How to make holes in a not-so-hard metal
For many years I hated drilling stainless steel. It’s hard, it requires expensive cobalt or carbide bits and it takes a long time to drill. In other words, I had many good reasons for feeling this way. However, as it turns out, all of them were based on incorrect information.
First and foremost was the belief that stainless is a “hard” material. Because I thought stainless was hard, I would run my drill at high speed, thinking it would otherwise take forever to complete a single hole. I could not have been more wrong. Thanks to the advice of an exceptional metal worker, I learned the right way to drill stainless with standard High Speed Steel (HSS) drill bits.
Stainless is actually a relatively soft metal, at least in its initial state. What stainless tends to do is “work harden” fairly quickly when heated, and drilling at high speed creates a lot of heat. When stainless steel work hardens, it becomes very hard and extremely difficult to drill.
Denne historien er fra May 2017-utgaven av Sail.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 2017-utgaven av Sail.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Floating Classroom
Taking homeschooling to the high seas.
Adventures in Boat Buying
When all else fails, buy another boat
Seascape 18
A fast and simple sport boat that you can also cruise
Drilling Stainless Steel
How to make holes in a not-so-hard metal
Lost and Found
Stop! The ship you lose may be your own
Rick Tomlinson
Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting’s most accomplished photographers, but he is also an accomplished sailor.
Monster At Midnight
Mine is a fishing family. Whether we are running lines off the stern, spear fishing or casting from the boat, we’re always fishing.
Bring It On!
FIVE SAIL ING FRIENDS GO IN SEARCH OF HEAVY WEATHER — AND FIND IT
Wind Chicken Gone Wild
ON THEIR FIRST LONG OPEN-WATER PASSAGE, A SAILING COUPLE GETS INTO THE PROBLEM-SOLVING SIDE OF SAILING
Appendicitis Offshore
A stomach ache turns into a life-threatening emergency while on passage.