Reply With QuoteI'm no expert but the same way you'd drill a gas cylinder - empty it of petrol, fill it with water to displace the vapours and then drill while it's still full of water. Slow drill, significant pressure and cutting oil will help and once you've started, don't stop - stainless steel work hardens if 'rubbed' instead of being cut.
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Thread: Drilling stainless tank
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02-03-21, 04:10 PM #1
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Drilling stainless tank
What is the best way to go about drilling a hole in a currently used petrol tank made of stainless?
cheers
PaulAK, on the road Oct 2012
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02-03-21, 04:16 PM #2
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02-03-21, 04:50 PM #3
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Paul,
Arron is correct, SS work hardens as it get hot, making it harder to drill. I had to drill a lot of holes in my SS engine bay liner to fit my radiator grill and learnt that Cobalt or carbide drills were better than HSS, and by using the slowest drill speed ,coupled with using engine oil, and pressing as hard as I dare without snapping the drill bit and stopping to let it cool down now and again worked the best. Just be careful, as the tip of the drill begins to come through the bottom of the hole, there is a tendency for the edge of the drill to snag the metal, which can snap small drills.
PaulPaul.
AK Huddart Chevy 383 Stroker, BMW Royal Grey Metal Metallic , 5 speed Jaguar Getrag , Holley 670cfm 4 barrel street Avenger Carb, 450 BHP at flywheel , 460 Ibs/ft torque, and luvin it !
" We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing" - George Bernard Shaw.
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03-03-21, 07:23 AM #4
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With a drill
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03-03-21, 08:10 AM #5
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Originally Posted by aksportscars
I've made a few holes in my life that look like they were made by one of these...
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03-03-21, 03:30 PM #6
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Cheers, luckily I won't be doing any of the drilling
PaulAK, on the road Oct 2012
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03-03-21, 04:55 PM #7
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I guess your beaver must have had the standard HSS teeth then Originally Posted by aaronjb
I've made a few holes in my life that look like they were made by one of these...
,oh and sorry for balls-ng up your name in my previous post.
Paul.
AK Huddart Chevy 383 Stroker, BMW Royal Grey Metal Metallic , 5 speed Jaguar Getrag , Holley 670cfm 4 barrel street Avenger Carb, 450 BHP at flywheel , 460 Ibs/ft torque, and luvin it !
" We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing" - George Bernard Shaw.
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08-03-21, 03:00 PM #8
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I can't afford those fancy high falutin' carbide beavers, you know.. I've spent all the cash on the engine! Originally Posted by psh
I guess your beaver must have had the standard HSS teeth then,oh and sorry for balls-ng up your name in my previous post. and no worries - over the years I've seen more mis-spellings of my name than I can count! (btw, your inbox is full )
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11-03-21, 04:41 PM #9
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Cheers Aaron, and i have now made space in my inbox Originally Posted by aaronjb
I can't afford those fancy high falutin' carbide beavers, you know.. I've spent all the cash on the engine! and no worries - over the years I've seen more mis-spellings of my name than I can count! (btw, your inbox is full )
Paul.
AK Huddart Chevy 383 Stroker, BMW Royal Grey Metal Metallic , 5 speed Jaguar Getrag , Holley 670cfm 4 barrel street Avenger Carb, 450 BHP at flywheel , 460 Ibs/ft torque, and luvin it !
" We dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing" - George Bernard Shaw.
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