To improve the basic characteristics of the metal, it is often hardened. This technology involves increasing the hardness of the product due to strong heating of the metal and its rapid cooling. In some cases, after heat treatment you have to do some drilling. By increasing this characteristic, drilling hardened metal becomes more difficult. Let's take a closer look at all the features of drilling hardened steel.

Drilling a hole in hardened steel

Spreading the question of how to drill hardened steel can be attributed to the fact that when using conventional technology, the tool quickly becomes dull and becomes unusable. That is why you need to pay attention to the features of drilling hardened alloy. Among the features of the technology, we note the following points:

It is necessary to properly prepare the hardened workpiece.
In some cases, a special tool is required.
Coolant is being used.

If necessary, you can make a drill for hardened steel with your own hands, which requires certain equipment and skills. However, in most cases, a purchased version is used, since it will cope better with the task when cutting hardened steel.

Nuances when drilling

The technology in question has a fairly large number of features that need to be taken into account. Drilling of hardened metal is carried out taking into account the following points:

Before carrying out work, pay attention to the hardness of the surface. This parameter is used to select the most suitable drill. Hardness can be determined using a variety of technologies.
During drilling, a large amount of heat is generated. This is why rapid wear of the cutting edge occurs. In this regard, in many cases, cooling liquid is supplied to the cutting zone.
When cutting difficult-to-cut material, it is necessary to sharpen the cutting edge from time to time. For this purpose the usual sharpening machine or a special tool. Only diamond-coated wheels are suitable as an abrasive.

There are a variety of methods for cutting hardened steel. Some of them significantly simplify the processing. Only by taking into account all the nuances can the quality of the resulting hole be improved.

Useful drilling techniques

For working with hardened steel, the most various technologies. The most common technologies are characterized by the following features:

Surface treatment with acid. This technology is characterized by long-term use, since it takes quite a lot of time to reduce the surface hardness. Sulfuric, perchloric or other acid can be used for etching. The procedure involves creating a lip that will contain the substance used in the cutting zone. After prolonged exposure, the metal becomes softer, and it will be possible to drill using the conventional version.
Can be used welding machine to achieve the set goal. When exposed high temperature the metal becomes softer, which greatly simplifies the procedure.
Most often, a special drill is used. There are versions on sale that can be used for processing hardened steel. In their manufacture, metal with increased resistance to wear and high temperatures is used. However, the complexity of manufacturing and some other points determine that the cost of a special tool is quite high.

In addition, to achieve this goal, a punch is often purchased. It can be used to make a small hole, which will simplify further drilling.

Use of lubricants

When drilling through hardened steel, serious friction occurs. That is why it is recommended to purchase and use various lubricants. Among the features of this processing method, we note the following points:

First, the drilling area is processed. A small amount of lubricant is applied to the surface where the hole will be located.
Oil is added to the cutting edge. To process hardened steel, a small amount of the substance is required, but it must be added from time to time, since it scatters when the tool rotates.
During work, it is recommended to take breaks to cool the cutting surface and the surface being processed.

Special oil not only simplifies drilling, but also increases the service life of the tool used.

This is because oil can reduce the temperature of the cutting edge.

Drill selection

Twist drills, which are represented by a vertical rod with two grooves, have become quite widespread. Due to the specific arrangement of the grooves, a cutting edge is formed. Among the features of the choice, we note the following points:

The pobedite drill bit has become quite widespread. It can be used to work with various hardened alloys. However, a surface with too high hardness cannot be processed with such a tool.
The choice is also made based on diameter. It is worth considering that getting a hole large diameter quite difficult. The larger diameter version is much more expensive due to the use of a large amount of material in its manufacture.
Attention is also paid to the sharpening angle, the purpose of the product and the type of material used in manufacturing. For example, cobalt versions are characterized by higher resistance to high temperatures.
It is recommended to pay attention exclusively to products famous manufacturers. This is due to the fact that Chinese versions are manufactured using low-quality materials. However, such an offer is much cheaper and can be used for short-term or one-time work.
When choosing a drill, you can be guided by the markings. It can be used to determine which materials were used in production. The diameter of the hole that can be obtained when using the tool is also indicated.

