through the SS pot easy and leaves a nice smooth finish.

Kleiny

 

[manticle]

Did my keggle with a step bit and no lube (if I did it again I would buy some cutting oil but it was OK). Cleaned up with a diamond file. Did the same for my aluminium HLT but obviously that's pretty easy.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

WD40 works well as a cutting compound, and either a step drill or hole saw will work fine.

Just remember to go slow, reapply the cutting compound frequently and if using a hole saw remember to pick one smaller than the hole size required (you can always enlarge the hole with a file, dremmel or something else, but its really hard to make a hole smaller once the damage is done).

 

[argon]

+1 for the step bit. I've got one exactly same as Crusty uses. Can cut holes of various sizes with one bit. Too easy.

 

[raven19]

Or another way do do it is with a small (2-3mm) drill bit and stitch drill the hole with a series of small holes then finish it off with a file. When drilling stainless you need a slowish speed, constant pressure once the bit starts to cut and some form of lubrication to keep the bit cool.

This is my method.

Punch out the section once you have enough small holes around the circumference of your larger hole.

The file then works a treat and makes for easy adjustment/enlarging the hole.

 

[Sammus]

+1 for step drill. I spent about $150 on "quality" hole saws that just wouldn't cut, I sat there for about an hour doing it once and only got a nice polished ring on the SS. Got a step bit and was done in 10 mins.