Sieg x2D making a hole in steel

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snorky

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Hi all. I know this is discussed many times for the big boy machines you all have :) , but I am looking for some advice in making(drilling) a 1 1/4 inch hole in 5/8 inch steel plate on a Sieg x2D mini mill.
What would be best? Annular cutter or a boring bar set-up? I don't envision making many of that size and most of what I would do is 3/4 inch and smaller so regular drill bits work fine.
Any advice, preferences, opinions are much appreciated.
Thanks, Jeff.
 
Rigidity will be your stumbling block.

Annular cutter would be a good choice if you can run it with enough torque. Hole saw can also work. Boring bar will be the slowest, but also let you reduce the cut to something your machine can handle.
 
Annular cutters would work but are expensive in larger sizes. Hole saws will also work but you'll have to go buy it in the size you need. Personally, I would just drill a hole with the biggest drill I have, then bore it to the size you need. It will take a little time but it will be on size, no burrs and not hardened when you're done. I've bored 2" holes on a Sherline lathe so I know it works.
 
Thanks to all. I tried a hole saw but I'm not sure it was a good one. Milwaukee bi-metal. Kept jamming and stopping even at lowest speed and VERY minimal pressure, only made it about a 64th inch, so it looks like a drill then boring bar set-up is the best choice. Any recommendation on where to get and brand? Already looked at LMS. Pricey, but I know they're good.
Thanks. Jeff
 
This should work but there are better heads if you're willing to be patient. The equivalent of the LMS head is the Criterion DBL-202B head that takes 1/2" shanked boring bars. If you prefer a head that takes 3/8" shanked tools then look for a DBL-202A head. If you go for a Criterion head then we should discuss details on what to look for. If you just need to get the job done now then the LMS head will work.
 
mikey said:
This should work but there are better heads if you're willing to be patient. The equivalent of the LMS head is the Criterion DBL-202B head that takes 1/2" shanked boring bars. If you prefer a head that takes 3/8" shanked tools then look for a DBL-202A head. If you go for a Criterion head then we should discuss details on what to look for. If you just need to get the job done now then the LMS head will work.
Click to expand...
Thanks mikey. I looked at the Criterion and they are pricey for the little amount of work I would use them for. The LMS is probably my going to be the choice. Jeff
 
On my X2 I've used both a hole saw and a boring head with similar success. When using the hole saw I employed a method I read about on this forum to keep the saw from jamming up in the cut. Drill several holes all the way through the piece, placed so the hole saw passes over the holes. This provides a path for the swarf to exit the narrow slot cut by the saw, helping to reduce the tendency to jam. It still was a slow job with many "pecks", but faster than a zillion passes with a boring head. When boring, the small knob for the fine Z was a killer. I finally put a crank on mine and that helped a lot. I found it useful enough that I left it attached.

If the hole saw is your final diameter you will want to drill the holes so they don't extend past the OD of the hole saw. That will erase any evidence of the helper holes.

BTW when I used the hole saw I didn't use any lube. I didn't want the swarf clumping up and plugging the exit holes.
 
homebrewed said:
On my X2 I've used both a hole saw and a boring head with similar success. When using the hole saw I employed a method I read about on this forum to keep the saw from jamming up in the cut. Drill several holes all the way through the piece, placed so the hole saw passes over the holes. This provides a path for the swarf to exit the narrow slot cut by the saw, helping to reduce the tendency to jam. It still was a slow job with many "pecks", but faster than a zillion passes with a boring head. When boring, the small knob for the fine Z was a killer. I finally put a crank on mine and that helped a lot. I found it useful enough that I left it attached.

If the hole saw is your final diameter you will want to drill the holes so they don't extend past the OD of the hole saw. That will erase any evidence of the helper holes.

BTW when I used the hole saw I didn't use any lube. I didn't want the swarf clumping up and plugging the exit holes.
Click to expand...
That's a good thought about drilling holes. I'll try to find that discussion. I have also wondered about how tiring getting up to a 1/2 inch cut would be with a boring bar. I only have experience boring bars on a mini lathe, which I have gathered is a much different beast. Thanks much homebrewed .
 
Not sure why you guys think it will take a "zillion" passes to open up a hole. We're only talking about a 1-1/4" hole so the head is not going to be extended very far and balance issues should not be that big a deal. Therefore, you can keep speeds up a bit and the cut goes quicker. A boring head is capable of taking fairly big cuts, on the order of 0.025" or more with steel bars before deflection of the bar becomes an issue; you can go deeper with a carbide bar. I am referring to roughing cuts here but you will be reducing cuts to come in on size.

You need to see what the set up allows; each mill and head/bar combination is different for a given material. Set a depth of cut and speed and give it a try, then increase your depth of cut to see what the set up tolerates. It shouldn't take very long at all to bore out a small hole like that.
 
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