What are you using for deeper tang hole drilling

Fish30114

Fish30114

Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
1,495
I am approaching handling my first knife, and when I did the layout of the tang on the intended material, it became obvious pretty quickly that I don't have a drill bit (or bits) that are long enough to penetrate the intended handle material deep enough to accommodate the tang.

Just wondering what you folks use, and where you get the stuff you use.

Thanks for any advice/feedback--Don
 
they have long bits and the mega long bits. most any harware will have long 1/8 3/16 and 1/4 the super long stuff try MSC or fasenal
 
Thanks for the tips guys, I looked at HD, and no joy, but I'll check MSC and McMaster Carr, and Count thanks for the link, smallest one there was 1/4"....
 
Be careful with aircraft extension drills. They're made to reach into poorly accessible areas and drill regular depth holes. Their LOC (length of cut) is the same or sometimes even less than a standard jobber length drill.

IMHO, you are better to find an extra LOC drill.

Going smaller than 3/16" isn't something I would recommend, as a small drill will deflect and won't give you a straight hole.

Just my $0.02 :)
 
Buy the long ones at HD and if you want, cut them off to a slightly shorter length with a cut off wheel. You MUST nibble when you use them because they will get clogged up and heat up quickly.
 
NickWheeler said:
Be careful with aircraft extension drills. They're made to reach into poorly accessible areas and drill regular depth holes. Their LOC (length of cut) is the same or sometimes even less than a standard jobber length drill.

IMHO, you are better to find an extra LOC drill.

Going smaller than 3/16" isn't something I would recommend, as a small drill will deflect and won't give you a straight hole.

Just my $0.02 :)
Click to expand...

Nick, thanks for the tip, question: what if your blade stock is 1/8"
 
I'm not Nick--not nearly young or handsome enough:)

But you might bed the tang with Acraglas in your oversized hole?
 
I'm not Nick--not nearly young or handsome enough:)

But you might bed the tang with Acraglas in your oversized hole?
 
Use whatever kind of broach or cut down saw blade you have to gouge out the rest of the hole to whatever width you want. The drilled hole is just a deep pilot hole in most cases.
 
CClaycomb, the pen drills seem like a good idea, but again, I don't seem able to find any I a smaller diameter---maybe I'm the only one pursuing a blind tang with 1/8" stock???
 
Fish30114 said:
CClaycomb, the pen drills seem like a good idea, but again, I don't seem able to find any I a smaller diameter---maybe I'm the only one pursuing a blind tang with 1/8" stock???
Click to expand...

The only part that needs to be a snug fit with the tang is the guard, or bolster. The handle is typically drilled oversize, then filled with epoxy to make up for the oversized hole.
 
I just finished shaping a handle around 1/8th RWL34, I drilled a single hole with a 7mm pen drill, then opened out key-ways top and bottom of the hole to accommodate the 1/2" tang using a broach made from a reciprocating hacksaw blade (3.5mm kerf). The fit was better than I have achieved when attempting to drill multiple, linked, holes with a drill closer to the stock size. I would have used a 6mm drill, but they were sold out and I couldn't find another source. In the past I have used 4 to 5mm long series regular twist drills, chain drilling and trying to do all the connecting by wallering the drill and filing. The pen drill was faster and had good reach.

I was shown a trick for drilling with regular long series drills where the tip is reground at a much squarer angle, 160deg or so, which made it less liable to wander when chain drilling. The guy that showed me used a Drill Doctor, which is something I don't have, and I am only slowly learning to resharpen drills freehand.
 
I agree with both ideas about the hole size.

You can make it slightly oversized and put it all together with a pro grade epoxy.

My personal approach for a thin blade is what Chris mentioned in post #19. Drill two holes that are oversized and then connect them with a broach.

Or take a totally different approach (which is what I did on the last couple dozen 1/8" thick hidden tangs I've done) and do either a framed tang construction, or do a mortised tang construction.

If you're really hell bent on drilling 1/8" holes, there are extra LOC drills that size-
http://www.travers.com/viking-premi...lass level3 id 297761||AttribSelect=Size=1/8"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top