Drilling an Aluminum Backplate

[SCU5]

Hi All,

I'm looking at drilling holes in my Dive Rite Aluminum Backplate so I can mount a Halycon MC Pack.

Does anyone have advice as to best way to drill? Will be using a hand drill as that is all I have available. Do I need a special bit and after I've drilled the hole will the fact that it is not anodized cause any problems?

Cheers and thank you!
Jim

 

[The Kraken]

No special bits needed.

Locate the position of the hole which you desire to drill. Taking a steel or carbide scribe (anything harder than aluminum) make an "X" where the center of the hole/s are to be.

Now, taking a nail, or a prick punch or center punch if you have one, make a dimple at the center of the "X".

Using a small bit, a 1/8" or something of that size, start a pilot hole for your larger bit.

Once you've drilled your pilot holes, take your finished size bit and drill through.

Be careful in drilling through the aluminum. Use a high drill speed and light feed. If you're drilling too slowly and pushing too hard, the bit will seize when you break through and you could possibly injure your wrist.

I highly recommend clamping your back plate to a bench or table while doing this.

the K

 

[kf4zht]

Like said above, with aluminum you will want to center punch the material (a nail will work) and step drill if the final hole is over 1/4". If you want to get technical (hard with a hand drill) the drill speed should be 4*CS/D with CS being the cutting speed, about 300 for aluminum and D being the diameter of the drill. So for a 1/4" bit you would want 1200/.25 or 4800 RPM. Also I would take a counter sink or larger drill bit and by hand remove the flashing from the hole.

I am unfarmilar with what you are mounting (new to diving, not to metalworking) but if a bolt that will have fasteners on both sides (like a nut on each side) then the hole will be fairly watertight and should not need anodizing. There are some anti-corrosion chemicals you could spray on before assembling. I would run it a few times and check for corrosion, if there is none dont worry, if there is you could reanodize it yourself or find a shop that can do it for you.