How to drill a hole in the pipe

Drilling holes in pipes is a fairly simple task that can be performed without even having specially designed machine tools and other complex tools. However, before you drill a hole in any pipe, you need, first, to understand the features of drilling, and second, to learn the safety rules. The best place to drill is a garage or some other suitable room. Punching and drilling of holes should be carried out by the master exclusively in protective gloves and glasses. The drill should be checked for sharpness and be sure to fasten it securely.

It is advisable to drill the holes in the pipes on a workbench, as with careless handling, the surface of the table can be damaged.

General recommendations for drilling all types of pipes

Prepare tools to help you drill a hole in a pipe:

1. Drill with a suitable drill.
2. A bar of wood.
3. The vice.
4. File.
5. Hammer.

Depending on the material from which the pipe is made, in which you need to drill a hole, the work may require the use of additional devices and have a number of differences. However, there are several general requirements, rules and recommendations, following which you can drill a hole in a pipe from any material.

Tools for drilling holes.

For drilling holes in the pipes you, among other things, need a wooden bar. Choose a product of such dimensions that its horizontal is the same as the outer diameter of the pipe being processed. The vertical should be about 50-100 mm. Drill a vertical through hole in the bar with the desired diameter. Clamp the bar with the pipe in a vise. The bar must be clamped at the top, and the pipe to be machined at the bottom. The prepared hole in the wooden block will perform the functions of an elementary guide. Thanks to him, the drill in the process of work will not be able to move to the side. Take a drill, insert a drill into the hole and get to work. Manipulations with the bar, though take away some amount of time from you, but they will save you from the appearance of further problems with symmetry. With a bar you can do absolutely nothing else but an even and neat hole.

During the drilling process you need to try not to move the drill to the sides. Because of this, the hole of the bar will expand, and behind it will become uneven and the hole in the processed pipe. After a few minutes, the desired hole in the pipe will be ready.

In some situations, there is a need to bore the prepared hole. This operation can be successfully performed using a round file. However, the use of a file will require you to spend a lot of time and effort. It is much easier to prepare a drill of larger diameter and use it to create a suitable hole.

The scheme of drilling holes with a simple wooden jig.

Sometimes you need to make a square hole. This task requires a bit of great effort and some ingenuity. However, everything can be done by hand. First you need to prepare a round hole according to the scheme described above. After that, using the same file, you can give the resulting hole the desired square shape. Not only is the method rather laborious, it also does not allow to perform work with high accuracy. Therefore, in some situations it is more expedient to use a square-shaped rod with the necessary diameter and with its help turn a round hole into a square one. Gradually, the rod will do its job. At the end of the work may remain burrs. It is very easy to get rid of them with an ordinary file.

Thus, these simple tips and recommendations will help you to make the required number of holes of the required shape and size without any problems. The most important thing is to approach the matter with maximum responsibility and determination. It is also important to know that during operation the drill will heat up quite strongly. And when heated, the metal tends to expand. Therefore, periodically the drill must be sprinkled with water: this will prolong its service life and will allow you to get an opening of this diameter as needed.

However, these are general guidelines. And in view of the fact that the farm uses pipes from different materials, it is necessary to know about the features of processing each of them.

Step by step instructions for the processing of cast iron pipe

Drilling scheme inserts pipe.

Working with cast iron will require the use of the following tools:

1. Drills and drills with pobeditovy nozzles.
2. Marker.
3. File

Cast iron pipes are of two kinds. The first of them has both smooth ends, and the second one of the ends is smooth, and the second is equipped with a detachable connection. Before using pipes, make sure that the location chosen for them conforms to approved building codes. It is better if the slopes and turns will be absent. Currently, cast iron is an indispensable material for the manufacture of a wide variety of products. Therefore, drilling and cutting are very important operations.

By drilling iron, it is necessary to understand the creation of holes with the help of a specially designed device, i.e. drill. Many masters have to face such a task. And quite often they do not know how to deal with it correctly. In most cases, gray cast iron is fairly easy to process, and during drilling in a pipe of such material there is no need to use lubricants and coolants. However, pipes may have their own characteristics. And in some situations it is necessary to make more effort.

Drill selection table.

To work with cast iron, select a drill for metal with an angle of about 118 degrees. If you don’t have any special tools for machining cast iron, proceed as follows: first take the smallest drill bit, prepare the hole, then put a drill of a larger diameter on the drill, make a new hole in the old one and continue until you drill to the required diameter.

If the drill starts to get very hot during work, it can be lubricated with water. For drilling cast iron in the absence of an electric drill, you can use a regular one, smoothly increasing the speed. During operation, you need to drill at low speed without putting too much pressure on the drill.

For drilling at home, best drills with pobeditovyh nozzles are best. They need to work at low speeds, be sure to withstand the vertical force. In addition, they require frequent cooling of the cutting nozzle. It is forbidden to allow its blackening and overheating.

Professionals, as a rule, work on special machines and use a working tool with the appropriate sharpening. However, if you don’t need to create holes in a cast iron pipe so often, there is no point in buying such a tool.

Drilling scheme of the water pipe.

Due to the fact that during the processing of cast iron fine chippings and a large amount of dust are emitted, in the process of work you should follow the general safety recommendations:

1. There must be good ventilation in the work area.
2. You can drill only in a respirator or at least a cotton-gauze bandage.
3. During work, be sure to wear safety glasses with closed sidewalls.
4. You can work only with gloves, special clothes and preferably in a headdress.

Features of working with plastic pipes

With plastic pipes, too, there are no difficulties. First you need to mark the place of drilling on the pipe, then fix it, preferably in a vice, and arrange it so that the mark “looks” at you. The pipe must be fixed so that it does not move. That is why the vise is the preferred option. However, be careful that the plastic is not deformed by the applied force.

Install a drill of suitable diameter on the drill. In this case, you will need a guide. You can use the bar, as in the previously discussed method. Turn on the drill at low speed and gently, without displacement, begin to insert the drill into the cavity of the pipe. To get rid of irregularities at the edges of the hole, you can use a file or a sharp knife.

Metal Pipe Drilling Guide

Diagram of the device drill.

Working with metal products in general and pipes in particular requires adherence to a number of rules. It should be borne in mind that if there is a need to create holes of large diameter, you must first use a drill with a diameter of 1-3 mm less than planned and only after that start working with a drill of the basic size.

As in the case with the previous pipes, it is necessary to work at low revs. To prevent chips from jamming the drill during operation, periodically release it. In order to increase productivity, professionals recommend working with lubrication — engine oil, if a hole is drilled in a steel pipe, and soap emulsion, if copper is processed.

In order to ensure reliable fastening of the pipe in a vice, you can install a nut between each side of the pipe being processed and the jaws of the vice.

To make drilling as accurate as possible, use the bar described earlier. If you wish, you can use a metal bar with an M-shaped section and several pre-prepared holes of different sizes for drills. Instead, an ordinary wooden block with a pre-prepared hole in the size of the pipe to be processed and several different-sized holes will fit. The drilling itself is performed as in the previous cases, at low revs, without wiggling, displacement, etc. Have a good job!