Hole thoughts from the forum makers

echo-7

echo-7

Joined
Aug 1, 2003
Messages
917
Gentlemen,
My name is and Mike and I was wondering if you would be willing to help me with a problem I've been having? I have been making knives for about a year and half now and haven't perfected a way to make a 7/8"- 1" hole in annealed blade steel. The Bladesmith who taught me suggests a carbide rotary burr in an air motor, but I haven't gotten a compressor yet. Any ideas from you gentlemen would be helpful. Thanks ahead of time. Mikey
 
just get a bi-metal hole saw and keep it lubed as you drill the...err saw the hole out.
Be sure to go slow and clamp everything down. Even so, it may not be prefect or cut too many holes. What size stock?
Brian
 
jeweler's saw,wood dowel,round file and some sandpaper....................

finishedlargesmall.jpg
 
What you need is called an annular cutter, or Rota-Broach. You can find them at MSC or other mro catalog companies. The annular cutter will make a very smooth and precise hole. Bi-metal hole saws have a lot of runout and aren't suitable for anything needing precision. If you can't find what you want in the catalogs, the company that makes them is Hougen. You want the piloted kind they say is for sheet metal, not the kind they make for the portable magnetic base drills.
 
Thanks guys for the quick response!! This might get me closer to putting "bladesmith" under my name vice "registered user":) Mikey
 
I like the hole saw idea of B.Goode

However what are the holes for If it is just to lighten the frame many smaller holes may work just take more time marking out and drilling.

May be go even furtherrod or scroll saw the juts right out of it.

Or perhaps you have another intended use and I am dribbling as per my useual.
 
Gents,
To answer Mr. Goodes ? = stock will be anywhere from 1/8" - 1/4" of the folllowing: D2, 52100, 5160, and/or L6...

Mr. ELLERY ?= finger holes for kerambits/and or other designs, and poss. lightening holes on handles.

Thanks again for your time and effort, I really appreciate the quick responses. Semper Fi .....Mikey
 
echo it may mot be what you want at the moment but. I made a couple of knives with finger grooves. No holes just the half circle I cleaned them up with a 3/8 diamiter wooden dowle (rod) cut a slit up the axis to the width of your emmery and wrap a few layers around. Upt the wood end in a drill press.

wind the press down through the drilling table. Start the wood spinning and hold the edge of the knife against the emery and the flat of the knife against the top of the drill table. That worked for me better than trying to file them smooth. The other trick is to use a thin brook handlewith emery down the lenthof it as a round file. Rough but it also worked for me in the early days.
 
I used a bimetal hole saw to cut some 1" holes in 1/8" A2. It worked great. I would say that they came out fairly accurately.
 
For finger holes and lightening the tang,a bi-metal hole saw will be fine.Any good hardware dealer,or machinist supply will have them.Ebay is probably full of them,too.Nice thing is you can change the saw tube on the center drill mandrel with different sizes.I'd get several sizes,if I were you.
 
if you are doing a buncha holes i.e. production I'd go witht the annular broach.

the difference is worth the money IMO
 
I've always used bimetal hole saws. Someone on the forum (Ray R.??) suggested a Unibit at one time. I tried it and have to day it works out well. Smoother hole.
 
Once you use an annular, you'll hate using anything else. Smooth and precise. You may not need to finish at all - maybe break the edges a little.
 
Are those the same bit used for cutting spring pockets in coilspring autos, Jeff? Expensive little beasties, aren't they, like $80??
 
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