The Automatic Button Pusher

Step 14 Drilling Holes In The Steel Plates

My plan to to mount the plates with a couple #4-40 screws with nuts so we'll need to drill some holes through the steel.

First of all I would highly recommend to anyone who likes building things to invest in a drill press. You can get a 8" bench-top drill press for $80-100 and in my opinion it will be the best money you've ever spent. (Although these days I do wish mine was a little bigger  and had a wider variety of speed settings)

I follow a 4 step process when I drill holes:

1. Measure and mark the spot you want to drill.
2. Use center punch on mark.
3. Drill hole.
4. De-burr hole with a countersink.

Comments

[Ken Chevy]

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While you are right there at the drill press, just install a drill bit a few sizes larger than the bit you used to drill the holes with.

Just lightly touch the drilled holes with the larger drill bit will clean the burrs off the holes and put a nice little bevel on them.

[johnny3h]

I do the same thing with a larger bit, BUT... instead of wasting the time to install it in the drill press chuck, I just do it by hand. A couple of twists does the job in seconds - much faster than chucking the bit, starting the press, aligning the workpiece, and cranking the bit down to the workpiece for several holes.