drill press trick

[butchesforge]

drill press trick

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I know this has happened to more then one maker on here.I was drilling the holes for the pins on a full tang,and the bit stopped biteing,hard as woodpecker lips,wouldn't go any further,heat hardened!So I talked to my bud,Ray Clontz,inovator extroidinaire,the guy behind the tire powerhammer. :thumbup:This is for folks without a better means of rectifying this.He suggested,that I spot annneal where i was drilling,and I did,the best part,take a footswitch and plug your drillpress into it,turn on the press, then bring your bit into contact with the piece,put a good bit of pressure on it,then jog the press using the footswitch,don't know about you but my press won't go slow enought to drill tool steel.You don't let the press get up to speed,just tap the foot switch.Hey, worked like a charm!!-try it you'll like it--Butch
I guess I put this in the right place!? copyed this to this forum,guess that's okay-

 

[JTknives]

i spray the hole with tons of water while drilling. keeps the bit cool.

 

[Gene Martin]

Cutting oil works well. Peck at the hole, rather than just hogging through, if you are worried about it hardening. D2 can be a real bugger about it. When it hardens, just get out a carbide bit, or anneal the piece, because nothing else will touch it.

Gene