Know the drill: Three tips offer a 'bit’ of help

The 1994 edition of Plant Engineering’s Tips & Tricks featured a number of questions about drilling, including tips on drilling through metal without shavings falling into equipment.

Here are three good drilling tips from that issue:

Tip 1. Place a donut-shaped speaker magnet inside the electrical enclosure. Center the magnet on the spot where the drill should come through. The magnet attracts the shavings.

Tip 2. Another tip, especially useful when dealing with stainless steel, is to put a foam or plastic cup over the drill bit to catch shavings.

Tip 3. When trying to enlarge pilot holes in any metal, it’s hard to keep the drill from jumping. One tip that can help is to place a piece of scrap cardboard over the pilot hole and saturate it with cutting oil before drilling.