Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Drilling Metal with Eggbeater
Ray Browne
>Just curious if anyone has had any success drilling through metal with a hand drill(ie eggbeater)? I'm talking material like aluminum, diamondplate, steel door frames, brass, and the like? Was considering adding a eggbeater to my everyday toolbox with the Yankee screwdriver already there if it could handle metal drilling which I seem to do a bunch of.
-Ray
Re: Drilling Metal with Eggbeater
joel
>sure - just make sure the drill bit is sharp
Re: Drilling Metal with Eggbeater
Paul in NJ
>No problem as long as you have sharp bits.
Paul Dzioba
Re: Drilling Metal with Eggbeater
Jack Guzman from Maine
>Ray, I'm not sure because I haven't been using hand drills for that long,but I imagine the only limit to what material you drill would be the drill bit. For cutting in metal a slow speed is usually better. For heavier drilling though I would move up to a breast drill.---Crackerjack
Re: Drilling Metal with Eggbeater
Ray Browne
>Thanks for the responses, I think with some good bits and a startup hole from my automatic punch it shouldn't be too bad. I was searching for drills on eBay and saw a pistol grip eggbeater that looks like it'd be the ultimate hand drill..unfortunately it was $125.00.
-Ray
Probably a Stanley 610....
Todd Hughes
>a neat drill for sure but doesn't work any better then a more common Egg Beater one you can pick up for $5-$10 at the flea market.I think the Yankee 5 speed Drills work pretty well as do any of the more common Millers Falls ones.
I have drilled lots of holes in metal with an antique Bow Drill which I made bits for when I used to do period work making knives and couldn't use a modern drill like an egg beater.With good bits and if the metal isn't to thick[or hard] you can drill holes by hand pretty quick no trouble......Todd
Re: In the days of old...
Rick L
>it was done with a special attachment that wrapped a chain around the stock you were drilling and a ratchet advancement would pull the stock tighter to the drill. I actually have one of these that worked with a standard brace for drilling metal.
Re: ok for small holes
paul womack
>e.g. 3mm in mild steel, 5 mm in brass.
For larger holes you'd want a breast drill (with multiple gear ratios).
For ease of use and accuracy, a post drill (or variation) is most helpful. I find most of the effort is spent pressing the drill in, not doing the cranking.
BugBear