Todays Project - What did you do today?

[DaveH]

Greg,
Wow, does tend to look like fun

DaveH

[EdK]

Well I finally have something to contribute to this thread.

I cut up some steel in preparation for welding practice.

   

And cut up a piece of aluminum for an indicator holder I'm making.

   

And finally got started on my cat eye. I started with a 1/4" drill bit and went up to 1/2" in 1/32 steps. I'm pretty sure that's leaded steel but I'll find out when I go to bore it out.

   

I know, all pretty boring stuff but at least I got some time in the shop.

Ed

[stevec]

(09-17-2012, 06:56 PM)EdK Wrote: And finally got started on my cat eye. I started with a 1/4" drill bit and went up to 1/2" in 1/32 steps.
Ed

Ed, do you mean you chucked 8 different drills to reach ½ inch?
You really wanted TIME in the shop.

[DaveH]

Hi Ed,

"Cat eye" what's one of them then?

DaveH

[TomG]

(09-17-2012, 06:56 PM)EdK Wrote: And finally got started on my cat eye. I started with a 1/4" drill bit and went up to 1/2" in 1/32 steps. I'm pretty sure that's leaded steel but I'll find out when I go to bore it out.

Come on Steve, maybe he had good reason to spend a little extra time in the shop!

Since this site is all about learning Ed, this is how I would have done it:

I don't use a pilot drill for drills up to 1/2". Most of my smaller drills have a split point, so they don't require a pilot but even if they didn't, the chisel point on a 1/2" drill is not large enough to worry about. On drills over 1/2" I drill a pilot hole about the size of the chisel point so it takes less force to feed the drill. Even a 1" drill goes in pretty easy with a 1/4" pilot hole.

An incremental step to the final size will tend to make a rounder hole, but if that's important I'll normally ream or bore it to size.

Tom

[Highpower]

(09-18-2012, 08:58 AM)DaveH Wrote: Hi Ed,

"Cat eye" what's one of them then?

DaveH

It's those things you find in a "cat head" of course.

[Highpower]

(09-18-2012, 09:09 AM)TomG Wrote: I don't use a pilot drill for drills up to 1/2". Most of my smaller drills have a split point, so they don't require a pilot but even if they didn't, the chisel point on a 1/2" drill is not large enough to worry about.

Tom

I guess I'm in the middle then.

Split points go straight in, but 1/4" is my limit for chisel points. Anything larger than that gets a pilot hole the width of the chisel point on the final drill size, and I go straight to it.

[EdK]

Guys,

I purposely made the statement "I started with a 1/4" drill bit and went up to 1/2" in 1/32 steps." because I knew it would elicit some comments and that's what I was looking for. I guess I baited you. I started with the 1/4" bit because I didn't know what type of steel it was and I wanted to get a feel for how it drilled. I thought it was always good to start with a pilot hole so thanks Tom for your comments about drilling up to 1/2" with no pilot hole needed. I don't have split point drill bits though. I'm sure I could have gone from the 1/4" bit right to the 1/2" put wasn't sure that was the proper procedure. Now that I know it is, next time I'll save my self some time and skip the pilot hole, although it did serve a purpose this time in helping me get a feel for how the unknown steel was going to dill.

Thanks for the comments.

Ed

[TomG]

(09-18-2012, 09:35 AM)Highpower Wrote:

(09-18-2012, 09:09 AM)TomG Wrote: I don't use a pilot drill for drills up to 1/2". Most of my smaller drills have a split point, so they don't require a pilot but even if they didn't, the chisel point on a 1/2" drill is not large enough to worry about.

Tom

Split points go straight in, but 1/4" is my limit for chisel points.

I have been accused of "living on the edge".

Tom

[Highpower]

Yeah, I can believe that Tom.