Cutting holes in metal hinges-what bit to use?

15 years ago

I purchased a metal garden gate that has welded hinges.

I will be installing the gate on a wood post.

The hinges do not have holes in it for screws.

What type of bit would work best for a steel hinge? I assume it needs to be a countersink bit.

Thanks in advance!

Comments (2)

cloudcrasher
15 years ago
Any QUALITY metal bit will be fine. When drilling metal, you want to drill with a low RPM, higher speeds just burn the bit. If you're drilling a large hole, drill a smaller pilot hole first. Cutting fluid is a major PLUS, cools the bit and drills a clean hole. If you choose to countersink, it is done separately...you can use lag bolts and skip the counter step. If you use screws, I would recommend PHILLIPS head.......not SLOTTED
Konrad___far_north
15 years ago
If you have a little drill press it would help.
Drilling with a hand drill takes allot more effort, but it can be done.
Have a sharp bit with thinned out front web to a point helps and you don't need as much push to get it thru.
A machine shop might be a place to go if you have problem.
If you have no countersink, you can get by with a larger drill, sharpened to more or less 90 degree.

Konrad
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