IN specialty store you can find almost everything you need to carry out the work. However, enough high cost products and some other points determine that some decide to make a drill themselves from scrap materials. Similar work can be done if you have the required tools.

Making a homemade drill

If necessary, a drill can be made from hardened steel. Among the main recommendations for carrying out such work, we note:

Rods are selected that are made from tungsten and cobalt alloys. People call this metal victorious. Compared to a conventional drill, this version is characterized by increased wear resistance.
To process the workpiece, you need to secure it in a small vice. Otherwise, the work will be quite difficult.
To sharpen such a surface, a diamond stone is required. The usual one will not withstand long-term work.
The end surface is sharpened to create a surface that resembles a flat-head screwdriver. The cutting edges are then sharpened to produce a sharp tip.

In order to reduce the degree of surface machinability, oil is added. This ensures long-term processing due to reduced friction force and lower temperature.

In conclusion, we note that processing of hardened steel should be carried out exclusively when using special tools. The work requires a drilling machine, since a manual one will not allow you to get the required hole.

So in a simple way you can do not only round hole in hardened steel, but also a hole of any other shape in without extra effort. Chemical method will help you out and make the task easier. The method does not require expensive chemicals; all ingredients can be found in any household.

Will need

I suggest a simple way to make holes in high speed steel. To work you will need:

any product made of high-speed steel;
marker;
nail polish;
nail polish remover (can be replaced with white spirit or acetone. I chose the remover only because of the pleasant smell, and it’s the same acetone);
cotton wool;
empty plastic container(bottle);
salt;
a homemade device made from a charger and two nails.

Making a hole in metal without a drill

Apply nail polish remover to the cotton wool and degrease the surface of our workpiece.

Apply varnish to the desired area. The varnish must be applied in a thick layer on both sides. Don't forget to coat the ends thoroughly. Leave the workpiece for 10-15 minutes to allow the varnish to dry.

On the dry surface, with a marker on both sides of the workpiece, I mark the place for the hole. I choose the location arbitrarily, now I need to show how you can make a hole using this method. For example, you need to install a regular factory rivet. The diameter of the hole should be slightly smaller than the size of the rivet.

Then use a knife to remove the varnish inside the hole outline. Do this on both sides.

Pour water into a container and add 3 tablespoons of salt. The height of the water in the container should be 10 mm less than the height of the varnished area of the workpiece.

I take a device made from a hair clipper charger and two nails. The nails will serve as electrodes - I connected them to one contact. The other contact is simply bare, stripped wire. I use charger 12 V, but a regular mobile phone charger will cope with this task.

The stripped wire should be positive, the electrodes should be negative. We attach the positive wire to our workpiece using a clothespin. Then we lower the nails into the water.

You can make slits in the container to fix the position of the nails. Plugging the charger into a power outlet. After switching on, the water around the electrode nails begins to bubble, and the cleaned hole mark turns black.

Note: to check the polarity of the wires, you must connect the charger. If water starts to bubble around the nails, it means it's a minus and you connected correctly. The appearance of bubbles in the water around the workpiece indicates that the minus is connected to it and the wires need to be reconnected. The negative must always be connected to the electrodes, the positive to the workpiece being etched!
Leave the container for one hour, 30 minutes after the start of the process you need to change the water. I turn off the charger and take out the workpiece.

A through hole appeared in the intended location. In order to make the hole diameter larger, the process can be continued. Or file uneven edges with a file.
This is how you can make the desired hole in a workpiece by etching high-speed steel using the most ordinary objects.

How to drill a hole in metal. How to drill through solid steel

How to drill hardened steel

What is the best way to drill through hardened steel? - The question that masters ask when such a need arises. For example, there was a need to check a hardened steel blade... I’ll show you how I personally do this and what drills I use.

