Whew! Well done. So many 'how to' videos simply fill the air with unnecessary chatter. This was clean, straight and to the point. Proven by the "Because I'm tired of this demo" comment! Thank you!
Thank you! You helped save me $100. I broke a drawer on our new fridge. With your tips, I was able to drill holes and attach brackets to fix the drawer.
To drill acrylic without chipping and cracking, a twist drill needs to be sharpened with rake angle closer to zero so as to produce more of a scraping action, rather than cutting. By sharpening the drill bit the way you have, in effect achieves the same result, although I prefer to leave the conventional point angle on the drill and 'dub' the cutting edge. Either way works. The reason step drills are so good for acrylic is that by the nature of their design, they already have zero rake angle at the edges that do all the cutting. A similar principle applies to drilling brass.
Oh! Great tips! I was aware that there are special acrylic drill bits that have a much higher point angle but never tried to sharpen one for that. And never ever would have thought that it is so easy. Super nice!!! Thanks again! I had great luck with new, clean steel drillbits with slightly dull cutting flutes/tip (just a few strokes with a diamond file or 400grid sandpaper)
Cheers! I hope your prototyping tips channel takes off, you do great stuff. I kinda gave up on YT after a while... perhaps I'll start posting again someday.
Summary: 1. Sharpen drill bit to a point, or use step drills for larger holes. 2. Fully support the sheet with plywood backing. (You will drill through to the wood.) 3. Use low rpm. 4. Lubricate the bit with dish soap.
I've found that even conventional drills work well to create smooth holes when lubricated (and cooled) with water and a little dish soap (say, 1% to 10%). I've even used this to drill very deep holes, 5 to 10 times the drill diameter, but you do need to keep backing the drill out to clear the chips, and do keep the hole flooded with the lubricant with a brush or squeeze bottle. As noted, slow speeds work best, but not TOO slow or the plastic can begin to fracture instead of cut. (I've modified my drill press to use a dc motor, with fixed voltage on the shunt field winding and a variable dc voltage on the armature for speed control, minimizing the need for pulley changes and allowing spindle speeds down to a few RPM. The armature supply also has an adjustable current limit, allowing the stall torque to be set independently, which I find handy at times to minimize damage to the work.)
WOW,,fantastic short video; without all the high tech talk on how and why, your explanations and samples on the video are right to the point; i want to build a box for a project and I don't have the money to buy a piece 2 x 4 of PVC at Home Depot; my neighbor through out a piece of Plastic Acrylic and it was like my blessing until I realized it's brittle and will crack easily if you don't know how to handle it, RUclips and Vice Chief provided that bridge I needed to feel confident my project will be a success; I will come back & let you know how it went; Thank You Michael C.
For absolue best result, have your piece backed by another piece of acrylic rather than wood. If done right, the bit never even realizes it has gone through the piece and you have a perfect hole, ( :
I worked in a plastic fab shop for a few years. We bought those black oxide cheap drill bits from Harbor Freight. Knocked the cutting edge of the bit off on the bench grinder where it will produce a scraping action. Clamp or use double back tape to support the back side with a piece of wood. No tear out or cracking
Wish I had watched this video before breaking my $20 sheet of plexi-glass today ^_^ Thank you though, I am looking forward to getting this job done right with your help.
Hey Dane & Rachael, sorry to hear about your plexi. I know the feeling having ruined quite a bit of it myself. Please let us all know how it works out, and good luck!
Very helpful! I had to modify my new name-badge for work to accept the old badge's clip thing, and this helped a lot. I didn't sharpen my bit any, but I did start my holes by drilling in reverse and then flicked it to forward and it came out clean as a whistle
Having done this for years, I will share: A regular drill bit is fine, but it must be sharp and web thinned. If you don't know how to sharpen a drill, learn, or buy a jig. Next, do NOT use battery powered drills, they are too slow. Drill presses are best as they are stable and allow for clamping the workpiece firmly over a solid cutable substrate, like wood. If you don't have a press, use an corded electric drill. Example: to drill a 5mm hole in acrylic requires a speed of 2500 r/m, which a cord drill will do, whereas battery drills run at 1500 max. Next, it's the feed. Slow feed, clearing often. If you feed too fast, the acrylic will melt, if the drill is blunt it will melt, no matter what you do. Hope this helps someone.
