Drilling a Kershaw Shallot?

[elkins45]

I've done a small bit of drilling/tapping in my life, but I seem to have met my match here. I want to drill/ tap two 2-56 holes in the frame of a Kershaw Shallot so I can flip the clip over to be left-handed. I chucked a M2 HSS bit in my drill press and had a go at it. I finally had to back off the handle for fear of breaking the bit and it barely made a divot in the steel frame. The cutting fluid started smoking and the bit was just spinning. I tried again with a new bit and got the same result.

What gives? Is this frame heat treated? Do I need some sort of special bit? I thought this was just going to be easy, like hundreds of other times I've drilled a hole in a piece of metal. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[John T Wylie Jr]

Handles are 410 SS if I recall , what speed were you running the drill bit at ?

 

[elkins45]

Handles are 410 SS if I recall , what speed were you running the drill bit at ?

Relatively slow, maybe 300-400 PM

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

It is made of hardened steel. It can be done, but probably not in your shop. Cutting the hole is the (relatively) easy part, then you have to thread it. Tapping hardened steel doesn't work out real well, so it is frequently CNC milled with a carbide thread mill.

 

[elkins45]

It is made of hardened steel. It can be done, but probably not in your shop. Cutting the hole is the (relatively) easy part, then you have to thread it. Tapping hardened steel doesn't work out real well, so it is frequently CNC milled with a carbide thread mill.

Definitely not in my shop, then. That's good to know. I was trying to save money on a new left-handed assisted opener, but it sounds like I just need to buy a different knife.

Thanks for the info.

 

[STR]

About the only way someone in their backyard can do what you propose is going to involve carbide drill bits. A cobalt may drill out the small hole for you and its probably worth a try. It depends on how hard they took the slabs but rest assured they are heat treated and they are harder than a HSS bit can handle. Sometimes you can get one hole with a good sharp new drill but not a second one because that first hole will ruin the bit.

What I'd suggest is taking the knife apart after you get two number 44 holes in the handle. Those are too big to thread but thats fine because once you have it apart just go in with a 1/8" carbide and enlarge those two holes from the inside. Just go down about the thickness of a beefy pocket clip and buy a 1/8" pre-threaded pivot barrel from one of the suppliers. Take that pivot barrel and clamp it in a vice grip plier and hold it steady while you cut off a couple thin slices with a thin kerf cut off disc in your dremmel and use those slices to insert into the holes you made. If you leave a little nipple on the ends where you break it off that little nipple should kind of stick out there enough to hold those still long enough to tighten the screws down. Once tight flush it up on the inside and cover both inserts with a dab of super glue or goop glue and put it back together. Just don't make a habit of removing the clip or you can lose your inserts. Sometimes you can insert a screw in the slices to be used and cover the slices in loctite red and set them in the holes. Hopefully if any of it does get on the end of the screw you can still back it out in time to keep it from locking in there real bad. That should hold em enough to get the clip tight. Once tight just seal over the ends and carry your folder the way you like. Anyway, thats what I'd do. It beats the hell out of breaking off a tap in a stainless slab.

STR