This is to thank members of the forum and to help others out...
I've been struggling over the past few days to drill a pilot hole into my 70L stainless steel pot. I've watched YouTube videos, read many posts on this forum, and done a lot of Googling.
3 broken drill bits later, here is (IMO) the foolproof solution...
The battery's dead on my drill so I'll be using a step bit tomorrow to widen the pilot holes.
But thank you to this forum for all the advice and getting me this far in my brewing adventure!
I've been struggling over the past few days to drill a pilot hole into my 70L stainless steel pot. I've watched YouTube videos, read many posts on this forum, and done a lot of Googling.
3 broken drill bits later, here is (IMO) the foolproof solution...
- Buy a decent cobalt drill bit
- Use a centre punch to mark where the centre of your hole will go
- Add a little lubricant to where you'll be drilling - I used some general purpose spray lubricant
- The secret... drill quickly!
A lot of advice says to go slowly and apply pressure. This is correct for cutting large holes, but for the pilot hole speed is the key!
By fast I mean 900rpm - not 90rpm as I was doing - Do apply pressure but you don't need to go wild.
- Every 30 - 60 seconds, dip the drill bit in some water. I never once heard the water sizzle so I knew the speed was fine
- Be patient but persistent, you will drill that hole!
The battery's dead on my drill so I'll be using a step bit tomorrow to widen the pilot holes.
But thank you to this forum for all the advice and getting me this far in my brewing adventure!