Making a homemade drill

You will need carbide, tungsten-cobalt rods, the people will win.

But in reality it won't beat this VK8.

Clamp it in a hand vise.

And we make a drill from the rod, grinding off the excess. On normal on grindstone It is very difficult to sharpen hard alloys, I use a diamond. We sharpen two planes, like for a flat-head screwdriver.

We process the second edge.

The result is a feather like this. Now let's sharpen the cutting edges.

The result is a drill for hardened metals.

Homemade drills ready. You need to make several of them at once, since they quickly become dull and you won’t have to run around sharpening them every time. Of course, you could use ordinary carbide drills, but you still had to sharpen them, and why redo them when you can make your own.

Drilling a hole in hardened steel

We will drill with a hardened saw using a quick cutter.

Add a drop of oil and start drilling at low speed. It is not necessary to core; with this sharpening, the drill does not slip on the metal.

We change the cutting part.

Half a minute and a hole is drilled in the hardened steel.

Let's complicate our experiment and take stronger, harder, high-speed steel XSS. Again, drop a drop of oil. We drill for five seconds and the cutting edge becomes dull, which means we need to take another drill, which is what I did. Each time I take a different drill.

The hard alloy is very brittle and very often crumbles at the end. Just two minutes and a hole is made in the hardened steel.

Thank you all for your attention!

labuda.blog

How to drill metal with a drill

Hi all! If you wish, you can write about how to drill metal with a drill. big article. But I see two main problems here:

inability to drill accurately in the place where the hole is required
rapid dulling of drills

Typically, inexperienced users encounter such problems. Experienced men know what to do in such cases. Well, considering myself an experienced person, I will take the liberty of telling you how to cope with these problems. Well, I’ll also give you some tips that will also come in handy.

How to drill in the right place?

If you think about this question a little, the answer should come to your mind even without a hint. Well, at least it seems so to me. But if you don’t want to think, then read.

For this case you will need a core. This is a tool made of durable steel, having a cylindrical shape and a point at the end.

We place the tip at the desired drilling location and hit the roll on the other side with a hammer several times.

Now that you have finished drilling, place a drill on the surface of the uneven surface and start drilling - the tip will not run away anywhere.

How to avoid dulling drills?

Metal drills become dull if they get too hot during operation, causing them to lose their strength. Heating occurs due to friction. Moreover, the faster it spins, the more it heats up.

Hence the obvious rule - you need to drill at low drill speeds. They should be no more than 1000 per minute. But who will measure this during work? So just don't press the start button all the way. The correct speed can be assessed as follows: the eye should see the rotation of the drill. That is, the grooves on it should not merge into one whole for vision.

When working with thick workpieces, additional cooling is necessary. It is provided by special lubricants or pastes that are added to the drilling site, or the drill is dipped into them. In addition, they not only cool, but also lubricate the tip, resulting in less friction.

IN living conditions There is no need to have special lubricants and pastes. You can get by with regular machine oil.

So, use a core, drill low and add some lube or oil and this job will be a cakewalk.

Well, a few more tips on this topic.

Drill types

For drilling, use only metal drills (not wood, for example). They have their own sharpening and are made from certain types of steel. The most common ones are marked P6M5 - this is high-speed steel, which foreign manufacturers label as HSS.

To provide additional strength, the above drill bits are coated with titanium nitride. Why do they have yellow.

There are also stronger P18, which are used respectively for hard steels.

Also, to increase strength, cobalt can be added, and then the marking P6M5K5 is obtained.

Well, the most durable ones are drills with carbide tips. They are used for drilling alloy steels. It will also take ordinary steel, but buying it just for this will be somewhat savvy, since the price for them is quite high, and although it is hard, it still dulls. But it will be difficult to sharpen it later, since this requires diamond blade, which is also not very cheap, and you can’t buy it everywhere.

Drilling thick workpieces

If the workpiece has a thickness of more than 5 mm, and you need a hole larger than 8 mm, then it is better to first make a hole with a thin drill, and only then work with a thick one.