Step drills are great for all kinds of thin stock. They don’t get sucked in on break through like a fluted twist drill. Chose one with steps taller than the stock thickness or the holes will be stepped.
I wonder how well this would work on 1/8" thick cardboard and a step drill bit on making a replacement old tube type wood radio rear cover? Tubes got pretty warm so some source of ventilation and protection from touching anything back there when it is on would be needed. Great ideas here !
Very useful tutorial. Thanks! Do you have any suggestion/recommendation for reinforcing such holes in 6mm thick acrylic? I'm thinking maybe grommets or eyelets?
Thank you for sharing these tips! What's your thoughts on a "Plastic Drill Pack"? I feel a lot more confident about drilling into the flanged of an acrylic dome for mounting.
Now, i need to counterbore the holes for hex socket head cap screws in thicker material, good tips to get me started - see they make different taps as well
Do i have to have a surface beneath where I am drilling into when drilling acrylic? Or can the acrylic hang off of a surface and I drill from there without the wood underneath?
Excellent video and information!! Do you have any suggestions for drilling odd shapes? Making a faceplate using Lexan sheet in which I want to make holes for XT60 and XT90 connectors.
I have a 28mm hole I need to enlarge to a 30mm hole in a sheet of thin acrylic. I am terrified it will crack. Do they make step bits the size I'm looking for, 30mm (1.1811 inch)? If not, what would you recommend? Thanks.
Dish soap works for sure but be aware of the potential for rust on tooling. You’ll need a rust inhibitor. I use WD40 and get a very fine edge. For hand sawing acrylic,I use 3 in 1 oil. Saw blade is less “grabby” with the oil.
Good points - another thing to consider is that some acrylics and other plastics will "craze" with the solvents in some aerosols. As always, it's a good idea to do a test on a piece you don't care about,.
Wonderful tip. This is what I am looking for. I hope to drill 5mm x 48 holes for 4 pieces of acrylic 3mm thick sheet, for my Anycubic Pulley 3D printer. I will search for my step drill bit. If I can't find it, will have no choice but to Diy a metal bit.
Recently I have been using chainsaw chain lubricant for all of my metal drilling. It has a kind of weird viscosity like snail snot. I wonder how it would work with acrylic rather than dish soap? Might be worth a try.
Nice video and nice clean holes : ) But let's say I don't have a drill press nor a grinder. And I want to drill a hole in something bigger: a 2" acrylic sphere (and quarter-inch hole). I do have a vise to hold the ball, and a good quality variable-speed drill. Any chance this would work, using the soap trick and an unmodified bit? Or is there a special (but non-step) bit I can buy?
Actually, I see I can buy bits just like this on Amazon. So... special bit, soap trick, but no drill press. Will it blend? Er... will it work? These acrylic balls are cheap so I'll probably end up testing it out one way or another.
I recently made some electrical panel faceplates and I was curious between the difference of polycarbonate and acrylic. I bought both to demo them. I just have a regular drill with cheap crappy bits, needless to say the PC was SIGNIFICANTLY more forgiving to work with than the acrylic, not as scratch resistant as acrylic though unfortunately. Nice tip though, probably easier and cheaper to do it this way than buy specialty bits for acrylic.
You're right about polycarbonate -it's tougher and actually you can buy it in scratch resistant grades. However it can't be processed with lasers or heat like acrylic, and thermoforming polycarbonate takes more care.
I have 4 1/8” 4x8 foot sheets to drill and attach to a wood frame this week and I’m stressing! Pretty small holes (for #8 screws) but I’m wondering if I can countersink the holes for the wood screws?
You can. You'll want a very sharp countersink with the right angle (I think with imperial screws it's 82 degrees). Personally I would try a single flute countersink after drilling the hole for the #8. Use the same soap/glycerin trick I used here with the countersink tool. With material that thin you will also want some way to control how deep the countersink goes, like a depth stop on a drill press. Good luck!
You can also buy acrylic bits that are already sharpened to this pointy tip. I find that you don't need a set since you are generally drilling only a few different sized holes in plastic. This is the same as buying left hand drill bits to remove broken screws, you only need a few sizes.
