Drilling through cast iron. I would do as much as possible on a drill press but some pieces are just too awkward too heavy or too hard to get out of the machine they are a part of to get them to the drill press. Drilling holes in cast iron with portable drill think of mounting a power feeder on a shaper top or drilling new holes for adding a cast iron extension wing. Drilling through structural steel with new old drill bits. Cast iron is brittle but as far as metals go it isnt very hard so drilling a hole into it isnt as difficult as you might expect.
Any bit intended for drilling through metal will drill through cast iron. Most people tend to overspeed a handheld drill which burns off the cutting edge sharpness if the speed is too high. Drilling some cast iron and watching the chips march out of the hole. Drilling cast iron can be very challenging.
You can try using a good quality tungsten carbide tipped drill bit and a relatively. Youre usually pushing as hard as you can which is ok and your finger naturally pulls the trigger all the way because it is dif. Cast iron drills differently than other types of steel due to the variations in the steel structure. It depends to a certain extent on the actual hardness of the metal.
I called a friend for advice and he told me basically just to use a sharp bit and use fluid. I spent 30 min drilling through one hole. Moreover you dont have to be overly choosy about your drill bit. The crystalline structure of cast iron varies depending on the rate the steel was cooled.
I have a cast iron lathe from the manufacter denn. I have it on rubber feet and i want to put a mobile base on it as well. When drilling rolled steel the material drilled from the hole will work in a spiral from the tip of the drill bit. Well that was easier said than done.
Drilling cast iron nordevx. How to drill through a cast iron sink duration. Its an old german model. If youll be drilling a lot of holes or need to drill through hard abrasive metals like stainless steel or cast iron spend a couple bucks more for black oxide or a cobalt steel drill bit for metal.