Working with some types of metal

When drilling into thick aluminum pieces, chips often clog the drill channels, making it more difficult to rotate. Therefore, when working with such material, remove the drill from the recess more often and remove the chips. Well, don’t forget to pour plenty of oil on it.
If you need to drill black cast iron, then you do not need to add any lubricating and cooling substances, since it drills very well even dry
Unlike black cast iron, white cast iron has increased strength, which means strong drills and lubricants are required to process it.

These are the basic rules for drilling metal with a drill. I hope I was able to bridge this gap in your knowledge. Good luck with your homework and see you soon!

Read also:

instrument-tehnika.ru

Drilling holes in metal - rules and technology

Processing metal parts belongs to the list very complex operations. Drilling may be required when working in production, in a house, garage, or in a country house. For these purposes, drilling equipment, drills and additional accessories are used.

Metal products have increased strength and hardness, which requires strict adherence to technology and the use of reliable and high-quality equipment. Drilling holes in metal is required to create a variety of collapsible as well as non-separable connections. For this plumbing procedure, you need a machine or a drill, a hammer with a center punch for accurately marking holes and a drill.

How to drill a hole in metal - technology

Processing of metal products is carried out in production, when repairing a car, at home, or in the manufacture of various structures. The use of technology for drilling holes in metals involves the use of machine tools or hand drills. Moreover, the first option requires significant financial costs, since stationary equipment is not cheap.

The technological process of drilling consists in the gradual removal of a thin metal layer during the rotational-translational movement of the drill. Achieving high-quality processing is impossible without reliable axial fixation of the chuck and straight-line feeding. For these purposes, special mechanical type clamps are used - conductors. These additional accessories are required when it is necessary to drill a hole in a metal product whose thickness is greater than the diameter of the tool used.

Before starting drilling, mark the center of the resulting hole with a center punch. To get high accuracy, it is necessary to select a drill 0.1-0.3 mm smaller than the required size of the area being treated. A slight vibration of the equipment will break the drilled diameter to the required value. To reduce friction, coolant or special lubricant is used. This can be machine oil or plain water.

If the edges of the drill become dull, they must be corrected, otherwise the tool itself and the workpiece can be damaged. When working with hollow objects (boxes, pipes), a special wooden spacer is placed inside. If it is necessary to cut threads, drills are selected taking into account the breakdown of the drilling area. First, use a smaller diameter gimlet, and then drill with the main one.

How to drill metal with a drill

The main problem When working with a drill, it is necessary to hold it manually. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the direction, provide the necessary clamping force and control the drilling speed.

Having placed the necessary marks on the product, the center of future drilling sites needs to be marked, which will prevent the gimlet from moving. The workpiece can be secured in clamps or placed on a special stand. When using hand tools For holes in metals, it is necessary to ensure a strict perpendicular position of the drill.

Do not apply excessive pressure to the tool during operation. As the drill progresses, the force decreases, which reduces the formation of burrs at the exit and prevents breakage of the drill. When biting the drill, it is released by reverse rotation.

If a large drilling depth is required (more than five drill diameters), you should special attention pay attention to cooling the cutting object and constantly removing metal shavings. A short type drill is pre-used to obtain the required alignment and feed direction. Chips are removed by turning the part over, using coolant, as well as hooks or magnets.

Drill requirements

To drill a hole in metal efficiently, you need to choose the right drills, taking into account the diameters, as well as the properties of the material. For this, high-speed tool steel is used. When drilling alloy and hardened carbon steel objects, cast iron, stainless steel and other difficult-to-cut materials, carbide drills are used.

Before drilling a hole in solid metal, it must be pre-drilled with a smaller tool. Some cutting products contain cobalt additives, which increase their wear resistance and durability. The letter “K” is added to the marking of this instrument.

Power and speed during operation

Its capabilities depend on the power of the equipment that drills metal. Hand drills with a power of about 500-700 W are designed for drilling areas up to a maximum of 10-13 mm in diameter.

