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Air drill speed

Jwych

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Joined
Mar 30, 2014
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335
Location
Sioux city Iowa
Can someone give me the low down on what speed would be a good overall multipurpose speed ? Will use for drilling mostly aluminum and steel less than 1/2 thick.
 
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BFHtime

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Mar 31, 2012
Messages
983
Drill using a slow speed, use oil on the bit to keep it cool. Keep constant pressure, but not so much the bit bends or breaks. If doing multiple holes, relu e the bit to keep it cool. Just about any oil is fine, even spray lube.
Slow being not too fast, but not so slow you stall the drill. Go as fast as the bit can cut, while heating up the bit minimally.
A punch is nice to use to keep the bit from walking when starting.
God luck.
 
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J

Jwych

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Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Messages
335
Location
Sioux city Iowa
I guess I'm asking what speed to purchase. Some drills are 400 rpm free speed and some are 500 also have seen in upwards of 3k rpm. How do I choose a drill going by speed. Would I benefit from high rpm? Or would it be better to have one on the 500 range
 

PBCampbell

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Feb 2, 2009
Messages
871
Location
WV
I can't say I've spent alot of time researching air powered drills but 1,000 rpms seems to be the slowest I've seen. Do you have any model numbers or links to these lower speed models?
 

tbaggz

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Jan 19, 2013
Messages
683
High speed under 1/2,low speed above.has worked well for me.you can possibly add a regulator to control max speed.
 

tbaggz

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Jan 19, 2013
Messages
683
Use a 3/8 high speed,1/2 low speed.with aluminum it almost doesn't matter,with stainless steel it definitely matters due to heat.most important thing is use some oil to keep things cool.usually its a trade off of torque for speed.check out Sioux drills.they are the manufacturer of snap on drills and impacts http://www.siouxtools.com
 
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larry_g

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Apr 28, 2007
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16,888
Location
oregon
The speed you need is determined by the material of the drill bit, the diameter of the bit, and the material being machines. here is a chart http://www.mr-skill.co.uk/wp/building-a-to-z/drill-speed-chart-metals that can get you started. It is for high speed bits.

With the information in your original post no one can answer your question because there is not enough information given. Makes a bit of difference if your drilling in the .100" range or the .750" range.

lg
no neat sig line
 

Schurkey

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Joined
Oct 27, 2011
Messages
2,370
Location
The Seasonally Frozen Wastelands
The speed you need is determined by the material of the drill bit, the diameter of the bit, and the material being machines. here is a chart http://www.mr-skill.co.uk/wp/building-a-to-z/drill-speed-chart-metals that can get you started. It is for high speed bits.

With the information in your original post no one can answer your question because there is not enough information given. Makes a bit of difference if your drilling in the .100" range or the .750" range.
THANK YOU.

Most drill motors are geared for too-high speed; when the trigger isn't pulled "all the way" the torque goes away along with the speed. In short, the drill motor becomes useless except with a 1/16" or similarly-small bit.
 

Leaflessshadetree

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Aug 1, 2013
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7,169
Location
Don't ask.
Judge by how the bit is cutting. The material should come off in spirals or large chips. Blue chips indicate speed too high. If you're making powder (the oil will becoming pasty) the speed is way too fast. The only problem with too slow of speed is that it takes a little longer to drill the hole.
 
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