Skip to content
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎After 1pm EST, Expedited Orders are NOT Guaranteed to Ship Same Day | UPS Ground Processing Time is 1-3 Business Days‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ G‎‏‏‎‎‏‏oing to SEMA? See What's NEW from Milton Industries • Booth #37183 • Nov. 5-8 • Las Vegas, NV‎‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‏‎
‎After 1pm EST, Expedited Orders are NOT Guaranteed to Ship Same Day | UPS Ground Processing Time is 1-3 Business Days ‏‏‎ Going to SEMA? See What's NEW from Milton Industries • Booth #37183 • Nov. 5-8 • Las Vegas, NV
Warranty Shipping Contact
September 8, 2020

THREE DRILLING TIPS FOR AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS

THREE DRILLING TIPS FOR AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS

Automotive and diesel technicians today need a wide variety of skills to get cars, trucks and fleets back on the road and running at peak performance. One skill set that takes constant refinement is operating a drill. This skill is most commonly used when a technician finds themselves behind a broken bolt that needs to be extracted.

Whether by hand or on a press, understanding the anatomy of a drill and knowing best practices will save you time and money over and over again as a technician. Here are three drilling tips that we recommend every technician takes the time to understand and develop.

  1. Understand The Right Drill Speed
    Don’t max out your RPMs! This is not a race. The number one factor that will wear out or break your drill bits is SPEED. A general rule of thumb is the harder the metal, the slower the drill speed. The hardness of the tooling you are drilling with will also impact the recommended cutting speed. The harder the drill, the faster the cutting speed.
    Always follow the instructions that are included with your tooling – the last thing you want to do is “work harden” metal you are attempting to drill through. Work hardening is the result of exposing your cutting surface to friction and thus heat, resulting in the metal hardening even further and making it more difficult to drill through.
  2. Use Pressure To Your Advantage
    When drilling through hardened metals (or any material), thinking about the physics of the process will pay dividends. You’re using a hardened, sharpened bit to drill through another material. Let it do its job, which is to cut the hardened metal, then extract it via the flutes on the tooling. Apply pressure to the drill hole, then pull it back out, clearing the cutting area of shavings which can build up, creating torque and pressure which will cause your tooling to break and dull.
    Heat and friction are other factors to consider while drilling. By applying a drill lube or cutting fluid, you can reduce the friction and heat that your tooling is exposed to while cutting through harder metals like steel. A little bit goes a long way! In addition to cooling down the drill job, cutting fluid will allow for a cleaner cut and allow your harder (and more expensive) tooling to last much longer.
  3. Drill Bit Quality
    Tooling isn’t created equally. There are two main features that will determine the quality of a drill bit: the material and the design.
    Drill bits can be made of high-speed steel, cobalt or carbide. Each is more expensive to produce than the last – yet each is also capable of cutting harder materials than the previous.
    The design of the drill bit is equally important to the quality. One of the main design variants in drill bits is the drill point angle. The industry standard is between a 118-degree and 135-degree drill point angle.
    The 118-degree has a more aggressive cutting edge, whereas the 135-degree isn’t as steep, slowing down the drilling process. When cutting through harder materials, a 135-degree drill point angle is going to be necessary to cut through the hardened metal before dulling or breaking your tooling.
    Technicians are under the gun to get trucks out of service. Professionals are looking for more ways to become more productive without sacrificing quality. ProMAXX Tool's main objective is to provide technicians with the right tools and knowledge to improve productivity and confidence to tackle any job that comes their way. For more information on the tooling we suggest for drilling through hardened metal, visit www.promaxxtool.com or give our experts a call at (724) 941-0941.

    Essential Drill Bits From ProMAXX Tool

Filed in: Drill Bits Premium Tooling, Exhaust Manifold Repair Kits
Previous article THREE TOOLS EVERY POWER STROKE TECHNICIAN SHOULD OWN
Next article WHY DID YOUR BOLT EXTRACTOR BREAK?

