10 Ways on How to Drill Aluminum

Anyone who has ever drilled a hole in aluminum knows that it can be an arduous task. The drill bit will often melt and the metal bits will scatter everywhere. It makes one wish for a simple solution to this problem.

How to drill Aluminum

There are ways to drill aluminum quickly and with no mess. This is frustrating for anyone who does not have experience with drilling this type of material, but if you follow these 10 steps you'll avoid all that frustration!

1) Buy the correct size carbide-tipped drill bit

The first step to successfully drilling aluminum is picking out the right size drill bit. Generally speaking, 1/4" or 3/8" drills work best for most people's needs because they are able to cut through aluminum quickly without too much pressure applied.

2) Use a lubricant

Lubricating your drill before going to town on your project is an absolute must. The bit will be hot and it can melt the aluminum quickly. Without lubrication, bits will break easily too.

3) Cut through aluminum from the inside out

Drilling aluminum is not like drilling wood or plastic; you need to cut all the way through. Because metal has much more strength than other materials, it requires you to cut through it completely before trying to use an extractor on the exit side.

4) Cut slowly

As mentioned above, aluminum is very strong, and using fast speeds will cause bits to break quickly. You need to cut slowly, ensuring that your bit does not overheat. This will take some practice, but eventually, you will get it right!

5) Use an appropriate size drill bit

Using a drill bit with too many attachments can be problematic because they leave behind shavings in the material without cutting all the way through properly. So if you are looking for clean cuts each time your drill aluminum, find one-piece drills instead of multipiece kits.

6) Allow extra drilling room

When drilling small holes in aluminum, you need to ensure that your bit is not at risk of breaking by allowing extra room for the drill. If it is too close to another piece of metal or anything else, it can easily get stuck and break.

7) Drill slowly

As mentioned above, this step is crucial because aluminum melts quickly and if you do not cut through it all in one shot, there will be a mess left behind.

8) Clean up any excess metal shavings

After you finish drilling your hole make sure to clean out any leftover pieces of metal from the drill bit. Because they are very small and able to fly around like dust particles, cleaning them up as soon as possible will save you later on!

9) Use an extractor

Extractors are a great way to ensure that you do not drill completely through your aluminum. Start with the smallest extractor and work your way up, ensuring that you can remove all shavings and debris from inside the material before moving on to another size extractor.

10) Practice makes perfect

After following these 10 steps, you will be left with clean cuts each time you drill aluminum! Just practice as much as possible to learn how to maintain control over your drill bit at all times, read more.

Conclusion:

So as you can see, drilling holes in aluminum is not as hard as it seems. Through proper preparation and usage of the right size drill bit, you will be able to cut through metal with ease!