I don't have a ton of experience with that situation, but my first approach would be to use glycerin or dish soap as laid out in the video. Sharpening the bit can't hurt. Also, someone else here had a helpful comment saying to clamp it to another piece of acrylic to prevent tearout. Seemed like a good idea to me.
@@ViceChief I would say it is a perfect opportunity for a step drill. You could also center up the hole using the same size drill bit then replace it with a larger bit.
They say being busy is a good thing, although it may not always feel that way. I'm glad to see you've come back. You have almost 1,000 subs now. Time to give the people what they want, more vids!
Great video. Do you think a Forstner bit also be suitable, especially if a thicker piece requires only drilling 'partially' through depth-wise and also requires a flat bottomed hole, instead of one that goes right through (granted, there will still be a small entrance hole in the middle of the flat, although don't think that can be avoided unless a 'milling bit' is somehow used, then these are less easy to 'locate' and drill with I'd imagine!)? I wonder how the finish would be using the Forstner anyways too!? Thanks for any further advice/tips on this if able:)
Good question, to be honest I really don't know how well a forstner bit would work. A lot depends on the size of the hole. In that situation I'd look for an end mill (a center cutting end mill) instead. One that's extremely sharp, and has no special coatings for metal.
Will the step drill bit enlarge existing holes? I need to be able to secure a rubbermaid trash can from blowing around but the holes are just a tad too small for the bungee cord.
Any suggestions on countersinking? I have seen recommendations to use zero flute and others argue 3 flute. Any input? Would probably only countersink much thicker plexiglass
Hey Jemdost, single flute cutters are incredible IF and ONLY IF you have very high RPMs and good rigidity (not handheld or drill press). I wouldn't recommend them if you are not cutting on a good quality CNC router. If you're on a drill press or using a hand drill, a 3-6 flute staggered countersink is probably the best thing. Low flutes = low heat input. Use the lubricants as described in the video. I'd bet there are good countersinks for plastics available with optimized geometry. If you have to do a lot of countersinking even a $50 tool can pay for itself quickly.
really informative! is this at all worth trying for someone who doesn't have this elaborate of a set up? There's a project I'd like to try with drilling fairly smaller holes in acrylic ( maybe a smidge thinner then the one shown here ) to have a hole to feed a key chain link through. I think I could find a way to have the acrylic clamp and reinforced but I don't have the kind of drill featured here and would most likely be doing it hand held- is it worth trying or strongly not recommended?
This also works hand-held, I've done it a few times. Run your drill on the slow speed and hold it straight. Do consider picking up a small drill press. For the money, they are one of the best tools you can have.
I need to put holes into imataion acryilc drinking glasses ...I did tgink of heating a needle up in the flame of a candle and piercing the hole....do you have any ideas . Thanks in advanced
Does the dish soap trick work with hole saws? I have to drill a single hole for lifting in a sheet of acrylic that will be used a aquarium lid. I can't foresee ever needing to cut acrylic again and am trying to find a way to work with the tools on hand.
I've never tried it myself. I'm sure it would help but honestly doubt that you'd get a really clean edge. If I were going to try it, I'd go very slow and clamp the acrylic securely. I know that a step drill will make a clean hole, but you may not have one.
Simply use a sharp step drill or a flat face spur bit. Also using air pressure keeps the acrylic cool and melt free. Slower is better than wide open and go gentle with your feed rate! Forstner bits are not good for acrylic or flat paddle bits, BTW. Actual acrylic bits are shaped like he shows but not ground that way lol. Break through needs to be super controlled as he shows.
The big worry with speed is that you'll melt the acrylic. If you don't try to force it all the way through, and you keep it wet/lubricated, you will probably be fine. Always good to try a test piece first.
Please let us know how it goes. Also you are probably going to have soap slinging around due to the blade. They say on plastics to use the highest tooth count that you can.
@@ViceChief just as i was going to put the soap on the blade i thought of that, so i used bar soap, a new 71/4 diablo 40 tooth, i turned it backward on the saw, (another tip from the tube), and jogged the trigger on and off so the blade speed wasn't too fast, i got a very nice finished ,square edge for my new saw guide, and i used my boreing bit as you did for the holes and it worked out great, thanx, i'm thinking about putting a channel up myself, so,,,,,, see you on the tube
@@ViceChief i don't really have much video production knowledge , i have a bunch of stuff i did with my phone, but i have no idea how to edit, add sound, or even upload it to the web, but my boss is "jeobeermaster",here on youtube, he does auto body stuff, i could give it to him to put up, but i kinda want my own channel anyway, i make all kinds of stuff ,and maybe something will catch on and i can be an inventor ,insted of an auto painter, but thank you ,that's encouraging
Drill bits like this are available commercially. Different types of plastics require different methods. A low run out drill press helps immensely. I.e the Hamilton.