Rotation speed cutting tool when working on ordinary metal, low and medium speeds are used (500-1000 rpm). The use of high speeds is fraught with rapid heating of the drill, which causes its annealing with softening. Drilling deep holes in metal should be done with moderate pressure and not high speeds.

How to drill metal correctly

For a complete metal drilling process, the main parameter is the sharpness of the drill. Blunting rate cutting edges directly depends on the hardness of the material being processed, feed force, rotation speed, presence of cooling and other factors. The technology for drilling large holes in metal is to initially drill with a small drill, and then use the main one.

For accurate drilling, it is necessary to core the centers of future areas being processed. You can improve the process conditions by first dipping the tool tip into machine oil. In everyday life, ordinary soapy water is used. For the deep drilling process, it is necessary to constantly cool the working tool and promptly remove accumulated metal shavings.

Sheet

When working with sheet-type metal products, it is necessary to place wooden block, which will prevent the appearance of burrs. As a replacement for the bar, you can use any material that is less hard than the main one. At the final stage, it is recommended to reduce the feed force, which will also reduce the likelihood of the formation of dangerous burrs.

Holes in pipes

The main problem with drilling pipes is their precise positioning. In this case, the input drilled location often does not coincide with the output one. Increasing the pipe diameter leads to an even greater error. It is almost impossible to maintain strict perpendicularity by eye, so special purchased or homemade conductors and guides are used.

Stainless steel

Work with stainless steel is carried out at minimum speed, preferably with a cobalt drill. A value of 120-150 rpm will provide the required cutting quality and speed. In the absence of a speed regulator, the drill is turned on briefly, which will not allow the chuck to accelerate to maximum values. You can use step drills, which greatly facilitate the process. For diameters greater than 15 mm, special “crowns” are used. The working element is cooled with fat or olive oil.

Aluminum

The difficulty of working with aluminum products lies in the material enveloping the cutting edges. This makes it much more difficult for the drill to penetrate deeper and at the same time expands the processing area itself. Precision drilling requires removing the drill from the part more often for cleaning and using coolant.

Safety

Any work, including metal work, must be carried out in compliance with all necessary measures security. Workpieces of medium and large sizes are fixed on special devices or on the machine table. Small parts are held in a hand vice. It is prohibited to hold the workpiece with your hands while drilling.

Do not touch moving elements or throw belts on the machine pulley as it rotates. The chips are removed with special hooks or brushes. The sleeves on workwear are buttoned or rolled up above the elbow, the hair is hidden under a headdress, and the eyes are covered with safety glasses.

oxmetall.ru

How to drill a hole in metal

Metal products, compared to parts made from other materials, have increased hardness and strength, so for successful work they require compliance technological process and the use of high-quality cutting tools.

Tools for drilling work for metal:

Electric or hand drill;
Twist drill;
Kerner;
Hammer;
Safety glasses.

Metal drills are selected based on the diameters of the holes and the properties of the material being processed. As a rule, they are made from high-speed steels, such as R6M5K5, R6M5, R4M2. Carbide drills are used to work with cast iron, carbon and alloy hardened steels, stainless steel, and other difficult-to-cut materials.

The power of the electric drill must be designed to drill a hole of the required diameter. Manufacturers of power tools indicate the corresponding technical specifications on the product. For example, for drills with a power of 500...700 W, the maximum drilling diameter for metal is 10...13 mm.

There are blind, incomplete, and through holes. They can be used to connect parts together using bolts, studs, pins and rivets. If a hole is drilled for the purpose of cutting threads, you should pay special attention to the choice of drill diameter. Due to its beating, a hole in the chuck occurs, which must be taken into account. Approximate data are presented in the table.

To reduce the breakdown, drilling is performed in two stages: first with a smaller diameter drill, and then with the main one. The same method of sequential drilling is used when it is necessary to make a hole of large diameter.

