I made a set of gun smithing chisels out of thin (1/16 inch) 15n20 just I see if I could do it. The chisels are all ground out and I was going to drill holes in them (for handles) before HT, but I can't drill holes in the stuff! It's annealed (a file easily cuts it) but no matter what size but I use it won't do it. I've tried slow and fast with plenty of oil and new drill bits... Does anyone have any advice?
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Drilling 15n20 issues
- Thread starter Nic.
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2000
- Messages
- 4,786
Yes, just go to carbide bits.
Frank
Frank
Nic if you have an oven do a sub-critical anneal at 1200 for 2 hours and let cool with the door closed. If you don't have an oven get carbide. For one offs I've been buying no flute spade tip carbide bits from Amazon for decent prices. They will drill holes through anything.
The cheapest method is to try carbide tipped masonary bits you can get at home depot or lowes. I've heard of people having success with them but they didn't work for me when I tried to drill hardened AEBL.
In the end I still recommend carbide because I now intentionally harden my hidden tang kitchen knives and drill them after they are fitted to the handle material and reuse the carbide many times to do this.
-Clint
The cheapest method is to try carbide tipped masonary bits you can get at home depot or lowes. I've heard of people having success with them but they didn't work for me when I tried to drill hardened AEBL.
In the end I still recommend carbide because I now intentionally harden my hidden tang kitchen knives and drill them after they are fitted to the handle material and reuse the carbide many times to do this.
-Clint
- Joined
- May 21, 2000
- Messages
- 6,312
Depending on where you bought it, it may already be hardened.
!