What size end mill?
I finally got around to doing this. How did I do?
I think it looks sexy.
You CAN drill some stainless with HSS (high speed steel), especially if your just doing a dimple and using a sharp tool. Really, a cobalt steel bit is more appropriate. Carbide will work, but it’s expensive for just a single dimple, and it chips easily. Go with cobalt. It’s affordable. Just make sure you get a reputable U.S. or European brand.
More important than the cutting tool is technique. Run the drill at a slow speed and use cutting oil. Maintain sufficient pressure so the drill is always cutting. Do not back off the pressure and let the tool just rub on the work. Everything I’m suggesting is to ensure that you keep the work (barrel) cool. If you get it too hot by using excessive tool speed or insufficient feed pressure, then the stainless will “work harden.” It can happen fast, but you’ll know it it happens. Your tool will be cutting one moment, and the next it will be like your cutting through… well… hardened steel.
Oops. I gave avise after you completed the project. It looks nice!
Stainless barrels are 400 series, so they don’t require any special tools or techniques like high nickel stainless.
I already did the drilling. How does it look?
Straight shank, fluted drill - high speed tool steel. That’s all you need! - 25 years experience machine shop owner
Looks fine. Install your GB.
Can I do the same using an impact driver? It might sound like a silly question but I don’t have a lot of tools at home.
3rd post and to a 2 1/2 year old thread and the question doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe I am the dumb ass.
The dude has made three posts. Two of them left me scratching my head, just like you. The third post was making wild claims about the benefits of cannabis. Now it ALL makes sense.
In cases like this, I resort to the “ignore” filter.
It’s going to depend on a few factors:
-does your driver have an option to turn the impacts off?
-how fast/powerful a driver is it?
-what are your skills?
Now having drilled some of these, it’s very easy on non-nitride steel with a drill press and an appropriate vise. On nitride-treated steel it’s more difficult, but you can minimize that with some file work on the spot beforehand (the nitride layer is very thin).
You will need a vise to hold the barrel, and with a hand-held anything you will probably have issues. Be sure to turn the impacts off if possible.
If you have any possible access to a drill press, the proper setup will make this an easy 5-minute or less job with a good result, while doing it handheld is very likely to be messy and may just fail.
An impact driver is similar to a handheld drill but has different internal gearing and mechanism, optimized for driving screws and nuts instead of drilling. The impact part is like an air impact wrench - a rotary hammer starts pounding on the bit holder when it meets enough resistance. They can be used for light drilling in wood or plastic but aren’t optimal for that.