How to drill metal correctly with a drill

The peculiarity of drilling metal with a drill is that it is necessary to manually hold the tool, give it the correct position, and also ensure the required cutting speed.

After marking the workpiece, you should mark the center of the future hole. This will prevent the drill from moving away from the specified point. For ease of work, the workpiece should be clamped in a bench vice or placed on a stand so that it takes a stable position. The drill is installed strictly perpendicular to the surface to be drilled. This is important to avoid it breaking.

When drilling metal, you do not need to apply much pressure to the drill. On the contrary, it should decrease as you progress. This will prevent breakage of the drill and also reduce the formation of burrs on the exit edge through hole. Care must be taken to remove chips. If the cutting tool is jammed, it is released by returning it to reverse rotation.

Selecting cutting mode

When using a high-speed steel tool, you can focus on the rotation speed according to the table. When working with carbide drills, the permissible values are 1.5...2 times higher.

Drilling of metal products must be carried out with cooling. If you do not use it, there is a high probability of losing the tool cutting properties due to overheating. The cleanliness of the hole surface will be quite low. An emulsion is usually used as a coolant for hard steels. At home, machine oil is suitable. Cast iron and non-ferrous metals can be drilled without coolant.

Features of drilling deep holes

Holes are considered deep if their size is greater than five drill diameters. The peculiarity of the work here lies in the difficulties associated with cooling and chip removal. The length of the cutting part of the tool must be greater than the depth of the hole. Otherwise, the body of the part will block the screw grooves through which chips are removed and liquid for cooling and lubrication is supplied.

First, the hole is drilled with a rigid short drill to a shallow depth. This operation is necessary to set the direction and centering of the main tool. After this, a hole of the required length is made. As you progress, you need to remove metal shavings from time to time. For this purpose, use coolant, hooks, magnets, or turn the part over.

Of course, you need to drill steel until it’s hot. And if you come across a hardened workpiece (especially a thick one), release it, drill holes with a regular drill and harden it again, if necessary. But this option is not always possible and justified; sometimes non-standard situations arise in which it is necessary to drill (perforate) steel that is already very hardened.

Well, for example, the blade of a knife broke, or you decided to make a knife from a piece of a saw. It’s a pity to throw away such valuable material; skilled people usually give such things a second life...

Yes, it's not technologically advanced, but craftsmen came up with a lot in various ways, how to drill hardened steel, or how to make holes in it. To do this with less effort, you need to proceed from the capabilities and materials that you have, and also depending on what purposes. Maybe, instead of a hole, you will be satisfied with just a slot with a grinder, into which you can pass a screw and secure the part.

Drill through hardened metal.

To make the slot smaller, you need to make it on both sides, and use a trimming disc of the smallest diameter, i.e. almost erased.

Before drilling, you need to thoroughly examine the steel to see how hard (crumb) it is, and from there choose methods. If, after all, the steel bends even a little and then breaks (this can be determined by the broken end), then it can be drilled with an ordinary drill with pobedit tips, i.e. drill for concrete. True, the drill must be sharp. You can easily sharpen or correct a pobedite drill bit using a diamond wheel.

When drilling hardened steel, you need to press the drill quite firmly and drill at high speeds, lubricating the drilling site. It will be easier to make a hole if you drill first with a drill of a smaller diameter, and then with a larger one. The resistance area will be smaller, and therefore the drill will go into the material easier...

Thin steel, for example, for a knife, can be drilled with hardened rods or Pobedit rods, you need to sharpen them like a drill and several pieces at once (make a peak and sharpen 2 edges), and change them as they become dull. A couple of minutes and the hole is ready...

The next method is long, requires several hours, but reliable. A hole in a steel plate can be easily etched with acid: sulfuric, nitric, or chloric, 10-15% will do. We make a side of the desired diameter and shape from paraffin, drop acid there and wait. The hole turns out to be slightly larger than the diameter of the side, this must be taken into account. To speed up the process, the workpiece can be slightly heated, to about 45 degrees.

