Difficulty with drilling one stubborn pin/lanyard hole. Requesting tips/advice.

Steelhog

Steelhog

Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
1,176
Hey all - dumb question time. So I am working with some 52100 and having issues drilling one of my pin/lanyard holes. I am about 70% done but it wont budge beyond that. This specific hole seems to be the only hard area and I was able to drill weight reduction holes around/near this stubborn one. Are there any tricks or hacks to get through this without a full annealing? Any simple way to soffen such a small isolated area?

Honestly this is the first time this has ever happened to me and just cant break through it without killing drill bits. And yes my drill bits are good and my press is not bottoming out. I have drilled other holes in this process.
 
Oil/lube
Slower rpm
Pilot hole
Carbide drill
Try flipping it over....
 
I've drilled through broken taps with carbide and enough pressure....

52100.....was it not supposed to be hardened?
 
K.B. Knifeworks said:
Hey all - dumb question time. So I am working with some 52100 and having issues drilling one of my pin/lanyard holes. I am about 70% done but it wont budge beyond that. This specific hole seems to be the only hard area and I was able to drill weight reduction holes around/near this stubborn one. Are there any tricks or hacks to get through this without a full annealing? Any simple way to soffen such a small isolated area?

Honestly this is the first time this has ever happened to me and just cant break through it without killing drill bits. And yes my drill bits are good and my press is not bottoming out. I have drilled other holes in this process.
Click to expand...
Try with very dull drill bits on drill press..................push it in hole till you get blue/ gray color ring around hole
What help me in scenario like this is to use sharp drill bits as hammer in drill press , if it is work hardened .It is very thin hard surface and using drill bits as punch with drill press break that layer and continue to drill hole .Carbide drill bits will work ... 101 % :)
 
Natlek said:
Try with very dull drill bits on drill press..................push it in hole till you get blue/ gray color ring around hole
What help me in scenario like this is to use sharp drill bits as hammer in drill press , if it is work hardened .It is very thin hard surface and using drill bits as punch with drill press break that layer and continue to drill hole .Carbide drill bits will work ... 101 % :)
Click to expand...
This did the trick! Thank you.
 
Natlek said:
You're welcome :thumbsup: Which method have you tried ?
Click to expand...
Your first recommendation about using a dull bit a bit like a hammer to break through that thin hardened area was the winner. That got me through enough to finish the hole.in the future I will be ordering some carbide bits.
 
Look for bits that are for natural stone or tile. I use white tipped Milwaukee brand bits and 4 blades spade bits for glass to drill hardened steel.
 
I'll let Natlek post any details of his meaning, but what I took from his post (and what I do sometimes) is use the dull bit to heat up the steel at the work hardened hole and thus anneal it. Then switch to a sharp bit and punch it up and down rather forcefully as it turns. I suspect his word "hammer" was what we call "pecking"
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I'll let Natlek post any details of his meaning, but what I took from his post (and what I do sometimes) is use the dull bit to heat up the steel at the work hardened hole and thus anneal it. Then switch to a sharp bit and punch it up and down rather forcefully as it turns. I suspect his word "hammer" was what we call
Click to expand...

Yes , dull bit will fast heat that hole and anneal it . Yesterday I tried with a broken tungsten carbide drill bits, flat end...It heats steel much faster then HSS....Friction welding ;)
Sorry for my bad English ...........What I mean is while drill press is spinning with sharp drill bits IN , just use handle to fast push/strike in steel to break that thin layer of work hardened steel .It works for me .
I think *pecking* would be the appropriate word ....
 
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