Drilling metal on your drill press

[Mike Cozad]

I searched the forums but was unsuccessful finding a solution. When drilling metal on the press do you remove the table or cover it with something? I would like something quicker than removal, although I did find threads with quick remove & replace mods. I am thinking about a hardboard or even 1/4" aluminum plate. I worry about oils, or worse, chips embedded in my table to mar future projects.

Thanks for any ideas.

[Metod Alif]

Mike,
During drilling the shavings/chips are 'propelled' about vertically and not driven into the drill table. After a drilling session brush off (chip brush comes to mind...) the chips/shavings. Vacuum for a good measure. It works for me - maybe you will be fine with it too.
Best wishes,
Metod

[Perry Holbrook]

Just be sure that you have a way to firmly clamp down the metal as you drill. You don't want spinning metal if/when the bit grabs, usually as you penetrate the bottom.

Perry

[Mike Cutler]

Mike

If your table is steel, then you should have no issues with cutting fluids. Align to drill through the center hole. It sounds like your table is not steel though, like mine. I use an old Incra drill press table on mine, and it has a sacrificial hardboard insert in the center.

Personally I like to "back" the work up, and clamp it. It leaves a nicer exit hole in the bottom of the material, and saves the table surface. The ones at work look like a woodpecker got after the metal tables, because the people using it drill through the material and into the table.

PS.
Nice Avatar. I have some just like them. ;)

[Derek Stockley]

I'm assuming here that your concern is because you have a secondary wooden table on top of the drill presses iron table. Hardboard works and is cheap and easy to replace. I used to do that. One day I didn't happen to have any around and just drilled right on my table and that's what I've been doing since for the rare occasions that I do it.

As another poster pointed out, the chips don't usually get pushed into the table by the drilling operation itself. They'd be more likely to get pressed into the surface by things resting on top them after you're finished cutting. After drilling steel, I take a couple of rare earth magnets, stick them inside a somewhat thick plastic bag, and wave the bag around over the table to pick up the chips. Hold the bag over the garbage and pull out the magnet, no fuss chip cleanup and nothing is left on my table to get pressed in to the surface.

I do have a couple of oil spots on my table, but for the most part, they are on the replaceable insert in the centre.

[pat warner]

Close order drilling on metal, and most of it is, should be drilled on the casting.
If precision and holding are not an issue, you can drill on other surfaces.
If a precise hole diameter and location are critical. (http://patwarner.com/images/close_drilling.jpg)

[Mike Cozad]

Thanks for the replies. I was less than descriptive in my first post. I have a woodpecker drill press table attached to my cast table. I will be drilling aluminum and brass and I use citing oil when doing so. I am trying to avoid that mess on top of my woodpecker table. That's where I thought of covering it with another material.

Mike, thanks for your service. Spent 10 years in Groton on a couple of boats. Really miss CT. Beats the Midwest any day!

[Al Launier]

When drilling aluminum, or brass, there will be a tendency for the drill bit to "grab" as it exits the hole. To prevent this, you can "lip" the drill, but you would need a bench grinder, or similar, to grind this feature on the bit. Lipping the drill bit means producing a "flat" on the actual cutting edge of the bit. This flat is along the full cutting edge and is basically parallel to the axial centerline of the bit. This flat significantly reduces the "hook" angle of the cutting edge & prevents the bit from grabbing.

Backing the workpiece when drilling is always a good idea. This will properly support the workpiece and will minimize the burr and/or splintering (wood) on the exit side of the hole.

Also, kerosene is a good cutting oil when drilling aluminum and it can be used on brass as well. I also frequently use WD-40. A cutting oil is very useful for reducing the temperature of the drill bit to prevent its loss of temper, particularly a deep hole & prevents/minimizes galling, especially aluminum, which will leave a better finish in the resulting hole.

[Myk Rian]

I searched the forums but was unsuccessful finding a solution. When drilling metal on the press do you remove the table or cover it with something? I would like something quicker than removal, although I did find threads with quick remove & replace mods. I am thinking about a hardboard or even 1/4" aluminum plate. I worry about oils, or worse, chips embedded in my table to mar future projects.

Thanks for any ideas.
It would help to know what type of table you have.
If it's iron, don't worry about it.

[Ole Anderson]

When drilling aluminum, or brass, there will be a tendency for the drill bit to "grab" as it exits the hole. To prevent this, you can "lip" the drill, but you would need a bench grinder, or similar, to grind this feature on the bit. Lipping the drill bit means producing a "flat" on the actual cutting edge of the bit. This flat is along the full cutting edge and is basically parallel to the axial centerline of the bit. This flat significantly reduces the "hook" angle of the cutting edge & prevents the bit from grabbing.

Backing the workpiece when drilling is always a good idea. This will properly support the workpiece and will minimize the burr and/or splintering (wood) on the exit side of the hole.

Also, kerosene is a good cutting oil when drilling aluminum and it can be used on brass as well. I also frequently use WD-40. A cutting oil is very useful for reducing the temperature of the drill bit to prevent its loss of temper, particularly a deep hole & prevents/minimizes galling, especially aluminum, which will leave a better finish in the resulting hole.

Al, I see this is your post #1, welcome to the Creek! You offered a good response with valuable info, that is what this forum is all about. As for the "lipping" the drill bit, I used to use a lot of the old Dewalt bullet point bits for semi-production drilling of aluminum in my home shop and they worked very well. I subbed out some of my larger work to a local machine shop and they often used WD-40 when drilling aluminum on something other than their CNC machines.

My DP has a removable table for woodworking, I think I got it from Rockler years ago. When I know I am into a steel or aluminum project for more than just a few holes, I just remove the WW top and I am then back to my CI top. I seldom use my old cross vice on the DP since I got a mini-mill, but I do have a simple DP vice I use for holding material steady.

[Kevin Groenke]

Oil is not really necessary for the occasional drilling of non-ferrous metals (or even mild steel). We keep a stick of cutting wax next to the drill press. Makes drilling easy, keeps drill bits cool and doesn't make the mess of oil or other cutting fluids. We use the same wax when we cut aluminum on tablesaws and miter saws. Available at any industrial supply house, many manufacturers.

248118

[Rick Potter]

I just drop a piece of scrap plywood on the table to drill metal. If I get really ham handed and go through the ply, I have a sacraficial insert in the good table, which is formica, and nothing bothers it.

Rick Potter

[Cary Falk]

I use a piece of scrap plywood also. Depending your drill press table post size these vice adapters might be a quick solution to a 2nd table,
http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2012/Main/267

[Chris Rosenberger]

I also have the Woodpecker table, I would never drill metal on it. I have a second drill press for drilling metal. I would remove the table. No matter how careful you are, metal shavings will get between what you are drilling & the table or the table & scrap.

[Matt Meiser]

For small stuff where a drill press vise that isn't bolted to the table is sufficient I have a large baking tray from a food service supplier I set on my table, then I set the vise on top of that. I'd only do this with small bits though--nothing big that could pick the vise up and fling it around.

[Al Launier]

I like to grind my own drills by hand on a bench grinder including brad point configurations, lipping, and different geometries for various materials. This is something I learned to do when serving an apprenticeship as a Tool & Die maker in the early 1960's. It's convenient being able to do this and is actually easier to do than what it appears. Practice this on a dull drill blank and before you know, you'll have the "knack". More people should try this - they will pleasantly surprise themselves.