I followed his advice and it worked. No chips, no problems. Thanks RUclipsr!
So glad it was helpful! Thanks for reporting back.
Whew! Well done. So many 'how to' videos simply fill the air with unnecessary chatter. This was clean, straight and to the point. Proven by the "Because I'm tired of this demo" comment! Thank you!
Thank you!
LOL that comment was priceless. "I'm tired of this demo".
Thank you! You helped save me $100. I broke a drawer on our new fridge. With your tips, I was able to drill holes and attach brackets to fix the drawer.
Congrats on fixing your drawer! That's awesome, I'm really glad to hear it.
The soap trick alone was worth the watch! Thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Thought I was gonna have to buy a special bit until I saw the Step Bit. Have many of them lying around.
Thanks for the video. Really helped
cheers! appreciate the feedback
To drill acrylic without chipping and cracking, a twist drill needs to be sharpened with rake angle closer to zero so as to produce more of a scraping action, rather than cutting. By sharpening the drill bit the way you have, in effect achieves the same result, although I prefer to leave the conventional point angle on the drill and 'dub' the cutting edge. Either way works. The reason step drills are so good for acrylic is that by the nature of their design, they already have zero rake angle at the edges that do all the cutting. A similar principle applies to drilling brass.
3: 3:13 02
@@jenniferdarnell8492 7 2:05 06
Love the bit where you said you're tired of this demo! Thanks for your time. Great demo..
Thanks for noticing and thanks for commenting!
@@ViceChief Sure 😊
Thank you for the tips, never thought of using a sep drill for the holes I need to bore today or using soap.. great job.
David, it's great to hear that this was useful to you and I hope your job goes smoothly!
5 year old video and still useful as ever. Thank you!
hell yes thanks for the feedback! i guess acrylic will always drill the same, huh. cheers and good luck on your projects!
Oh! Great tips! I was aware that there are special acrylic drill bits that have a much higher point angle but never tried to sharpen one for that. And never ever would have thought that it is so easy. Super nice!!! Thanks again!
I had great luck with new, clean steel drillbits with slightly dull cutting flutes/tip (just a few strokes with a diamond file or 400grid sandpaper)
Cheers! I hope your prototyping tips channel takes off, you do great stuff. I kinda gave up on YT after a while... perhaps I'll start posting again someday.
That was a wonderful demonstration! Crisp, and to the point. Thank you and best wishes.
Cheers Jay, good luck with your projects!
Perfect explanation, thanks. And that step drill is impressive, going through like it was butter.
Summary:
1. Sharpen drill bit to a point, or use step drills for larger holes.
2. Fully support the sheet with plywood backing. (You will drill through to the wood.)
3. Use low rpm.
4. Lubricate the bit with dish soap.
I've found that even conventional drills work well to create smooth holes when lubricated (and cooled) with water and a little dish soap (say, 1% to 10%). I've even used this to drill very deep holes, 5 to 10 times the drill diameter, but you do need to keep backing the drill out to clear the chips, and do keep the hole flooded with the lubricant with a brush or squeeze bottle. As noted, slow speeds work best, but not TOO slow or the plastic can begin to fracture instead of cut. (I've modified my drill press to use a dc motor, with fixed voltage on the shunt field winding and a variable dc voltage on the armature for speed control, minimizing the need for pulley changes and allowing spindle speeds down to a few RPM. The armature supply also has an adjustable current limit, allowing the stall torque to be set independently, which I find handy at times to minimize damage to the work.)
Great video! Answered all my questions. Thanks
Appreciate it!
WOW,,fantastic short video; without all the high tech talk on how and why, your explanations and samples on the video are right to the point; i want to build a box for a project and I don't have the money to buy a piece 2 x 4 of PVC at Home Depot; my neighbor through out a piece of Plastic Acrylic and it was like my blessing until I realized it's brittle and will crack easily if you don't know how to handle it, RUclips and Vice Chief provided that bridge I needed to feel confident my project will be a success; I will come back & let you know how it went; Thank You Michael C.