If you have a welding machine, this can also be used. The hole can simply be burned into the workpiece or locally “released” and then drilled. Grind the melted edges then and order.

There are, of course, special drills for such purposes, but they are not cheap, around $4 apiece. These are tubular diamond drills for high-carbon steels, and a feather-shaped drill designed for drilling glass is also suitable. The feather-shaped drill must be used carefully, do not press too hard, so as not to overheat and break it.

You can also make a hole in a steel plate using the burning method, at high speeds and a special carbide nozzle. For this we make a special “drill”. We make a workpiece from a pobedite plate (you can use a tooth from a circular saw) round section and sharpen it to a cone. We insert it into an electric drill and burn a hole in the plate at high speeds. The entire operation takes only a few minutes.

If the steel is not very tiny, you can punch a hole of the required diameter with a punch through a supply of the same or slightly larger diameter. For example, a hacksaw or a broken spatula can be easily penetrated using this method.

It will be much easier to drill stainless steel if you drop soldering acid into the drilling site.

And if you have access to an enterprise where there is an electrical erosion machine, then holes can be made on such a machine without problems, in a matter of minutes.

Here are all the methods for drilling hardened steel so far. If some more appear, I’ll add them, and if you have your own method for drilling hardened steel, write.

Victor Donskoy
www.masteru.org.ua

How to drill hardened steel

How to drill a hole in hardened steel?

Drill steel grades - which ones are better?

Nowadays, buying a high-quality metal drill is a real problem; most drills are Chinese, their quality leaves much to be desired. The quality of a drill depends, first of all, on the grade of steel from which the drill is made.

Most modern metal drills are made of R6M5 steel, although the difference between modern drills and drills from the USSR (with a quality mark) is simply huge, Chinese drills instantly roll up and it is impossible to drill even an ordinary corner made of 3mm iron with them. One drill is enough for several holes. However, there is also high quality drills, which last a long time.

Let's look at the steel grades, because the quality and durability of the drill depends on this.

P18 is now a legendary steel. Containing 18 percent tungsten, this steel supports metal processing even at high speeds. Drills made of P18 steel do not overheat, endure for a long time and drill well. True, finding the real ones is a whole problem. In Soviet times, r18 steel was used very widely for the manufacture of metal-cutting tools, but after the 70s, tungsten reserves were depleted and it was replaced by steel with a lower tungsten content - r6m5.

R6M5 - 6 percent tungsten, 5 percent molybdenum. Standard steel for metal-cutting tools. If the drill for metal is a Soviet one made from R6M5, then it is perfect for everyday use at home; such drills last for a long time, although they cannot drill through more hardened iron. The following drills with the addition of cobalt are suitable for this.

R6M5K5 is the same as R6M5, only 5 percent cobalt is added, which makes these drills even stronger and more durable. Cobalt drills are suitable for drilling where high temperatures are generated during drilling.

Category: “We work with metal”

Excellent for drilling stainless steel, as well as other hardened steels. In general, if regular drills They don’t take iron, then buy it with cobalt, you will feel the difference.

H.S.S. foreign analogue high-speed steel, translated as High Speed Steel, that is, steel for working at high speeds. HSS drills are similar in composition to the standard P6M5 high-speed cutter.

By the way, hss also comes with the addition of cobalt; drills are marked HSS-Co. Drills with this marking will be identical to our R6M5K5. Drills with cobalt - for drilling stainless steel and other durable steels.

It is also worth mentioning specialized drills for porcelain tiles, they are soldered and also come with crowns, if you are looking for information, follow the link, I prepared an article at the request of workers.

In general, if you decide to buy high-quality drills for your home, then I would recommend first asking around for drills from the times of the USSR, if they have a quality mark on them, then this is generally better than that. Soviet ones are inexpensive, you can even look at flea markets, you can probably find something there too.

Sovdepov drills are an excellent tool. If you take imported ones, then they cost a lot, for example, 6 mm HSS-Co drills cost around 70-80 rubles, while a similar Soviet one can be bought for 20-30 rubles.