In the steel building industry, mastering the art of drilling through steel is essential. While numerous articles cater to beginners, our focus is on providing advanced insights for professionals. Our goal? Enhance safety, improve efficiency, and slash drilling time by up to 75% per hole. With the Strong Arm 5 Max mobile drill press.
While countless articles are tailored for beginners, our emphasis lies in delivering advanced insights tailored to professionals. Our objective is clear: to bolster safety, enhance efficiency, and reduce drilling time by as much as 75% per hole.
Safety should always be a top priority when drilling through steel. Online resources stress the importance of wearing safety glasses, avoiding loose clothing and long hair near the drill bit, and using gloves, clamping the material to prevent it from spinning. Including, wearing hearing protection to safeguard your ears from the noise.
Keeping your drill bit sharp might seem like common sense, but it’s a crucial detail that online resources often overlook. Just recently, a SA5 (Strong Arm 5) customer called seeking ways to expedite drilling 11/16″ holes for a project involving 200 holes. When I inquired about his bit’s sharpness, there was silence on the other end. The lesson here is clear: maintain a sharp bit. There are various methods to achieve this, a topic deserving of its own article.
Precise Holes
For achieving precise holes, employing a center punch to create a dimple in the metal is absolutely essential. Begin with the drill bit rotating slowly at the start, allowing the bit to enhance the dimple as it takes shape. After a few rotations, you can increase the speed to your desired RPM. You can use the same center punch method with the SA5. If exact precision isn’t necessary, the SA5 can maintain accuracy quite well. Simply apply slight pressure at the end of the handle, allowing the drill to rotate slowly, creating its own dimple, and then accelerate to the desired RPM before applying the necessary force. We’ll delve into the specifics of thrust the pounds of force at the bit later. Ensure your bit is uniformly sharp on both sides, as uneven sharpening can cause it to wander off the mark instead of staying in place.
Optimal Drilling Performance
To achieve optimal drilling performance, it’s crucial to consider both the RPM (speed of the drill motor) and the thrust applied at the bit. A useful resource for reference is the Auto Drill website, where you can find a RPM and chart at Thrust Auto Drill speed and thrust. Generally, larger bit sizes require slower RPM settings. For instance, to drill a 1/4-inch hole in low carbon steel, a recommended RPM is 1400 with a thrust at the bit of 230 pounds of force. When drilling a 3/4-inch hole in low carbon steel, you should use 360 RPM and apply 1300 pounds of thrust. It’s important to use cutting oil to prevent the drill bit from overheating, and maintaining proper bit pressure is essential to avoid excessive heat, which can significantly reduce bit sharpness and lifespan. In the case of drilling stainless steel, heat can make the material harder, using correct drilling techniques even more critical. Detailed guidance on achieving the right thrust and RPM will be addressed later.
With the SA5 (Strong Arm 5), safety gets a boost. Here’s how SA5 enhances your drilling experience, making it not only safer but also more efficient:
Drilling requires a substantial amount of pressure at the bit, with even a 1/4-inch hole demanding 230 pounds of force at the bit in steel. It might sound unusual, but novice drillers often find themselves awkwardly positioning one hand behind the drilling material while gripping the drill motor and pushing with their shoulder as hard as they can. This can lead to accidents, and many technicians in their early stages have experienced drilling into their hands. And bringing face close to the drill gets hot drill shards striking their faces. The SA5’s innovative design, with its foot securing the drilling material, eliminates the need for the hand behind the material, making drilling safer and reducing the risk of injuries.
SA5 Mobile Drill Press Has Better Control
SA5 Has Better Control: When the drill bit catches, it’s crucial to avoid twisting it to the left to help prevent wrist injuries and maintain control over the torque. Standard drill motors feature a short handle, but SA5 offers an impressive 19-inch handle, providing three times more control than standard anti-torque options, ensuring safer and more precise drilling.
Previously, I discussed the importance of the thrust applied at the bit during drilling, highlighting that a 3/4-inch hole requires a substantial 1300 pounds of thrust, a task nearly impossible without assistance. Even applying 230 pounds of thrust for a 1/4-inch hole can be challenging and fatiguing. In jobs involving multiple holes, fatigue can set in, leading to increased risks of accidents. This is where the SA5 comes into play, making work not only easier but, more importantly, safer. How, you might ask? Well, to achieve the necessary 230 pounds of force at the bit, you only need to exert a manageable 14 pounds of pull at the end of the SA5 handle. The SA5 Max boasts a remarkable 15.5 to 1 leverage advantage, and the primary goal was to keep it lightweight, at just 5 pounds, while ensuring it could withstand the industry’s demanding conditions. With its power and portability, the SA5 significantly reduces fatigue, making it a valuable tool for professionals
The question may arise: how can you determine if the thrust applied is sufficient or excessive? When it’s not enough you will notice little progress, even with a sharp bit, you then should exert more force until you notice tangible progress in the cutting. On the other hand, if you observe bluish or purple-colored drill shards or detect smoke, it’s a sign of excessive thrust. However, it’s worth noting that smoke can also indicate a need for more cutting oil. With experience, you’ll quickly develop a sense of the right amount of thrust required for optimal drilling.
Ease the pull on the handle as the bit penetrates through the material. This feature is essential for maintaining the integrity of the drill bit, particularly when dealing with larger bits. By reducing the pull on the handle as it penetrates through the material, the Strong Arm 5 Max helps prevent the edges of the bit from breaking off or suffering damage, ensuring precise and effective drilling while extending the lifespan of the bit.
Drilling Overhead or from Inverted Positions
Drilling overhead or in inverted positions can be both physically demanding and hazardous, as it places extreme stress on the shoulders and can lead to fatigue and injuries. Technicians often find themselves standing directly under the material, pushing with their shoulders, back, and legs while contending with showers of hot slag. This strain is neither sustainable nor necessary. Fortunately, the Strong Arm 5 Max portable drill press, when used in conjunction with the Extension Pole, offers a safer and more efficient solution. The Extension Pole, equipped with a swivel foot, allows the SA5 Max to adjust its height from 4 to 9 feet, providing stability on the surface below or the scaffolding that the technician is working on. This innovative setup not only enhances safety but also reduces drilling time by up to 75%, alleviating the physical strain and injury risks associated with overhead drilling.
Rotary Hammer Drills
Great news for overhead drillers using a rotary hammer drill! The innovative new Strong Arm 5 Max MRC (Maximum Range Clamp) is designed to accommodate 99.9% of rotary hammer drills, offering the largest clamping range in the industry to secure it to our Mobile Drill Press. This advancement ensures compatibility for overhead drilling applications.
Drilling From a Ladder Safety
Drilling from a ladder can introduce its own set of safety concerns, especially when considering the substantial force required, such as 230 pounds thrust to drill a ¼ inch hole, with the bit thrusting forward as the ladder pushes backward, increasing the risk of a technician falling off the ladder—an alarming prospect. However, with the SA5 Max and its innovative foot that securely grips the drilling material, the technician remains firmly in place, reducing the chances of accidents. Moreover, the SA5 Max’s design allows for achieving the necessary force with just a fraction of the energy input, making the entire drilling process not only safer but also significantly more efficient when working from elevated positions like ladders. Thrusting forward on a ladder result in a pushback force.
The Strong Arm 5 Max can reduce drilling time by up to 75% and enhance safety, ultimately leading to increased profitability. The video below illustrates what this article is about.
For further details, view the Strong Arm 5 Max.