This made my day, may the DIY project gods smile on you! ;) Looking forward to hearing back.
For absolue best result, have your piece backed by another piece of acrylic rather than wood. If done right, the bit never even realizes it has gone through the piece and you have a perfect hole, ( :
Great suggestion.
Is it the drill's sudden realization that causes the issue? Is it a good generalization to never surprise your tools?
@@sethtrey you laugh but probably yes.
I worked in a plastic fab shop for a few years. We bought those black oxide cheap drill bits from Harbor Freight. Knocked the cutting edge of the bit off on the bench grinder where it will produce a scraping action. Clamp or use double back tape to support the back side with a piece of wood. No tear out or cracking
appreciate the tips
Wish I had watched this video before breaking my $20 sheet of plexi-glass today ^_^ Thank you though, I am looking forward to getting this job done right with your help.
Hey Dane & Rachael, sorry to hear about your plexi. I know the feeling having ruined quite a bit of it myself. Please let us all know how it works out, and good luck!
Thanks for the tips! I'm going to try this tomorrow when my acrylic gets delivered for my 3d printer enclosure.
hitthedrum how did it go?
He died and can't answer
Thanks for the tip with the dish soap. Worked out for me very well.
Thanks for the feedback! Glad it worked out.
Very helpful! I had to modify my new name-badge for work to accept the old badge's clip thing, and this helped a lot. I didn't sharpen my bit any, but I did start my holes by drilling in reverse and then flicked it to forward and it came out clean as a whistle
Nice! Glad it was helpful and congrats on a successful mod!
Having done this for years, I will share: A regular drill bit is fine, but it must be sharp and web thinned. If you don't know how to sharpen a drill, learn, or buy a jig. Next, do NOT use battery powered drills, they are too slow. Drill presses are best as they are stable and allow for clamping the workpiece firmly over a solid cutable substrate, like wood. If you don't have a press, use an corded electric drill. Example: to drill a 5mm hole in acrylic requires a speed of 2500 r/m, which a cord drill will do, whereas battery drills run at 1500 max. Next, it's the feed. Slow feed, clearing often. If you feed too fast, the acrylic will melt, if the drill is blunt it will melt, no matter what you do.
Hope this helps someone.
Hi, Thanks for the video, it has saved me a fortune in ruined acrylic sheets.
Brian, this was really cool to hear. Thanks for coming back and letting me know. And good luck with all your plastics projects in the future!
Step drills are great for all kinds of thin stock. They don’t get sucked in on break through like a fluted twist drill. Chose one with steps taller than the stock thickness or the holes will be stepped.
Works brilliantly well...Great tutorial.
Great tips, thou I find that for me, a forstner bit is the absolute best for cutting holes into plastic bar and sheets.
They are great, the cutting action can be improved with soapy water as well.
@@ViceChief Yes I agree, soapy water is a good tip, as well it keeps down on the plastic dust. 😀
Good on ya mate - easily understood and clear instructions .... cool!
Thank you so much!
I wonder how well this would work on 1/8" thick cardboard and a step drill bit on making a replacement old tube type wood radio rear cover?
Tubes got pretty warm so some source of ventilation and protection from touching anything back there when it is on would be needed. Great ideas here !
Very useful tutorial. Thanks!
Do you have any suggestion/recommendation for reinforcing such holes in 6mm thick acrylic? I'm thinking maybe grommets or eyelets?
Excellent audio, video and narration! Just subscribed. Cheers -Kirb
Thank you for sharing these tips! What's your thoughts on a "Plastic Drill Pack"? I feel a lot more confident about drilling into the flanged of an acrylic dome for mounting.
very helpful... special place in heaven for inventor of step drill bits....
Now, i need to counterbore the holes for hex socket head cap screws in thicker material, good tips to get me started - see they make different taps as well
I've seen (but don't know where to find) stepped tools that can drill the pilot hole and counterbore in one operation. Something to consider.
Do i have to have a surface beneath where I am drilling into when drilling acrylic? Or can the acrylic hang off of a surface and I drill from there without the wood underneath?
If you drill without a supporting surface underneath, it tends to crack around the hole as the drill breaks through.
