Drilling through sheet metal

[rock_rebel]

Do you use a special bit for this? I've tried using a standard bit, but it's not even getting through the surface.

[Deros514]

Make sure you are using a drill bit made for cutting through metal. I've accidently picked up bits for wood before and they get dull really fast when trying to go through metal.

[tucsondude]

make sure your drill is spinning clockwise. agreed with above^^

a unibit/pyramid is pimp, however for the price you can get a cheap drill bit set.

[johnny ro]

start with centerpunch

[rock_rebel]

Turns out the drill was in reverse  Quite dumb of me. I went to a cheap mechanic's store here and bought a cobalt drill bit. It drilled through the metal like a breeze.

[noworries]

Short, double ended sheet metal drilling bits are available. Usually in packs of 3 or 5. They are sort of use until blunt and then throw away items. Yup, light centre punch first to prevent drill wander. Or use a piece of masking tape or similar and avoid distortion of the sheet - using tape can also help in marking out a regular pattern for the holes you want.  A splash of oil (or even good 'ol WD40) on the drill tip keeps temperatures down and extends bit life.
By the by, was looking at some pictures of a Russian military helicopter recently and I've never seen such an erratic river/fastner pattern in all my life! Maybe the idea was to keep stress lines down? Who knows?

[ohgood]

cobalt drills are the bees knees. you can get a regular old HS bit to work fine until you're well into the shank with re-sharpening though. never ever toss out a bit !

aluminum = wd-40
steel = motor oil
high carbon = anything resembling oil that smells like sulfur
stainless = SLOW DOWN the speed and watch for color in the chips. color = STOP AND RE-SHARPEN NOW. work hardening stainless = a real pain to get through.
ti = don't try, get a pro do it for ya

tips:
if it squeals at all STOP, resharpen, oil and try try again.
if it chatters/walks slow down the speed and more pressure.
if it's a 1/4" to 1 1/4" hole you need, use a step drill, and lube.
if it's a big hole you need, use a hole saw, lots of oil, and SLOW speed. don't break yer stinkin wrist though

taps:
stripped threads can be fixed with jb weld or drilling out and freezing in a plug. don't be afraid to knock in a piece of alu or steel into a hole and redrill and tap. heli coils are great too.
tap with heavy grease or heavy oil; one turn in, 1/2 a turn out, repeat. this breaks the chip and helps the lube get back down where the action is.
wrap tape or paint the tap 1/4" or MORE from teh bottom of your drilled hole. no broken taps
always chamfer a drillied hole ON BOTH SIDES and the threads will love you more.

prick, punch, drill, tap, brake cleaner THEN loctite. blue is your friend, red is your long long long time friend. the friend that never moves.

can't believe i typed this much about a stinkin hole. go ride !