How To Drill Sheet Rubber

In general the rubber will have a tendency to pull up into the drill bit so you need to hold the rubber securely to the drill press table.

How to drill sheet rubber. These rubber balls are supposed to have 1 8 holes drilled through them. Drill presses also come with beefy cast iron tables with tilt and height adjustments and allow a variety of clamping options. Rubber is a type of polymer that stretches back to its original shape when bent or stretched. All you need is a few things from your local hardware store to drill rubber.

Speed changes are as easy as opening the lid and moving a rubber belt from one pulley to another. Our lasers can be used to cut and drill rubber for a variety of applications. Other applications include drilling holes in silicone baby bottle teats and cutting sheets of rubber to make gaskets seals and other components. If you need to drill 2 or more holes next to each other use a level to make sure they are properly lined up.

I tried using a standard 2 flt carbide endmill and found that just like a drill bit the hole size was significantly smaller than the tool. To drill holes in soft materials like sheet rubber or leather first i make a sandwich by clamping the material between two pieces of 1 4 in. If you re drilling into tile ceramic or glass mark the spot with an x made of masking tape. A hollow punch sometimes called a washer cutter or gasket cutter.

It s made from latex which comes from a tropical tree. A trick that a salesman for laboratory glassware told me long time ago. If the rubber is similar to that in a tire and you have a discarded one handy you could use a piece of that for a practice piece. Then i drill through the entire assembly.

Rubber processing is common in the automotive industry where holes are drilled in rubber car door seals and material is cut for windscreen wiper blades. Plywood on the outside. Most of the items might already be in your home. Instructional video on how to cut rubber with a sharp utility knife to a specified length.

The most expensive drill presses are floor standing models but you can buy a decent benchtop unit for about 100. I use a brad point bit for the smaller holes and a forstner bit for the larger ones.