@@ViceChief okay, thank you!😊
Excellent video and information!! Do you have any suggestions for drilling odd shapes? Making a faceplate using Lexan sheet in which I want to make holes for XT60 and XT90 connectors.
Which drill bit should be used to make a 2.5mm hole in perplex glass
“Because I’m tired of this demo” lol
Wow This video made my day to say the least!
I have a 28mm hole I need to enlarge to a 30mm hole in a sheet of thin acrylic. I am terrified it will crack. Do they make step bits the size I'm looking for, 30mm (1.1811 inch)? If not, what would you recommend? Thanks.
Dish soap works for sure but be aware of the potential for rust on tooling. You’ll need a rust inhibitor. I use WD40 and get a very fine edge. For hand sawing acrylic,I use 3 in 1 oil. Saw blade is less “grabby” with the oil.
Good points - another thing to consider is that some acrylics and other plastics will "craze" with the solvents in some aerosols. As always, it's a good idea to do a test on a piece you don't care about,.
Thank dude. I've got a plastic caddy 4 an SSD. Most caddies join from the side. The HDD joins from underneath, so I have 2 drill the holes myself!
Wonderful tip. This is what I am looking for. I hope to drill 5mm x 48 holes for 4 pieces of acrylic 3mm thick sheet, for my Anycubic Pulley 3D printer. I will search for my step drill bit. If I can't find it, will have no choice but to Diy a metal bit.
EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thanks so much, sub'd
Thanks for the sub!
thank you, I wish I had watched this video before I ruined 3 plexi sheets. I'm going to try your tips right now
Good luck!
Masterfully done brother. Ty
Good advice! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Patrick. Glad to know it was useful.
Excellent video. Do you have to sharpen the tip of step drill too?
Recently I have been using chainsaw chain lubricant for all of my metal drilling. It has a kind of weird viscosity like snail snot. I wonder how it would work with acrylic rather than dish soap? Might be worth a try.
HOT DAMN!
Any advice for widening the bore of acrylic/polycarbonate tubing?
I hammered mine. Worked like a charm
Question, i don't have a drill press and the grinding machine. Just the corded drill. Can I use the spur bit that was used for wood?
It's dangerous.
Nice video and nice clean holes : ) But let's say I don't have a drill press nor a grinder. And I want to drill a hole in something bigger: a 2" acrylic sphere (and quarter-inch hole). I do have a vise to hold the ball, and a good quality variable-speed drill. Any chance this would work, using the soap trick and an unmodified bit? Or is there a special (but non-step) bit I can buy?
Actually, I see I can buy bits just like this on Amazon. So... special bit, soap trick, but no drill press. Will it blend? Er... will it work? These acrylic balls are cheap so I'll probably end up testing it out one way or another.
I used to dull up cheap Jobber bits with a concrete block for drilling aircraft windows. It helped the but not to grab and tear out.
I recently made some electrical panel faceplates and I was curious between the difference of polycarbonate and acrylic. I bought both to demo them. I just have a regular drill with cheap crappy bits, needless to say the PC was SIGNIFICANTLY more forgiving to work with than the acrylic, not as scratch resistant as acrylic though unfortunately. Nice tip though, probably easier and cheaper to do it this way than buy specialty bits for acrylic.
You're right about polycarbonate -it's tougher and actually you can buy it in scratch resistant grades. However it can't be processed with lasers or heat like acrylic, and thermoforming polycarbonate takes more care.
I have 4 1/8” 4x8 foot sheets to drill and attach to a wood frame this week and I’m stressing! Pretty small holes (for #8 screws) but I’m wondering if I can countersink the holes for the wood screws?
You can. You'll want a very sharp countersink with the right angle (I think with imperial screws it's 82 degrees). Personally I would try a single flute countersink after drilling the hole for the #8. Use the same soap/glycerin trick I used here with the countersink tool. With material that thin you will also want some way to control how deep the countersink goes, like a depth stop on a drill press. Good luck!
You can also buy acrylic bits that are already sharpened to this pointy tip. I find that you don't need a set since you are generally drilling only a few different sized holes in plastic. This is the same as buying left hand drill bits to remove broken screws, you only need a few sizes.
2:59 you see the effects of exactly where you clamp.
great video. my Question is if it is already drilled with a whole. but you need a bigger hole then the one thats already drilled into it.
