A neat trick for drilling bars

[ericjeeper]

This cheap trick works for drilling hardened as well as Springed steel.
Drill a small pilot hole.. Then use a cheap masonry Carbide bit. Nothing fancy just the cheap looking bits with a chunk of carbide welded onto the end.
Once you have a small pilot hole the carbide bit will eat its way through using a drill press and some cutting oil. Good luck

 

[BobL]

This cheap trick works for drilling hardened as well as Springed steel.
Drill a small pilot hole.. Then use a cheap masonry Carbide bit. Nothing fancy just the cheap looking bits with a chunk of carbide welded onto the end.
Once you have a small pilot hole the carbide bit will eat its way through using a drill press and some cutting oil. Good luck

Yep agree, Carbide works fine.

But I have not had any trouble drilling holes in any bars with standard freshly sharpened HSS bit using a drill press with the right speed and lots of cooling lube and a decent hoik on the handle so the bit is always cutting. If the drill bit spins without cutting the steel just work hardens. Pilot hole first then increase bit size and drop speed. For half inch 120 rpm or slower. Only ever had a problem using a hand held power drill, they are too fast and you can't get enough pressure on them.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Here's the bits I use. I could have used cheaper masonry bits but I had these on hand. The tips were ground just a little to give them a better cutting edge and they work great.

I've tried HSS, cobalt, titanium and other bits but hadn't had much luck. The minimum speed on my drill press is 300 rpm so that could be the problem.

.

 

[woodshop]

Yep agree, Carbide works fine.

But I have not had any trouble drilling holes in any bars with standard freshly sharpened HSS bit using a drill press with the right speed and lots of cooling lube and a decent hoik on the handle so the bit is always cutting. If the drill bit spins without cutting the steel just work hardens. Pilot hole first then increase bit size and drop speed. For half inch 120 rpm or slower. Only ever had a problem using a hand held power drill, they are too fast and you can't get enough pressure on them.

Same here... I just use a good sharp HHS bit. Trick as Bob says is speed and feed rate. I slow down my mill/drill to 120rpm and keep a good steady pressure on the bit so it cuts instead of spins, squirting a little cutting oil on it once in a while. Works fine. The steel in the bar is not harder than a HHS bit, so if your technique is correct, you will have no problem.

 

[MotorSeven]

You guys are killing me....now i NEED a drill press......
RD

 

[BobL]

You guys are killing me....now i NEED a drill press......
RD

Consider the need established - now you have no excuses

 

[TNMIKE]

Hey Rick

After looking at your shop and what you are in to..What you NEED is a milling machine. Ive got both and I rarely use my drill press.

 

[woodshop]

After looking at your shop and what you are in to..What you NEED is a milling machine. Ive got both and I rarely use my drill press.

Same here... I use my metal mill/drill machine almost exclusively for woodworking, as it is basically a very powerful, very precise drill press with a large indexable table. I only occasionally use my standard drill press anymore. If you go cheap like I did (Grizzly) you can have one for about a grand. It has become one of my most used machines in my woodworking shop, and about a third of all my jigs are built to be used on it.

( I don't think indexable is a word, but it should be )

 

[BobL]

I don't think indexable is a word, but it should be

It's a word used in fields such as librarianship, computer programing and machine tools.

 

[woodshop]

It's a word used in fields such as librarianship, computer programing and machine tools.

...well thanks Bob, I shall continue to use it then, mostly when I'm in the library of course

 

[MotorSeven]

After looking at your shop and what you are in to..What you NEED is a milling machine. Ive got both and I rarely use my drill press.

Arggggg....{hands over ears/eyes}stopitstopitstopit!!!!!!

 

[820wards]

After looking at your shop and what you are in to..What you NEED is a milling machine. Ive got both and I rarely use my drill press.

Yea... A mill, now your talking! Oh, and a lathe too.


jerry-

 

[820wards]

...well thanks Bob, I shall continue to use it then, mostly when I'm in the library of course

BobL,
Is unubtaniam metala word?

jerry-

 

[buzz sawyer]

Yea... A mill, now your talking! Oh, and a lathe too.


jerry-

Yep, lathe and a milling machine and you can make your next saw from scratch.

 

[gunnarfan]

after seeing all this i'm glad i just started making friends with a guy expanding his machine shop.

 

[Dai Sensei]

.. Then use a cheap masonry Carbide bit

Now you tell me, I knew about slow speed and lube, but masonry bits - hmm. I just drilled 4 holes for my aux oiler and used my good steel drills, which of course are now blunt.

I'll make a mental note for next time though, thanks for the idea.

 

[user 19670]

Now you tell me, I knew about slow speed and lube, but masonry bits - hmm. I just drilled 4 holes for my aux oiler and used my good steel drills, which of course are now blunt.

I'll make a mental note for next time though, thanks for the idea.

At least you got 4 good holes drilled (you DID didn't you?).

At work we used to take a carbide drill bit and sharpen it because they usually are quite dull for use with masonry. This works well on hard steels but the limit is that carbide bits are available in only a few sizes (no tapping sizes). S L O W L Y does it or you can make enough heat to melt the silver solder and loose the carbides. Haven't done this myself but a rather impatient man on our crew was able to loose carbides TWICE for the same hole. He was a glutton for punishment.

I had to use this trick once in 34 years on the job only because I was using a little too much speed on the drill press and I let up on the pressure long enough to turn the metal as hard as glass. A machinist told me that some material from the drill bit gets deposited on the thing you are drilling due to the heat that has built up. Can't argue with that explanation as it shur nuff becomes incredibly hard.

I won't likely forget this tip anytime soon.

 

[TNMIKE]

If you take your time and look around a little

Its surprising what will surface. I bought my mill for 500 bucks..its an MSC mill and has a variable speed wheel like a bridgeport. Its been well worth the money.

I ran into a J Head Bridegport about a month ago for $900. I already had my mill or I would have jumped on it.

I also have an atlas 12x48 lathe with a complete set of tooling. I got it for $900. There are some deals out there.

Both of these tools have been worth every penny. I have made some nice stuff and repaired the stuff I already had. I would say they have already paid for themselves.

 

[olyman]

S L O W L Y does it or you can make enough heat to melt the silver solder and loose the carbides. Haven't done this myself but a rather impatient man on our crew was able to loose carbides TWICE for the same hole. He was a glutton for punishment.

sounds like he aint toooo swift,either. and you wonder why you have to work with people like that--------

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Here's what i use to drill holes like that... A guy traded it to me for takeing out some tree's and milling them into lumber for him... It works like new, and is a gear head DP. (no belts)

And as you can see, it's lowest speed is 120 rpm.

I also took this in trade for sawing out 6 tree's, and milling the logs into lumber...

Having a bandmill around, has allowed me to get some tools cheaply that i never would have have been able to get any other way...

Rob