Drilling problems solved, well, sort of.

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
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Everyone knows I'm the killer of all drill bits. I assumed I was just an idiot, but I've been doing everything right and still can't get more than 2 holes out of a 1/8" piece of HR 1084. I have been using the same batch of 1084 from Kovals for my entire illustrious knifemaking career. I ordered a lot, and the way I was making knives I just didn't go through the stuff really fast. Recently Kim Breed sent me about a 3/16", maybe a bit thinner, but much thicked that the 1/8" I am used to, piece of his cable damascus. I started working that last night and my drills went through it like warm butter. I did three 1/8" holes with a new bit and the 3rd cut as easily as the first. It was like night and day. So, obvioulsy the steel I've been using is a little off. And here I thought it was just me. ;)
 
You might want to have some one do a RC test on your batch of steel. I got a batch in and only got about 1/4" in with a high quality hacksaw blade and all the teeth were smooth. I checked the hardness and found it to be right around 40 RC and you aint cuttin or drillin that stuff :grumpy: I now anneal each blank I cut and it cuts and drills just fine. Should have added -- I now do all the length cutting with a fiber chop saw then anneal the blade size pieces :D
Good luck
 
Okay, since you brought it up... Assuming I get off my butt and build a little forge for myself, how do I anneal 10xx? Do I bring to critical and then dump it in vermiculite, or can I bring to critical and let it air cool? Or do I bring to critical and keep it there for a while, then do something, or what? Had I been thinking about all this I would've chopped all my stuff up when I visited Sean a few months ago and let them all take a nice bath in his molten salt hot tub! DOH!
 
I'm not an expert on heat treating 1084 but on 1095 heating the blank critical and air cooling is normally enough to drill it with a cobalt bit, otherwise heat it critical and dump it in vermiculite. That is the only way I can cut 52100.
Daniel Krohn
 
With steel that thin I find better results by wiring another piece of steel to the piece I'm trying to anneal then bring them both to critical before burying in vermiculate.
Just what I do,
Lynn
 
Daniel, I made it home for a few hours after I typed my post and I tried what you recommended. Seemed like a definite step in the right direction. Wasn't as soft as Kim's cable, but it was definitely better. I don't think I went quite to critical, anyway, because I tried it before I got your recommendation. I just got some Koval 1095 (HR), and it looks like a much nicer steel than the 1084, on the outside. My 1084 is pretty pitted and seems to have a lot of scales. The 1095 looks a lot smoother, but hopefully I've got this problem whipped!
 
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