by WesRagle » Mon Feb 17, 2020 3:10 pm
Hi Darrin,
I don't know how much experience you have drilling out SS rivets. Just in case you have never had to drill a large number of SS rivets out, it can be easy are hard depending on technique.
Drilling stainless steel is much like drilling titanium. So, use the proper drill bits (for example cobalt), and most importantly the proper drill speed. The worst thing you can do is grab a high speed drill and spin it on the rivet head. That will instantly work harden the surface of the rivet and make it 10 times more difficult to drill out.
I have had the best luck with cobalt bits, light to medium pressure, and medium slow speed. Keep the bit cutting. Don't let the bit just spin on the surface. Too much pressure will cause the bit to grab and spin the rivet in the hole. If that happens and you have access to the shop head, a small vice-grip on the shop head is in order. If you don't have access to the shop head about all you can do is tilt the drill and let it "chew" the factory head off the rivet.
A machinist might be able to give you exact drill speeds based on SS feed speed and drill bit diameter.
If you haven't had to do this before I would advise that you grab a couple of pieces of 0.025, rivet them together, and practice a bit before you start lifting the skin.
Best of Luck,
Wes
Wes Ragle
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