It's obviously a massive conspiracy, all these companies selling self drilling screws and their common usage across building sites around the world. It's a mystery how any engineering is ever done if a 3mm hole can't be made in a bit of steel.
Fixing plasterboard to steel beam?
- Thread starter baker332
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Drill bits are really hard work, need to go slow and use cutting compound. Honestly, just get the screw and an impact driver…no pilot hole needed.
Fixed my door frame with 100mm tektight screws, all went straight into 10mm steel.
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Timber over time, can shrink - so they can in time become loose.
Decent brand Tek 4 screws with 8mm hex head will go into UBs easily without pilot holes.
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You really shouldn't have this much trouble with a decent drill bit or a tek screw, but if drilling is getting you nowhere it'll be very quick and easy to Hilti gun some ply onto the flange and attach the plasterboard to it
We used the cobalt drill bits for piloting our tek screws. Absolute boon. I bought a full carton of (small mm?) drill bits, thinking there would be a high attrition rate. I used one bit and am still using it, lol.
Thank God none of you are working on commercial property's! 
I'd be wealthy but miserable.Thank God none of you are working on commercial property's!
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I don't doubt it.. Unlike a DIYer, your long commercial experience will have conferred skill, toolset and expertise not available to the OP. Something is going wrong here, be it tools, material or technique..
If the OP keeps coming up short via the drilling route they may wish to spend a relatively small amount on hiring a Hilti gun and get the job done in 5 minutes. At some point the cost-benefit balance of time wasted will tip in favour of an alternative approach
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I'd suggest starting with a bigger size pilot hole than 3mm. It's a bit weedy for that thickness, you've probably melted the tip. I find that drilling lube just slows things down, it makes the bit too slippy to get purchase (Ok in an engineering workshop etc.)
I just submerge the bit in a small pot of water every 30 seconds to keep it from overheating. I found the DeWalt extreme HSS bits very good for metal, I have a few and save them for 'best'
/nosarc.
I just submerge the bit in a small pot of water every 30 seconds to keep it from overheating. I found the DeWalt extreme HSS bits very good for metal, I have a few and save them for 'best'
/nosarc.
But tends to shrink more across the grain
Thank God none of you are working on commercial property's!
Ha, I forgot this is a place for commercial advice
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