drilling into a turned aluminum fuel tank

[Sixx]

As the title reads, how do I do that? I don't have a drill press or milling machine. I need to drill it for fuel line attachment. I also don't want to snap any drill bits. Any suggestions?

[Pete J.]

If it is uncoated aluminum, then a dab of hot glue will hold it in place nicely. Then chuck up a sewing needle in the pin vice. Use that to mark the spot where you are going to drill by making a dimple. Make sure that the spot is deep enough to hold the drill bit in place. This technique is in lue of center punching it. If you have a center punch all the better. Then chuck up the drill bit and place the bit in the needle hole and drill the hole holding the pin vise as close to vertical as you can. Here is a weird technique that I picked up from a wood worker. You can stabilize the drill by placing your forehead on the end of the drill. Apparently your head is more stable than you hand.

[Dave Ambrose]

This shouldn't be a problem. Aluminum is soft and drills quite easily. To add to the above: You should use a drop of oil to lubricate the drill bit. They type isn't terribly important. 3-in-1 should work just fine. Also stop periodically, and clear the cuttings from the drill bit. It also helps to turn the drill counter clockwise when you withdraw it. You should avoid flexing the drill bit while drilling. You can't correct the direction by tilting it, so start as accurately as you can.

[LoneWolf15]

D,

Your pin vise will handle this without a problem . As mentioned , it is a soft metal and drills quite easily .

[Sixx]

Thank's guys ! I figured that solid of a chunk would be kinda hard to drill into. I'll jump in and do EET! Lol !