I don't have a ton of experience with that situation, but my first approach would be to use glycerin or dish soap as laid out in the video. Sharpening the bit can't hurt. Also, someone else here had a helpful comment saying to clamp it to another piece of acrylic to prevent tearout. Seemed like a good idea to me.
@@ViceChief I would say it is a perfect opportunity for a step drill. You could also center up the hole using the same size drill bit then replace it with a larger bit.
Thanks for the tips chief! I haven't seen you in a while, have you been posting? I hope I didn't miss any vids!
Justen! You haven't missed a thing. I just got really busy here. Super glad to see you man!
They say being busy is a good thing, although it may not always feel that way. I'm glad to see you've come back. You have almost 1,000 subs now. Time to give the people what they want, more vids!
Great info, exactly what I needed! Thanx!!
Great video. Do you think a Forstner bit also be suitable, especially if a thicker piece requires only drilling 'partially' through depth-wise and also requires a flat bottomed hole, instead of one that goes right through (granted, there will still be a small entrance hole in the middle of the flat, although don't think that can be avoided unless a 'milling bit' is somehow used, then these are less easy to 'locate' and drill with I'd imagine!)? I wonder how the finish would be using the Forstner anyways too!? Thanks for any further advice/tips on this if able:)
Good question, to be honest I really don't know how well a forstner bit would work. A lot depends on the size of the hole. In that situation I'd look for an end mill (a center cutting end mill) instead. One that's extremely sharp, and has no special coatings for metal.
So…. Assuming someone sees this extremely useful video after making a few cracks on holes in acrylic, any tips on fixing cracks?? 😊
I've heard of people filling them with the liquid form of acrylic cement, but have never done it myself.
5/31/2020 USA Grandpa Bill Thank you! for this demo. I needed it.
You're welcome! Glad you found it useful.
Will the step drill bit enlarge existing holes? I need to be able to secure a rubbermaid trash can from blowing around but the holes are just a tad too small for the bungee cord.
Yeah, they do a pretty good job of that in my experience.
Will use glass or tile drill bit be ok?
No, the diamond edge will melt/smear plastics
Hey this is great. I'm getting ready to cut many holes in very thick (10mm) acrylic. Can I use a forstner bit with low speed and dish soap?
I wish I knew - I've never tried a forstner bit. If it works for you, please report back.
@@ViceChief I will thanks for the reply. I've used them before but I think I had my drill press set too high. Thanks for that tip
@@ViceChief so I just uploaded the start os the project and the bits worked great! Turing down the speed WAS the trick. Check it out :)
This was awesome.
Any suggestions on countersinking? I have seen recommendations to use zero flute and others argue 3 flute. Any input? Would probably only countersink much thicker plexiglass
Hey Jemdost, single flute cutters are incredible IF and ONLY IF you have very high RPMs and good rigidity (not handheld or drill press). I wouldn't recommend them if you are not cutting on a good quality CNC router.
If you're on a drill press or using a hand drill, a 3-6 flute staggered countersink is probably the best thing. Low flutes = low heat input. Use the lubricants as described in the video. I'd bet there are good countersinks for plastics available with optimized geometry. If you have to do a lot of countersinking even a $50 tool can pay for itself quickly.
@@ViceChief Will be using a drill press so thank you for covering all the basis great reply much appreciated cheers!
really informative! is this at all worth trying for someone who doesn't have this elaborate of a set up? There's a project I'd like to try with drilling fairly smaller holes in acrylic ( maybe a smidge thinner then the one shown here ) to have a hole to feed a key chain link through. I think I could find a way to have the acrylic clamp and reinforced but I don't have the kind of drill featured here and would most likely be doing it hand held- is it worth trying or strongly not recommended?
This also works hand-held, I've done it a few times. Run your drill on the slow speed and hold it straight.
Do consider picking up a small drill press. For the money, they are one of the best tools you can have.
@@ViceChief thanks so much for taking the time to get back to me! I will absolutely look into it, it looks like it makes the project 100 times easier
Awsome tips!
if it's to act as lubricant, would it have the same effect as WD40?
I need to put holes into imataion acryilc drinking glasses ...I did tgink of heating a needle up in the flame of a candle and piercing the hole....do you have any ideas . Thanks in advanced
If it's for really small holes I would use a dental drill bit and dish soap.
