How to Cut a Hole in a Kitchen Sink

A quick step by step on how to cut a hole in a kitchen sink when working with stainless steel. Note, this is for a mixer tap which requires one hole. Includes video to follow along.

Recently, I learned how to cut a hole in a stainless steel kitchen sink for a tap. You can often buy a stainless steel sink with the holes already cut.

And they're even better when they're reversible sink bowls, which is where the tap hole is on the front or back. How they work, is that they usually come with a tap hole cover, too. So you can position your sink bowl on the left of the right.

But occasionally, you might find a cheap stainless steel sink, like this new IKEA one I picked up locally for £5 on eBay. But, it never came with a tap hole. So I'm going to show you how to cut a hole with a metal hole saw as opposed to a hole cuter for a stainless steel sink.

Positioning The Tap

First, you need to decide where you want your tap. We decided between the main bowl and rinser was the best position. You'll find two hot and cold taps for this set up do not work.

Above, I have my mounting piece with a hole already in it. I lined it up, then made a mark with an HSS drill bit.

Then set the mounting piece aside and drilled straight through the stainless steel sink using my combi drill.

Top Tip: don't press too hard as the drill bit could snap.

Keeping The Drill Bit Cool

Before I moved on to the hole saw, my Dad would help by spraying with water to keep it cool.

This also helps the drill bit stay lubricated for easier drilling.

Drilling With a Hole Saw

I then started to drill with a 35mm metal hole saw. Note, you'll usually find the tap you bought comes with a size recommendation.

If you're using a second-hand tap, like we did here, then you can test on a wood offcut first to see if this size is correct.

(Nice taps really aren't cheap!) Also, it's important the hole saw is smaller than the tap's base, so it doesn't fall through. But, big enough for the tail hose to slot through.

More Drilling Through Stainless Steel Tips

Drilling through a stainless steel sink is surprisingly tough. So don't expect it to be quick.

My advice is to take your time and ideally, cut with a brand new hole saw.

Also, don't put too much pressure as once you've successfully drilled your hole, you could smack the surroundings with the drill. So, once you feel it's almost cut through, keep an eye on it and catch it beforehand.

Cleaning Metal Swarf

After I successfully drilled my hole, I carefully wiped away any metal swarf left behind to avoid scratching the sink or hurting myself.

It was now ready to thread the tap's tails through and attach to the water mains.

Here's a pic of the tap in situ much later after we'd tiled the kitchen!

More Projects You Might Like

• Changing a mixer tap
• Replacing a leaking sink basin waste

Cutting a Hole In a Stainless Steel Sink