Drilling 316 Stainless Question - Small Hole - Tiny Bit!!!! = Breaking

[drom68]

I just did a job that was nothing but SS, had to drill numerous holes, tap, mill, bore, weld, etc… Bottom line; I was burning tooling up until I slowed the speeds down considerably. Be a little aggressive on the feed, if it starts rubbing get a little more aggressive or back off and start again. Use plenty of lubricant, the slow speed should keep the temps down. Also, make sure your tooling is sharp. Nerve racking at first, but once I figured it out, my comfort level increased. I did much better with HSS tooling than carbide.