Drilling Cast Iron

[Jason Christenson]

I'm not happy with the number or size of the holes in my 3 inch faceplate. Can I drill cast iron or am I stupid to even think of it?

[Doug Shepard]

I drilled and tapped the CI fence on my MM16 bandsaw without any problems. My guess is that your faceplate is probably thicker than what I drilled through, but doubt you'd run into any problems as long as your drill bit is sharp. I've also read threads were users have drilled through the thicker CI table on their bandsaws without issues.

[tod evans]

jason, drilling cast iron is a breeze! it`s softer than steel and cuts well, just use a slow speed drill and you`ll be fine......02 tod

[Bruce Page]

As Tod said, drilling & tapping cast iron is no big deal. I drill/tap cast iron dry to keep from making a bigger mess, but WD-40 works well as a lubricant.
Keep in mind that the cast iron threads aren’t as strong as regular steel threads so don’t over torque!

[Jason Christenson]

Thanks for the tips. I re-drilled my faceplate over my lunch hour. I couldn't be happier with the results. Thanks again.