Hints-
1) Use a lube when drilling aluminum, either a proper cutting oil like Cool-Tool II (veggie based), or at least a squirt of WD-40. That's one place the stuff shines. Works great for milling aluminum too. For steel, use the oil.
2) There are different grades of aluminum. 3003 is gummy, 5052 is better and bends well, but IMO, still gummy and drill bits can grab and you get lots of burrs. 6061 is nice but harder to bend. There's a nice list and table here- http://www.clintonaluminum.com/which-aluminum-alloy-bends-best/
3) Use step drills when you can. Sometimes drilling a small hole and bringing it to size with a tapered service reamer (Google it) works better.
4) To get holes exactly where you want them, lay it out with a good scale and scribe, or height gage. Dykem blue is standard for visibility but magic marker works OK. Next, center punch with a plain one or automatic spring loaded one, but use a magnifier and get the punch dead on the mark. Now, spot the hole with either a spotting drill, a small center drill or a small drill bit, small enough not to wander from the punch divot. Finally, drill the hole. Done properly, even with primitive tools, you can get a hole located to about 0.01" with no problem. Skip a step and all bets are off.
5) Don't thread thin aluminum. Get some PEM nuts. You'll need a decent vise or levered pliers to put them in, and the hole size is critical, but the end result is way more professional. No more stripped out threads!
6) Don't forget safety. Clamp what you're doing or block it from rotating. Drill presses account for a lot of accidents, especially when doing sheet metal.
1) Use a lube when drilling aluminum, either a proper cutting oil like Cool-Tool II (veggie based), or at least a squirt of WD-40. That's one place the stuff shines. Works great for milling aluminum too. For steel, use the oil.
2) There are different grades of aluminum. 3003 is gummy, 5052 is better and bends well, but IMO, still gummy and drill bits can grab and you get lots of burrs. 6061 is nice but harder to bend. There's a nice list and table here- http://www.clintonaluminum.com/which-aluminum-alloy-bends-best/
3) Use step drills when you can. Sometimes drilling a small hole and bringing it to size with a tapered service reamer (Google it) works better.
4) To get holes exactly where you want them, lay it out with a good scale and scribe, or height gage. Dykem blue is standard for visibility but magic marker works OK. Next, center punch with a plain one or automatic spring loaded one, but use a magnifier and get the punch dead on the mark. Now, spot the hole with either a spotting drill, a small center drill or a small drill bit, small enough not to wander from the punch divot. Finally, drill the hole. Done properly, even with primitive tools, you can get a hole located to about 0.01" with no problem. Skip a step and all bets are off.
5) Don't thread thin aluminum. Get some PEM nuts. You'll need a decent vise or levered pliers to put them in, and the hole size is critical, but the end result is way more professional. No more stripped out threads!
6) Don't forget safety. Clamp what you're doing or block it from rotating. Drill presses account for a lot of accidents, especially when doing sheet metal.