How to Cut a Hole in a Stainless Steel Sink | Step by Step Guide

Drilling a hole in any stainless steel body can be tricky rather than a stainless steel sink. Many tanks don’t have a pre-drilled drain or hole so drilling it becomes a necessity. Stainless steel sinks are used quite often in homes, they have multiple features like corrosion resistance, easy maintenance, and a user-friendly experience. Stainless steel is an extremely tough material making the drilling a little bit difficult. You need to have some particular skills along with few tricks up your sleeves. You want a hole that can accommodate the drain assembly easily without any size issues. The questions that arise to the mind are that how to cut a hole in a stainless steel sink and why it is necessary to do that.

Whenever you are going to install a water faucet, soap dispenser, or an under sink trash can, drilling a hole in the stainless sink becomes necessary. You need to follow the right method and have proper tools for it to successfully drill the hole. Here’s how you can drill a hole in a stainless steel sink…

Required Tools

Following are the tools required to make a hole in stainless steel sink. Collect all these mentioned tools before you start to drill. 

1. Drill machine
2. Lubricant
3. Hammer
4. An old rag
5. Marker
6. Measuring Stick
7. Safety Goggles
8. Masking Tape
9. Center Punch or Nail

How to Cut a Hole in a Stainless Steel Sink

Step 1: Finding the Drill Spot

Firstly, you need to identify the place where you need to drill the hole. Give some thought to it as once you drilled the spot, there is no way to undo it. You need to make some considerations before starting your work. These considerations are the potential damages under the sink and the distance of the hole from pipes. For confirming the drill spot, complete a survey on the underside of the sink. You can also select the drill spot by measuring the distance from the sink to the place where you are going to apply the fixture. Use the masking tape to mark the drill spot. 

Step 2: Indentation

When the drill starts spinning, it can skip across the surface of the sink but this problem can be prevented by making an indentation. Using any nail, make a small divot on the drill spot. This indentation should be positioned exactly in the middle of where the hole will be made. This indentation should be in small size and will act as a guide for the drill when first drilling. You can make the divot by taking a hammer and striking it on the top of the nail. Strike it with enough force to make a perfect indentation. 

Step 3: Lubrication of Drill Bit

You need to pick the right drill bit for your stainless steel sink and kitchen faucet. This drill bit should be lubed to the max using lubrication oil. If not you will face the issue of sharp edge temper while drilling. Also, don’t overdo this lubrication, use a paper towel or rag to apply the oil to the drill bit. Proper lubrication of the drill bit makes the drilling process go smoother with reduced friction. You can experience a bit of smoke while drilling, if it happens then you need to stop the drilling immediately as the point is getting too hot.

Step 4: Use Protective Eyewear

It is very important to use eye protection before you start drilling. You can use protective eyewear and goggles for this purpose. It gets dangerous when you start drilling something as many tiny bits will fly that can damage your eyes. 

Step 5: Start Drilling the Hole

Drilling hole on stainless steel sink requires patience and precision. For drilling, place the point of the bit on the mark using your masking tape. This way you can achieve high precision while drilling. Hold the drill bit in a vertical position and start drilling at a low speed. This way you can easily keep an eye on what’s happening. When the drill starts to penetrate the surface of the sink, it’s time to stop drilling. It is easier to move the drill in the direction of your dominant hand like if you are right-handed, move the drill in the clockwise direction. 

Step 6: Stop, Check and Measure

You can make the hole bigger in the stainless steel sink but once it’s made, it is not possible to have a smaller hole. To avoid this scenario, stop after every minute and measure the hole’s diameter to make sure it matches up with the drain assembly you want to install. It is better to keep the hole symmetrical so that the hole is not lopsided or too far to the left or right. Make sure the hole you have made is perfectly round as it will prevent any leakage later on.

Step 7: Remove the Sharp Edges

When you are done with drilling the hole, now it’s time to remove the sharp edges. For this purpose, take a paper towel and clean the surface. In this way, you will remove all the debris deposited on the edges. Now, take an emery cloth to sand the hole for making its edges smooth. Carefully do all this process as the sharp edges can damage your finger so better to wear gloves.

Step 8: Cleaning Up

Remove the masking tape and clean up the area around where you were drilling. Blow away any shavings using gentle brushing. Don’t roughly brush away any shavings with your hand as it can scratch the surface of your stainless steel sink. For this purpose, you can use an air blower, or a soft brush to remove any stray bits. 

Final Views

You want to have a hole in your stainless steel sink for different purposes, the steps are explained above. You have to follow the above-mentioned steps to successfully make a hole in the stainless steel sink. An important advantage of the above-mentioned method is the freedom of choice you get. It allows you to place your sink drain wherever you wish and customize it to your personal needs.