Drilling into stee lintel

[andylord]

im trying to put up some curtain brackets but the window lintel has steel inside - ive have tried using hss drill bits but have failed - they get blunt and super hot can anyone advise on how i can drill into the steel lintel - thanks

 

[chappers]

Cobalt drill bits

 

[Deleted member 174758]

As above - sometimes referred to as M42 HSS (as opposed to ordinary M2 HSS).

 

[Tigercubrider]

Don't go too fast (no hammer action) and add coolant like oil/wd40

 

[BK2010]

Agree with all of above
Cobalt drill bits 135 deg split point - if you want to treat yourself go with TTP HARD drills they do a great lubricant paste also, don't buy cheap or you will regret it.
Drill slow
ease off on the pressure
use lots of lubricant
stop every 10 seconds to give the bit a 'break' to prevent overheating
Bets of luck

 

[andylord]

thanks everyone - il go and try a cobalt drill? - see what happens!

 

[bigdrew]

How'd you get on? , I've just drilled 6 holes (6mm Cobalt then 14mm HSS and a copious amount of this:
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Aut...5/Cutting+&+Drilling+Cooling+Lubricant/p75018

They went fairly easily. Used a fairly unwieldy SDS drill as it spun much slower than any other drill I had..
Cobalt drill is still sharp and the HSS is done in!

 

[andylord]

Hi thanks everyone for their suggestions / tips after looking around the web trying to decide and reading reviews etc i bought some cobalt drills from TTP, wow - they came this morning and - job done, a breeze, can't quite believe how easy it was after the frustrations i had before! i also bought a tub of their cooling paste which was ideal as it was easy to apply and it stays put when drilling at odd angles ! Im actually going to invest in a full set of cobalt drills for my man cave.

 

[SammyInnit]

I only recently decided to try cobalt bits after year and years and they're so much better than your standard High speed steel bits. Well worth the extra.

 

[andylord]

hi Sammy
Agreed they are like chalk and cheese! im so drill happy now !

 

[Robbox]

To make 8mm hole in 6mm steel, would I need to make a pilot first or punch a dimple?
I have a 600w drill, is that enough power?

 

[lostinthelight]

If I was doing the job I would centre pop and pilot , you don't need that much power to drill small holes in steel so your 600w is more than enough.
litl

 

[Robbox]

If I was doing the job I would centre pop and pilot , you don't need that much power to drill small holes in steel so your 600w is more than enough.
litl

OK, so I'll buy a set of cobalts rather than just one 8mm. I was watching this video on drilling steel plate by hand drill, seems there are precautions to take because the drill bit can 'stick' towards the end, creating a sort of whiplash effect on the drill.

 

[opps]

OK, so I'll buy a set of cobalts rather than just one 8mm. I was watching this video on drilling steel plate by hand drill, seems there are precautions to take because the drill bit can 'stick' towards the end, creating a sort of whiplash effect on the drill.

As they pop through they "grab" which results in the drill trying to spin instead. A decent drill should have a slipping clutch to reduce the risk of it spinning around. Most SDS drill have this feature but you can't adjust the torque (as you would be able to with most cordless drills).

 

[John D v2.0]

Surely curtains aren't heavy enough to need a connection to structural steel? If the plaster is decent just use your favourite brand of no more nails to attach a batten. Or is that not recommended nowadays?