Recently purchased a Dual Router/Plasma table and I'm confused.. What's the best way to use drill bits for drill holes using a CNC router? I have a Porter Cable 3.25hp Router with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" collets. Do I need to buy special drills with these standard shank sizes or buy a drill chuck to use regular drills? I thought this would be a really easy question but since I can't find the answer it must just be a stupid one!

You can't safely use drill bits in a router. You either need to plunge with a router bit, or use a smaller tool and mill it.

you cant safely drill with some routers, i have no problem doing it with mine
your router motor will not go slow enuff to drill holes in metal nor dose it have enuff power.you should be able to drill plastic and light alum. and wood.

I plan on just drilling/cutting wood, Aluminum sheetmetal and composite foam core material so power shouldn't be an issue. The drilling issue came up becasue I need to cut aluminum sheetmetal and drill 3/32 rivit holes in the material with the CNC router. I have found plunging/drilling end mills that I think will work for this. I can see why regular drills wouldn't work at a routers high speed and a much shorter tool would be necessary for strength. I'll find sutible end mills to use.

Thanks for the replies.

Drill mills would likely work fine. I have to peck drill with them in thicker metals, but should work great in thin sheet stuff.

We drill with ours. It has a er20 collet and we use 1/4" and 1/2" bits. I've only tried in wood. We have been getting our collets and bits from enco and I heard that they also have some sort of collet chuck for use with a router for drilling.. Might be worth talking to them.

You can't safely use drill bits in a router. You either need to plunge with a router bit, or use a smaller tool and mill it.

A-ha! This means the drill chuck adapter sold by high tech systems llc is actually a bad idea for those of us using a wood router for a spindle, eh?

I was wondering, while playing with Mach and LazyCam, how to go about drilling all the holes that need to be drilled in a given part. I wondered if we were limited to drilling holes in the sizes that mills come in, or if holes generally had to be milled out.

As usual, thanks for your expertise Ger.

Cheers, Jim