I want to cut oval holes in the top and bottom channel rails for my pickets to go into. I usually plug weld them inside the channel so it will be hidden. The holes are 1/2" and the angle is shallow enough that I cannot drill two side by side holes to create the oval. I am thinking about trying to drill at the proper angle with an end mill in my drill press. The cutting will be straight down and I will not be doing any side cutting but the end mill corner will contact the metal at an angle and I am not sure how that will go. Any alternatives or suggestions?

Thanks,

Better version is to predrill 1/2" holes in the correct locations, tilt the drill press table to the correct angle , and redrill with a tapered reamer. At 35 degrees it seems to be a reasonable procedure. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Good Morning,

If you are going to 'Punch Holes at an Angle', the trick I learned from Francis Whittaker was to drill a 1/8" pilot hole at the angle you want. The Punch will follow the Pilot. There are more ways to skin a Cat, than Nine!!

Neil

How precise does the hole location need to be? Plunge cutting on an angle the mill will deflect away from the angle until it bites. The smaller the mill the more it will deflect, obviously. If you need to be dead on precise, like a +/- .001" no it will not work, if you just need to be within a 1/16" (.0625") yeah it will provably work. But that is basically exactly how i cut holes on an angle at work but use the margin of the mill to cut. 

How many holes do you need? How long will it take to set up to cut each hole? It may be quicker to just drill the holes straight and then come back in with a file or die grinder to make them oval and angled.  

I tried it with drilling a 1/2" hold on the flat and then set it at the proper angle and drilled again with an aligning reamer, in the drill press, and that seemed to be the ticket. Ended up with a clean oval hole at the correct angle in the correct location and no chatter.