WHY can't I make a SIMPLE hole

C

cybrok

Joined
Aug 7, 2005
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As a first knife, I decided to turn an OLD kitchen knife into a skinner. But I don't know why (please don't say it's because I'm dimb, I already know that)
I can't make a hole in it. I use titanium bits with a simple drill. I make it halfway through and then it just makes a nive polished crater. Then come the dumb part. I told myself "well, just push on the drill" and it broke :(

What have I done wrong?
 
get some good drillbits. Sounds like the ones you have are dull and possibly not for drilling metal.


Also, are you sure they are "titanium" drill bits? and not just those coated ones? I have never seen a titanium drillbit. (not to say that such a thing doesn't exist.)
 
Like was said above, the blade it already tempered(hardened, in simple terms) and will be tough to drill.

A masonry bit will work also. Use lots of lube.
 
Protect the blade in a can of water, heat and anneal the tang, drill with a cobalt bit. Try to leave it hard just below the area of the forward hole. A soft tang is desireable, but with a thin blade, it is good to have some hardness under the front portion of the grip area so that it does not bend easily.
 
If you're making it partway through and then it quits cutting, you're going too fast and the steel is hardening under the drill bit (I've done this...it sucks). Take a torch with as small a flame as you get get and heat the "divot" until you remove the temper (it will go through all colors and back to grey). THEN try to re-drill it, but use lube and turn the bit SLOWLY (300-600RPM if your drill press can do it). You may need to give it a little more downward pressure then usual, but it should work if you go slowly. Tha masonry bits are also a good suggestion, but go smaller than you need and finish the hole with a regular bit of the right size, masonry bits run large.

Hope that helps!

-d
 
Others have pretty much gotten it.
One thing that I may add if you don't wish to anneal the blade, is use small bits. If you have several sizes of bits, start with a very small one, and just keep working up until you get it to the size you like. Go slow and push hard!!
Having drilled hundereds of 3/8 holes into framework steel from all sorts of very akward positions and heights in a very short time frame, I have earned the knowledge: I never wish to do that again!
 
Modern cutting oils for drilling are coolants also. They do it by fast evaporation of one or more of the ingredients.
 
Many try to anneal a tang on a commercial knife and can't seem to make it soft.If it is an air hardening steel,like most stainless blades, it will just get harder if you heat it red and let it cool.The same thing happens when drilling - it gets red hot and then cools off and gets hardened. With cobalt of TiN coated bits the trick is to drill slow with lots of coolant. The best way is to use a carbide bit run dry and slow.Cheap bits won't do much at all.
Stacy
 
I wish this thread had been here before I ruined a couple carbide bits! I see now that I was trying to drill way too fast.
 
I also see that the guy at the hardware store was an idiot "Yep, it will be perfect for steel, even treated steel".

Thanks to all. I'll let you know if it works. I should put the result in the Gallery soon.
 
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