Drilling stainless steel

I am surprised that no one has mentioned lubrication! Proper
lubricant and lots of it is necessary. The Anchor Lube product we
supply for titanium is highly recommended for stainless steels. It
can extent bit life and prevent freezing the bit in the hole. 

I mentioned proper lubrication in my first post on this thread :slight_smile:

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

I really dont' think you need the expensive carbide bits... though
they are good. they may shatter if you get "hung up". Also, i
think the 4k rpm range is excessive, based on my experience. Likely
to burn up bits, i'd say. Overheat your bit and it's toast. 

It depends on feed rate, of course, but carbide drills for circuit
boards can be run at 10-12,000 RPM.

Al Balmer
Sun City, AZ