File Knife Making Help

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twyforge

Tenderfoot
Feb 23, 2013
90
0
23
Winchester
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

Forager
Feb 27, 2014
170
1
Kent
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

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
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 :)
 

twyforge

Tenderfoot
Feb 23, 2013
90
0
23
Winchester
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
 

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