Drilling steel and metal
On steel you have a choice. That is unusual.
Attachment
Smooth, painted or coated steel and finished aluminium seal well. Mill scale, heavy rust and weathered surfaces do not.
On aluminium, stainless and other non-ferrous metals, vacuum works where a magnet cannot.
Drilling
Metal is drilled by cutting, not percussion — hammer action off, appropriate twist or annular tooling, correct speed and cutting fluid.
Speed falls as diameter rises. Overheating destroys tooling quickly in steel.
Versus a magnetic drill
For thick ferrous structural steel, a mag drill remains the specialist tool.
For non-ferrous metal, coated steel, thin section or panels, vacuum anchoring is the option that actually works — see the comparison.
Swarf
Metal swarf is sharp and hot, and it will damage a sealing pad. Clear it and inspect the pad.
At a glance
| Vacuum sealing | Good on smooth, painted or finished metal; poor on mill scale and rust |
|---|---|
| Recommended mode & tooling | Twist or annular cutter, hammer OFF, cutting fluid |
| Limits on this tool | 40 mm max bit diameter, 200 mm max length, 145 mm max depth |
Common mistakes on this material
- Leaving hot swarf against the sealing pad.
- Running too fast on large diameters and burning tooling.
- Assuming a magnet would be better — on non-ferrous it does nothing.
Questions about this
Should I use this or a magnetic drill on steel?
For thick ferrous structural steel, a magnetic base drill is the specialist tool. For non-ferrous metal, coated steel, thin section or panels, vacuum anchoring works where a magnet cannot.
Do I use hammer action on metal?
No. Metal is cut, not fractured. Turn percussion off, use appropriate twist or annular tooling, the correct speed for the diameter, and cutting fluid.