Will this drill through sheet metal? I know what kind of bit needed, does anyone know if this has enough power to dril through at max 1/4 inch steel?
1407990
I would not recommended it. At best it would be a SLOW process with lots of cutting oil. For that type of work you should get a full size drill press. About 1/8" is about all the steel I would try. This is designed more for small light metals and wood. The type of work jewelers, dental techs and crafter do.
1407991
Yes, not a problem, plenty of power. Just remember it's has a small chuck and only goes up to about 1/8" or 3/16" diameter drill. It's a jewellers drill and is designed for drilling metal. RPM range allows for variable speed to suit any purpose or material. I drill polished stones using diamond bits.Good luck, Jack C.
239803
I would be inclined to say no, but I haven't tried to cut sheetrock. It might have the power to do it, but I am not sure which bit you would use.
1875963
Hello Bradley,Yes. This drill doesn't require a specific type of bit. Hope that helps!
1771172
Hi Dan. I used it to drill through steel on an old car but it wasn't as thick as a grill top which I am assuming is in steel. If you can get a starter hole going with a drill bit I think this would do the job to expand to 13/16" but it may not be good for much after that. Tony
93094
Yes it will cut through metal. Some metals better than others. If you want to go through just a few holes you're in good shape. If you will be doing this for a business and doing many holes, I would suggest spending more money on a profession set of knock out punches.
224745
If the material is steel it will cut it. I imagine it would also cut any metal that can conduct electricity although I hear that cutting aluminum requires the use of a gas or gas mix rather than compressed air to blow the slag out of the cut for a cleaner cut. You could still use compressed air but the cut will need refining more. The main issue with this cutter is that you must have a compressed air source with enough PSI and tank volume to keep up with the cutter. I got a DeWalt 200 PSI air compressor, I think it was 1.5 HP, to work with the cutter. Also, the air has to be dry. So I had to buy a dessicator to run the air through to give me very dry air. That cost me about $500. New compressor was about $250-300. Cutter itself is $1,500 so total is a little over $2,000. BUT it has made cutting steel SO MUCH EASIER. Just did a project that required many small holes in 3/16" steel angle iron. It would have taken me days and easily more than a dozen drill bits and messy oil, etc. to cut all those holes. Plasma cutter can cut each hole in about 3 seconds. i cut them all in a about 30 minutes.
1393975
Yes it is strong enough to go through sheet rock but after about ten screws in, I broke a drill bit. I think the drill bits by this brand are not made of durable material though.
1140653
I work with sheet metal also and this is not a tool for thin copper, copper is too soft. I tried it on aluminum and the metal collects on the bit. Great for galv. sheet metal though.
952165
Hi, I've used the 1.5 inch diameter blade with small teeth to cut a thin (of about 1.5 mm thick) aluminum and copper plates and tubes . It works pretty well for me. It is possible that it will work for brass too. I've used Dremel type rotary tool with power of 170W (like Dremel 4000). This power is too low for aggressive cutting. Push level on the blade should be small to not stop rotation. I've used 15-20 r.p.m speed.
561242
All you should need is a good bi-metallic drill bit. I had not problem, just make sure you use a small center punch to make a dimple so the drill bit does not walk and ruin the finish. Just a small dimple don't go overboard and make a big one.
807405
This drill is awesome for small work, but is not what you are looking for for 1/2" steel.
1381902
My husband says with the right bit, it should work fine. He has used it to drill into concrete. Hope this helps.
2171042
It has a 1/2" capacity chuck, but depending on what material you're drilling into, capacity might be limited more by the motor than the chuck capacity. Most wood bits don't have larger shanks and if you try to fit a 3/4" metal bit, even with a step-down shank or a larger chuck, I don't think this would have enough power to even drill with it.
538154
Yes, but I would not expect these to perform as well as the much higher priced high speed bits made for commercial applications. Even with the best bits available you may need to replace the bit (maybe more than once) to get a hole through even 1/8 inch steel, especially if you try to go fast or don't use cutting fluid. I assume you know to drill a pilot hole before drilling a large diameter hole.
2069350
I have a crafstman on it now, but I am thinking to get a Dewalt, both will work just fine, specially with a 1/e " bit
1982977
I have found that cobalt drill bits work best for stainless steel another very hard metals. Something to remember though, the speed of your drill motor and a good cutting oil, will make the job much easier and lengthen the life of your drill bit.
326212
I work for a plumbing company and we came across a pipe (underground in a tight spot) where we had to cut an 8" diameter steel pipe, which was 1/2" thick!!!!, and we used a diamond blade......it WILL cut it. Of course the best thing would be a blade designed specifically for metal, but this blade WILL cut it I assure you.