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ZeroTrousers3D t1_ir2wxx5 wrote

Step 1: Mark your holes

Step 2: use a center punch or an automatic punch on your marks

Now you're ready to drill. Any time you're drilling small metal bits use a vise or a pair of pliers, not your fingers.

You're going to use the drill at a low speed with moderate pressure. You can get away without using lubricant for small holes on thin & soft metals, but for anything hardened or anything thick you want to use a cutting oil. Even repeated drilling of thin stock can prematurely dull bits

3-1 oil will work in a pinch, but it's not the best oil for the job. If you're allergic to buying cutting oil, 10w30 motor oil works well and automatic transmission fluid is magical stuff.

Once you're done, clean your (oily) parts with varsol or mineral spirits, dry with a rag and re-oil the hinge. Make sure to dispose of your rags safely.

Both sides of the lube/no lube argument has merit for a one time small job. That said, is still have a set of HSS bits that are pretty decent because I use ATF when I use them on steel. Paper towels are way cheaper than bits

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yawningangel t1_ir30pd4 wrote

"Any time you're drilling small metal bits use a vise or a pair of pliers, not your fingers. "

Was installing leaf guard for my old man and he wanted to help.

Essentially you remove the bottom row of screws,install mesh and screw down a saddle,like this

Even though the saddle and roof are pre drilled you need to do careful,I told him to keep a firm grip in the saddle when he first inserted the screw as it would catch and helicopter.

I reckon it was five minutes later he called me over to say he'd had a accident, really did a number on his hand.

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ZeroTrousers3D t1_ir3cu7e wrote

I'm an HVAC/R tech and I know plenty of guys with scars that took multiple stitches from "a little piece of sheet metal" they thought they could just drill freehand.

Trust me, sheet metal bites hard enough without putting power tools into the mix.

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Handsome_Rob58 t1_ir3oogm wrote

A guy at our company was drilling hanger strap. The strap wrapped around his pinky and degloved it.

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tr3v1n t1_ir4aszt wrote

pretends that this means he was wearing work gloves and they got removed, leaving his hand intact

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100GbE t1_ir4nivg wrote

1 like = 1 glove for this poor man who lost one, humbly, don't scroll away.

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lochlainn t1_ir49qnt wrote

Abort thread! Abort thread! Set heading for /r/brainbleach, ahead full!

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Fat_Head_Carl t1_ir43v5j wrote

It's a sheet of metal... That's what they make knives out of. Just sayin

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zeeboots t1_ir4ax1o wrote

The metal brackets they use for securing wooden fences and roofing are great for slicing open your fingers without you even realizing. They should put a warning sign on the bins in the hardware store.

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exiestjw t1_ir4u27q wrote

I worked at my dad's HVAC company as a teenager, then a factory from 18-23, and then went to college and have sat in front of a computer for the last 20 years. A couple years ago I bought some property that requires about 15-30 hours of labor a week.

Thats all to say that just recently I've decided that part of dressing for working is putting on gloves. I watch a lot of Andrew Camarata videos and similar for inspiration. I don't understand how that guy's hands aren't chewed to bits from doing the stuff he does with no gloves. I know a lot of it is skill, but still, he must have hand-calluses like baseball mitts or something.

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Bergwookie t1_ir5hsmx wrote

NEVER wear gloves when working with rotating machinery.. Better a small cut from a sharp edge or shavings than losing a finger or more.. First thing you learn when working with metal... I saw horrible things.

And if you're having long hair, at least tie them together, better wear a cap or dew rag.. A drill press scalps you better than an Indian chief!

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series-hybrid t1_ir656t1 wrote

Its learning from other peoples mistakes, and understanding when to be careful enough, and when you can get away with hot-dogging it.

You get good judgment from experience, and you get experience from bad judgment.

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zeeboots t1_ir6ciar wrote

I'm unfamiliar with him but in the YouTube thumbnails I see him wearing gloves at least once. The other commenter is right however if you're around any spinning items you need to keep all hair fabric and leather far far away from it because very bad things can happen.

Gloves are great for home improvement work, not so great for shop work.

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exiestjw t1_ir6dt56 wrote

Sure, I'm not saying he's anti-glove or anything, he wears them when almost any sane person would wear them.

Its times like this though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uriyTlXVtBg&t=390s

Changing an ATV muffler.

Now, I know that many, many people would do this without gloves.

But my knuckles would be banged to hell and I'd have scratches all over my hands and arms if I did that job without gloves.

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keikioaina t1_ir5iif1 wrote

I am friends with a hand surgeon. At home one weekend I severed the tendons that extend my fingers on a sharp metal edge. My friend fixed it. During the surgery he woke me up long enough to show me that he had repaired each tendon with different colored sutures and if I moved my fingers it would look just like that scene in T2 where Arnold demonstrated to the scientist that he was really a cyborg. He was right. It looked just like that. Very cool, but it's been heavy leather gloves around sheet metal since.

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_CMDR_ t1_ir7q0er wrote

Dun dun dundundun. Dun dun dundundun.

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duggatron t1_ir42ykt wrote

Use step drills on sheet metal too. There's no upward force component to pull it out of the clamps or vise.

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ZeroTrousers3D t1_ir7vp4j wrote

What step bits lack in pull they make up for in showering you with hot metal shavings.

Plus, the places you'd use a vari-bit aren't the ones you'd normally be using clamps for.

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Car-face t1_ir44la3 wrote

> Any time you're drilling small metal bits use a vise or a pair of pliers, not your fingers

I second this, so does the scar on my finger.

I've had worse injuries, but few caused worse pain.

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nsa_reddit_monitor t1_ir45g4t wrote

I just use Harbor Freight drill bits until they start glowing and try to weld themselves to the metal. That's about when I buy another set.

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