Drilling through stainless steel

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Prost!

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I'm mounting a backsplash/drip tray made of 304 stainless steel on my keggerator.
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I need to drill six, 7/8" holes for the faucet shanks to go through. I bought a bi-metal hole saw for the job. I know that heating the SS through friction hardens it and makes drilling/cutting extremely difficult. I already drilled some 3/16" holes for small mounting screws and it was really a tough chore. Other than using oil for lubrication/cooling and using low RPMs, does anyone know of any techniques that will make this task easier? Thanks.
 
Brewpastor said:
Is it possible to mount this tray just below the taps so you can avoid the drilling issue all together?

Yeah...good point.

I don't know the exact size of the drip tray, but are you going to be able to put a pint under the taps if you have the holes right in the tray?
 
Dude said:
Yeah...good point.

I don't know the exact size of the drip tray, but are you going to be able to put a pint under the taps if you have the holes right in the tray?

Yes, it's 15" high X 18" wide. I'm planning to mount the faucets 3" down from the top of the backsplash, this will leave an 11" drop from the mouths of the faucets to the top of the drip tray. Enough room to fill pitchers and growlers. Plus, it will look a lot better than mounting the faucets on top. I know it's going to be a pain to drill the holes, but I think it'll be worth the effort. Just trying to find out if there are any tricks to make the job easier.
 
Do you have anybody around who can cut the holes for you? A machine shop maybe? It would be a shame to mess up that nice tray and for a few dollars (I would guess $25) somebody should be able to do it for you. Or find somebody with a drill press and cut cool, wet and slow.
 
AHammer16 said:
A bi metal hole saw will work fine. Just place some wood behind the back splash when you drill.


I was just thinking that as I read you post.

It may be stainless, but it's not a 1/2 piece of pipe, it's only sheet metal.

IGOR
 
I cut a 7/8" hole in my brewpot with a hole saw and had no problem. Just don't force it and it should be fine. I used a drill press so that did help. You may also want to do pilot holes with a smalled drill bit as a 3/8 (or whatever the pilot for the hole saw is) tend to try to jump around.
 
MrSaLTy said:
I cut a 7/8" hole in my brewpot with a hole saw and had no problem. Just don't force it and it should be fine. I used a drill press so that did help. You may also want to do pilot holes with a smalled drill bit as a 3/8 (or whatever the pilot for the hole saw is) tend to try to jump around.

Definitely doing pilot holes and I think my uncle has a drill press I can use.
 
your best bet would be a step drill, just put a 3/16 pilot hole in it and go to town with the step drill. I do allot of fab work and my step drill is my best friend.
 
How about using something like JB Weld/Liquid Nails and avoid drilling altogether? Would that even work?
 

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