NEW AT PROMAXX

  • STC71000-12mm-14mm-hold-A-Rotor_Combo
    STC71000-12mm-hold-A-Rotor_in-use

    Hold-A-Rotor and Secure Disc Brake Rotors in Place on 12mm & 14mm Studded Hubs - STC71000

    Part#: STC71000
    $19.99 - $19.99
    $19.99
    $19.99 - $19.99
    $19.99

    $19.99 - $19.99
    $19.99
    $19.99 - $19.99
    $19.99
  • SAVE: 13% SAVE: %
    Mounting Ford F-150 Rear Axle Repair Kit
    FordF-150AxleRepairToolKit-PMXFRA500PRO

    Ford F-150 Rear Axle Repair Kit For 2021–2023 Trucks w/ Trailer Tow Max Duty Package & 9.75-inch Heavy-Duty Axle

    Part#: PMXFRA500PRO
    $399.95
    $399.95 - $399.95
    $399.95
    $349.95
    $349.95 - $349.95
    $349.95

    $399.95
    $399.95 - $399.95
    $399.95
    $349.95
    $349.95 - $349.95
    $349.95
    SAVE: 13% SAVE: %
  • Ford Explorer SAFETY RECALL 22S27-SB 204-594 Forcing Screw Replacement
    204-594 Forcing Screw Replacement

    Forcing Screw Alternative to Ford 2020-2022 Explorer Recall Special Service Tool part# 204-594 "Thunderbolt"

    Part#: PMX204-594
    $0.00 - $0.00
    $0.00
    $149.95
    $149.95 - $149.95
    $149.95

    $0.00 - $0.00
    $0.00
    $149.95
    $149.95 - $149.95
    $149.95
  • SAVE: 25% SAVE: %
    Fuel Injector Seal Puller (PMXISP200A)
    Ford Power Stroke 6.7L Fuel Injector Copper Compression Seal Puller

    Ford Power Stroke 6.7L Fuel Injector Copper Compression Seal Puller and Seal Saver ProKit

    Part#: PMXISPS200BSE
    $199.95
    $29.95 - $199.95
    $199.95
    $29.95 - $149.95
    $29.95 - $149.95
    $29.95

    Fuel Injector Seal Puller/Saver ProKit Part #: PMXISPS200PRO Introducing the cutting-edge Ford Power Stroke 6.7L Fuel Injector Copper Compression S...

    VIEW MORE
    $199.95
    $29.95 - $199.95
    $199.95
    $29.95 - $149.95
    $29.95 - $149.95
    $29.95
    SAVE: 25% SAVE: %
  • Ford-6.7L-Power-Stroke-EGR-Tube-Broken-Bolt-ProKit

    Ford 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel EGR Tube Broken Bolt Repair Kit - Nino

    Part#: PMXN200PRO
    $499.95 - $749.95
    $499.95 - $749.95
    $499.95 - $749.95
    $499.95

    Nino EGR Tube ProKit Part #: PMXN200PRO 6.7L Ford Power Stroke Diesel Exhaust Gas Recirculation EGR Repair Kit - Nino The ProMAXX® EGR (Nino™) repa...

    VIEW MORE
    $499.95 - $749.95
    $499.95 - $749.95
    $499.95 - $749.95
    $499.95

SHIPPING INFO

For Saturday delivery or special shipping instructions, please contact ProMAXX Tool M-F 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST at 724-941-0941. Expedited Orders Placed by 1pm EST will be Processed Same Day | UPS Ground Processing Time is 1-3 Business Days

WARRANTY INFO

Offering a range of policies

NEED HELP

Contact our support team today
724-941-0941

Promaxx Tool Address

1121 Boyce Road
Suite #2000
Pittsburgh, PA 15241

Any motor company logo on this site is a Registered Trademark. ProMAXX Tool is not affiliated with any of the motor companies on this site.