File Knife Making Help

[twyforge]

Hi all,

I have just started making a file knife but seem to be running into some difficulties. The file is very easy to cut with a thin abrasive cut-off disc in the angle grinder, but I can't for the life of me drill holes in the tang for handle pins. I have even invested in a number of specialist Cobalt Pro drill bits (http://bit.ly/1hmZDeQ) which aren't cheap, and even using the pillar drill at it's lowest speed with the associated cutting lubricant, I am still unable to drill into the file.

If anyone has any way at all that I would be able to anneal the tang of the the blade without ruining the temper on the cutting end of the knife, I would be very keen to hear it.

Cheers,
Thomas

 

[Gooner]

I am no expert but I think you will find that you have to anneal the file to cherry red, let it cool and you will be able to drill it when you have finished working on the blank you can then temper it to the required hardness

 

[Macaroon]

If you have access to a powerful torch you can "spot anneal" it, and drill it while still red; this has worked for me a number of times. I go to a one-man-band steel fabricator and his torch heats the very local spot to be drilled in a matter of seconds, straight to the drill, then quench. A small smithy may have a torch that'll do it..................hope this helps

 

[Stew]

Heat the tang while the blade is stuck in a potato.....

 

[ged]

I think you should be reading this thread:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122114

 

[twyforge]

Thanks all, I am probably going to have to rebuild my forge and anneal the whole of the file, but thanks a lot anyway.

Cheers,
Thomas