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  1. #1
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    Default Advice on Speeding up drilling holes in flat bar

    Firstly please excuse my ignorance on this subject.

    I have started making brackets out of 40x6 flat bar and I am looking at advice how to speed up the drilling process. I currently drill 4 x holes using a 5.5mm HSS countersink bit. It works fine but for the volume we need to do I need to try and speed the process up a lot if possible.

    All suggestions greatly appreciated

  2. #2
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanrec View Post
    I have started making brackets out of 40x6 flat bar and I am looking at advice how to speed up the drilling process. I currently drill 4 x holes using a 5.5mm HSS countersink bit. It works fine but for the volume we need to do I need to try and speed the process up a lot if possible.
    Don't really understand your question.

    "I currently drill 4 x holes using a 5.5mm HSS countersink bit." and then what ??
    Do you break the bit, is it just going too slow . . . . . . .?????

    Some questions for you.
    What are you using to drill the holes and what RPM are you using?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Don't really understand your question.

    "I currently drill 4 x holes using a 5.5mm HSS countersink bit." and then what ??
    Do you break the bit, is it just going too slow . . . . . . .?????

    Some questions for you.
    What are you using to drill the holes and what RPM are you using?
    Sorry I tried to explain as best as I can.
    There is no issue with the drill bit. I am more than happy with the end result. I am just sure things can be done faster. I am currently using a pillar drill.

  4. #4
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanrec View Post
    Sorry I tried to explain as best as I can.
    There is no issue with the drill bit. I am more than happy with the end result. I am just sure things can be done faster. I am currently using a pillar drill.
    How long is each hole taking?

    I assume a "pillar drill" is a Drill press?
    What RPM are you using?
    Is it a brand new bit?

  5. #5
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    If each of the 4 holes are in the same location on the parts, have you considered some kind of jig to make alignment simple?
    Depending on the part you may be able to do multiple drilling operations on a single jig, otherwise batch process each part for each drilling operation (hole). ie don't drill all 4 holes consecutively on the one piece, but drill 20 brackets worth of hole #1, then 20x hole #2 etc...


    Could be as simple as a few bits of angle iron clamped to the drill table to align with a hole location. Could be a very wild contraption if this is a significant manufacturing job...

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    If each of the 4 holes are in the same location on the parts, have you considered some kind of jig to make alignment simple?
    Depending on the part you may be able to do multiple drilling operations on a single jig, otherwise batch process each part for each drilling operation (hole). ie don't drill all 4 holes consecutively on the one piece, but drill 20 brackets worth of hole #1, then 20x hole #2 etc...


    Could be as simple as a few bits of angle iron clamped to the drill table to align with a hole location. Could be a very wild contraption if this is a significant manufacturing job...
    I’m getting through all of the four holes on each bracket quite quickly and then flip the bar over to de-burr the back side.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanrec View Post
    I currently drill 4 x holes using a 5.5mm HSS countersink bit. It works fine but for the volume we need to do I need to try and speed the process up a lot if possible.
    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanrec View Post
    I’m getting through all of the four holes on each bracket quite quickly and then flip the bar over to de-burr the back side.
    Problem solved then.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanrec View Post
    Firstly please excuse my ignorance on this subject.

    ...I need to try and speed the process up a lot if possible.

    All suggestions greatly appreciated
    Don't stop for smoko or lunch 😁

    Work faster ! 👍

  9. #9
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    To expand a little on others' suggestions; I find that the things that make a difference when doing repetitive multiples is to get the cutting tool (i.e. drill bit and countersink) sharp and at the recommended cutting speed, and to minimise tool changes. i.e. if you are spot drilling, pilot drilling, finish drilling and countersinking, do each of those things on all of your brackets before changing tools; that way you only have to change tools four times for the whole job rather than four times per bracket. Use a fence on your drill table rather than the vice, that way you can just slide the workpiece along for each hole and hold it down with your hand- the fence will prevent it spinning (assuming we're talking smallish holes- if you're drilling 2" holes in brackets for a railway bridge or something, probably best clamp them down).
    Running a correctly sharpened tool at correct RPM pays off in several ways- it will cut faster, and hold an edge longer.

  10. #10
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    Depends how many you need to do, there are options such as setting up a gang of drill spindles so you have 4 drill bits in at the one time.

    You could also look into punching them out.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    I often put small deburrers in a cordless drill.

  12. #12
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    You need one of these
    R7.jpg

    and three friends.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Picko View Post
    You need one of these
    R7.jpg

    and three friends.
    That's what I was thinking but there are better ways of doing it without taking up so much space.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  14. #14
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    The folk who like to 'work the wood' have a drill bit that countersinks in a single operation. Not sure if there is a trade quality equivalent for steel.
    And like others have said, a quality countersink / de-burr bit on a cordless would whip the reverse side of the hole into shape.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Urbanrec View Post
    . It works fine but for the volume we need to do I need to try and speed the process up a lot if possible.

    All suggestions greatly appreciated
    Firstly, WELCOME to a TOP FORUM. As you haven't mentioned numbers that you're making, I presume that it's a job at home??? If it's a work related jobbing project, I'd suggest a punching machine, I used to make a product that required a lot of holes to be done.
    I had a punch and shear machine set up with 5mm punch, this was punched into 3 mm thick angle iron, a small square plate was then welded over the punched hole then drilled and tapped. To speed things up I invested in several Drill Presses (Pillar Drills) One had the jig for positioning for, the correct sized drill bit, the next one had a countersink bit and the fourth one a tapping head fitted for a 6mm tap. I has 6 in total for other jobs as well.
    The DP's were running constantly, you just moved the pieces along, there were something like 500 holes to be drilled and tapped per batch every other month.
    HTH
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

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