@@ViceChief thanky you so much Im a Podiatrist....I use the same drills bits as dentist .. cant thank you enough
What's the tinkling noise about 5 seconds after you start to drill?
Worked a great, thanks for sharing 👍
Can you cut acrylic if you warm it up a little bit before cutting it?
Does the dish soap trick work with hole saws? I have to drill a single hole for lifting in a sheet of acrylic that will be used a aquarium lid. I can't foresee ever needing to cut acrylic again and am trying to find a way to work with the tools on hand.
I've never tried it myself. I'm sure it would help but honestly doubt that you'd get a really clean edge. If I were going to try it, I'd go very slow and clamp the acrylic securely. I know that a step drill will make a clean hole, but you may not have one.
Thanks do you also have tips voor cutting acrylic on your channel?
Unfortunately no. The best tip I received is to cut on a table saw with a carbide-tipped blade with at least 80 teeth - but more teeth is better.
@@ViceChief thank you
I don’t have all those fancy tools do u have any other options of putting holes in an acrylic bowl
A hammer and a nail. Don't forget the soap.
Simply use a sharp step drill or a flat face spur bit. Also using air pressure keeps the acrylic cool and melt free. Slower is better than wide open and go gentle with your feed rate! Forstner bits are not good for acrylic or flat paddle bits, BTW. Actual acrylic bits are shaped like he shows but not ground that way lol. Break through needs to be super controlled as he shows.
..what about for people that dont have a drill press?
Handheld will work too
Is thick acrylic easier to do
yes
Right at the end of a project and smashed my last sheet! I guess I didn’t support it enough and it shattered, thanks for the vid
My i ask if i can use this for carving acrylic like cnc
My drill press slowest speed is 730. Do you think that would work or is it to fast for 4mm thick acrylic? Thanks for the great info.
The big worry with speed is that you'll melt the acrylic. If you don't try to force it all the way through, and you keep it wet/lubricated, you will probably be fine. Always good to try a test piece first.
Thank you, I needed that
helpful video without alot of added b.s. Thanks
Great video
Thank you, Marvin Dockery.
Worked perfectly, thanks.
Wood bit with pointed tip works like butter but keep it under 250rpm
only drilling into thin monotube plastic. used wood drill through plastic on top of wood. works well
Thanks matey. Really good
and if you don't have a grinder than what do you do? and what if you don't have a flat piece of plastic.
Use what you have, a regular drill bit, dish soap, etc. Also check out the comments below for some other ideas.
a laser cutter works well to..
and you are not limited to circular holes
very true, just limited somewhat in thickness (over 1/2" pretty much out of the question)
Thank you for the information man
i'm gonna try the dish soap with the circ saw when i cut this long piecce i have to make my chute board
Please let us know how it goes. Also you are probably going to have soap slinging around due to the blade. They say on plastics to use the highest tooth count that you can.
@@ViceChief just as i was going to put the soap on the blade i thought of that, so i used bar soap, a new 71/4 diablo 40 tooth, i turned it backward on the saw, (another tip from the tube), and jogged the trigger on and off so the blade speed wasn't too fast, i got a very nice finished ,square edge for my new saw guide, and i used my boreing bit as you did for the holes and it worked out great, thanx, i'm thinking about putting a channel up myself, so,,,,,, see you on the tube
@@jakeqwaninne8502 Awesome. Make a video about this... I'll be your first sub!
@@ViceChief i don't really have much video production knowledge , i have a bunch of stuff i did with my phone, but i have no idea how to edit, add sound, or even upload it to the web, but my boss is "jeobeermaster",here on youtube, he does auto body stuff, i could give it to him to put up, but i kinda want my own channel anyway, i make all kinds of stuff ,and maybe something will catch on and i can be an inventor ,insted of an auto painter, but thank you ,that's encouraging
Drill bits like this are available commercially. Different types of plastics require different methods. A low run out drill press helps immensely. I.e the Hamilton.
.put masking tape over the area to be drilled first for a cleaner cut
Would a spade drill bit work?
I haven't tried it. When I need large holes I typically use a step drill.
THANK YOU! Great tips.
No problem. Glad you found it useful!
Thanks. Nice guide .