Can't drill my steel

Sawce · Mar 2, 2009

I was attempting to make a knife from a file that I temped down (got some info on how to temp it down already) and I have no problem grinding the steel on my 1 x 30 harbor freight but I cant drill into it at all. Im wondering if I should take a torch to the handle and then let it self cool or do I not have the right bits? I tried 3 different bits on a hand drill as well as drill press.

Any insight into what I might be doing wrong would really be appreciated, thanks.

legato1 · Mar 2, 2009

its probably still to hard, you have to heat it and let it cool as slowly as possible to soften it enough to drill. you can just anneal (soften) the whole blade and then re harden it, i think thres plenty of vids on the net that can show you back yard annealing. good luck

James_Terrio · Mar 2, 2009

Sawce, your torch idea will help. Don't let it get blue much past the tang, or you'll have to anneal and start over. This thread may help too.

Mike Krall · Mar 2, 2009

Sawce said:
I was attempting to make a knife from a file that I temped down (got some info on how to temp it down already) and I have no problem grinding the steel on my 1 x 30 harbor freight but I cant drill into it at all. Im wondering if I should take a torch to the handle and then let it self cool or do I not have the right bits? I tried 3 different bits on a hand drill as well as drill press.

Any insight into what I might be doing wrong would really be appreciated, thanks.

Sawce,

The "drill bit" link James put up has a lot to do with decent drilling... or not. I don't think your steel not drilling is all drill bit related, though.

If a file is not made by case hardening a lower carbon steel, which a person can tell by cutting the tip and etching it (will show dark, carbonized perimeter around lighter gray core), it is very likely entirely high carbon steel in the 1% carbon range. The following thread link will tell you about the hypereutectoid/high carbon steels and how to deal with them in all aspects, as well as what is happening through the processes. It's very clear on annealing for good machining. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=615086
If you read it and have questions, just put them up... there's room for you.

Mike

Sawce · Mar 2, 2009

Mike Krall said:
Sawce,

The "drill bit" link James put up has a lot to do with decent drilling... or not. I don't think your steel not drilling is all drill bit related, though.

If a file is not made by case hardening a lower carbon steel, which a person can tell by cutting the tip and etching it (will show dark, carbonized perimeter around lighter gray core), it is very likely entirely high carbon steel in the 1% carbon range. The following thread link will tell you about the hypereutectoid/high carbon steels and how to deal with them in all aspects, as well as what is happening through the processes. It's very clear on annealing for good machining. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=615086
If you read it and have questions, just put them up... there's room for you.

Mike

Wow that thread is way over my head, I'm so green that my head would explode trying to understand that. I do understand some of it but not much. I think I will try the torch trick like James suggested, if that doesnt work I guess I'll have to learn to anneal and quench and all that. My file/knife should be right around 59 Rc as per the person who gave me tips on how to temp it down. I'm hoping that maybe its just too hard to drill yet or maybe there are even some hard spots in the tang.

silver_pilate · Mar 2, 2009

You're trying to drill hardened steel. Without a full anneal, you are still going to be drilling hardened steel. It will grind fine, but drilling is another story. See if you can find a carbide bit in the size you need and drill it out as slowly as your press will go. Do a google search set up something like this: "drilling hardened steel site:bladeforums.com" and see what you come up with.

--nathan

Mike Krall · Mar 3, 2009

Sawce said:
Wow that thread is way over my head, I'm so green that my head would explode trying to understand that. I do understand some of it but not much. I think I will try the torch trick like James suggested, if that doesnt work I guess I'll have to learn to anneal and quench and all that. My file/knife should be right around 59 Rc as per the person who gave me tips on how to temp it down. I'm hoping that maybe its just too hard to drill yet or maybe there are even some hard spots in the tang.

That thread is over just about everyones head when you consider it is not in pure metallurgical language and it does not go into the real complexities. Yah, I know, scary, ain't it? Just read it. Don't try to understand. Just expose yourself to it. If you keep reading it (it's a sticky and so is Kevin's "Eutectoid" thread) every once in a while, after a while, you will get it in a way you can work with it.

The value of those two threads is, they are true... like sun comes up in the east, true.

Would you say what you have done to the steel with heat so far? You mentioned tempering it down. I don't know what that means. I'm asking because there may be a way to heat it again and get it soft enough to drill... or maybe just get you knowledge that will make it happen on the next file.

Mike

atakach · Mar 3, 2009

Not to sure this will work with your applicatiion or not, but worst case , you can always cut a slot in the tang with a cut-off wheel in a rotory tool, and open it up with a diamond burr., Or just cut the slot big enough for the pin, and fill the rest with epoxy when assembeling.

This is something I don't generally do, but as an last resort, I see nothing wrong with this solution, but then again it will depend more on the design of the knife and tang, as to wether or not it is adviseable.

good luck

Sawce · Mar 3, 2009

Thanks guys, I'm goin to see what I can do and maybe ill post a pic of it. While I have some of your attention... The handle im goin to use is some oak I got at Home Depot. Any tips on how to protect it? I was going to polyurithane it but there has to be a better way. I know some people use teak oil but I really dont know if it is something you use on specific types of woods or not. If I do nothing the wood will not last long correct?

atakach · Mar 3, 2009

First, I'd probably give it a oil finish, secondly are you using the oak because thats what you want or because of avaibility? I have an awful lot of maple I'd be willing to give you that has some real nice grain to it, you'd just have to pay the shipping. I'd even cut to size if you dont have a decent way to do so.

Depending on what you need, I may even have some stabilized wood you can have. Not to knock you oak idea, i mean if thats you thing thats fine, there's just alot better looking woods out there.

There's probably a dozen makers on hear with drawers full of wood, that they'll never use, that woould be willing to donate a block or set of scales. Especially to someone attepmting their first knife.

PM me if interested. or email me.