Confused amatuer knife maker needs help.

[Ben Trout]

Hello.

I bought a Damascus knife blank last year and finally started work on it this evening. It's a full tang knife I got from a stall at the Ludlow Castle christmas market. The blade is ground but not sharpend. I decided on pins and wood, so started drilling the tang. Having tried bits from three different sets and sharpened bits a couple of times I've still failed to make much of an impression. One of the drills is a Cobalt coated HSS item. I would assume that the blade has been heat treated already, but a decent file and an 'old hacksaw blade' scribe have both scratched the blade, as a test.

So whats going on?

Are all of my drill bits duff?

Is the blade hardened?

What drill bits should I use if it is?

Any help and answers would be good. Thanks.

 

[g4ghb]

the tank is probablt hardened so you will need some good bits to cut (and patience)

does it have any holes at all or are they just the wrong size?

- you could always bring it round and we'll fight it together if you want

 

[Zammo]

If your using a cordless drill this could be your problem? As they tend to be very weak.

 

[Ben Trout]

Sadly no holes at all at the moment. Might have to take you up on the offer especially if you have some flashy drill bits.

I'm using a pillar drill. The drill is fine, just the unfortunate drill bit between it and the knife that's suffering!

Hmm, might have to invest in some shiney diamond tipped/warp speed 10/dragons teeth drill bits.

 

[C_Claycomb]

This question gets asked repeatedly on various forums. While a blade at 58Rc hardness can be scratched by slightly harder steel in a file or saw blade, it will take a solid tungsten carbide drill to make a hole, and most likely a pillar drill. Certainly a cordless won't work.

You can get solid tungsten carbide drills from Cromwell Tools (online). Tungsten tends to be brittle, so drilling straight and true is important, hence the recommendation of a pillar drill rather than doing it with a hand held drill.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=451175
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357232
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=461884
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472642
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431568

There are loads more similar on there, there has been at least one on here, and there are sure to have been some on British Blades...YOU ARE NOT ALONE

They also mention heating the tang to soften it before trying to drill, but that requires a torch with a tight flame and a good way to keep the blade cool. If you don't have a suitable torch it could be more expensive than a carbide drill bit.

I had a damascus blade like that and went for the carbide option in a drill press, and it worked, but I broke one of the drills 'cause I didn't use a sacrificial backing plate, the drill broke through into air, snagged, and snapped:11doh:

 

[Ben Trout]

Thanks for the advice.

I have a little oxy-propane torch so that's an option. Been in engineering all my working life (and a bit before) and somehow the use of a backing plate has passed me by, I shall remember that one, thanks again. I'm having a little look at carbide drill bits now and I think I'ld rather not snap one...

 

[Dougster]

I read somewhere that a masonary bit is a good option, as it has a wide flat head and the heat generated tempers the metal as it goes - but with a heat sink before the blade.

I may be wrong, better wait until someone who knows comments on this.

Richard

 

[pothunter]

Dougster
Masonry drill bits are designed for percussive drilling, if you look at the geometry the TC insert is little more than a chisel, having said that I’ve seen stranger things work.

Ben
I will be interested to know what results you get from drilling Damascus with a TC drill bit and to know what geometry the drill bit has. I’m guessing that the swarfe will be fine and broken and that you will get best results at low speeds using plenty of coolant.
A backplate is a good idea but ensure that it is secure.
I’ve had good results filling this type of material using Oregon 6” chainsaw files they bite really well. If you resort to heat ensure that there is a good heat sink between the blade and the handle ie. a vise.

Good luck and be sure to let us know how you get on, Pothunter.

 

[Zammo]

Yes i'm interested to know how you get on too. I will need to drill the holes of the new balde I will be getting shortly to allow for bigger pins. I did try and drill my previous knife with a cordless drill and failed miserably, I was hoping my new pillar drill would be able to do it. But judging from what the OP has written seems like I will need to buy a carbide drill bit to have any chance of success.

More £ to spend.

 

[weaver]

Not knowing any better, I drilled three holes through hardened carbon steel file material with carbide masonry bits. Yes, bits! They wore out, they broke and they melted but they worked. Did I say I was persistent? If I remember correctly it took 5 bits to drill the three holes. But at $1.95 each I thought it wasn't that bad. Later I bought one of the carbide machinist bits for something like $8, it didn't last much longer than the masonry bits.

Annealing the metal really is the best way to go, then you can drill it with a common bit. Lock it in a big metal vise for heat sink and heat only the spot you want to drill, let it cool slowly and easily drill the hole. Or better yet buy annealed material and have it professionally heat treated when you are through grinding.

 

[dwardo]

I read somewhere that a masonary bit is a good option, as it has a wide flat head and the heat generated tempers the metal as it goes - but with a heat sink before the blade.

I may be wrong, better wait until someone who knows comments on this.

Richard

I had to recently widen the pin holes in a full tang blade and after lots of drill bits and swearing a friend suggested a masonary bit and afer some scepticism i tried it and it worked a helllll of a lot better than the 4 types of steel/metal drill bits of varying tips and makes.

Go for the masonary bit

 

[Ben Trout]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm now the proud owner of a shiny set of Tungsten Carbide drill bits, so anyone in the west Wiltshire sort of area who doesn't want the invest in a set themselves is welcome to use them.

Project is properly in progress now, having fun at the moment but sheath making looms!

Cheers.

 

[Porcupine]

just make sure we see the pictures when youre done