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drill holes into leafs

I don't think it will work, I had a couple friends try it and they couldn't do it. Very hard steel! Your best bet would be to take them somewhere to have the holes punched in them, I doubt it will cost much.
 
I drilled holes through mine for the rivited on spring clamps. Out toward the ends without any trouble. Wouldn't think the center would be much different. These were some of the stock leaves.
 
jeepboy381 said:
I don't think it will work, I had a couple friends try it and they couldn't do it. Very hard steel! Your best bet would be to take them somewhere to have the holes punched in them, I doubt it will cost much.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeepboy, Mayby I have to try it with a dremel to grind it out.
Also I can shoot it out like John Wayn did.:explosion Bye

Thanks 2000XJ I get this weekend a piece of leafsteel to try it out. I will let you guys know.
 
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use a carbide tip and DO NOT STOP. The heat from drillling will cause the chrystalline structure to change once it cools (even by with a quick stop) and will be nearly impossible to finish the drilling process.
 
x2 on the cutting oil....keep it cool or it will gall and burn the bit
 
sjx40250 said:
use a carbide tip and DO NOT STOP. The heat from drillling will cause the chrystalline structure to change once it cools (even by with a quick stop) and will be nearly impossible to finish the drilling process.
Click to expand...
I herd about keeping in it once you start before, but now I no why.
 
As a machinist... my 2 cents:
Spring steel will not work harden so I don't see why stopping would be a problem. "Peck drilling" is a common practice as long as the material will not work harden.
However, if you plan to use a hand drill you will have a problem keeping the bit cutting as the drill moves around. If you let it stop cutting with too little pressure (so not cutting but rubbing) it will skim over the top and just make heat and you will need a new bit. This may seem just like the steel got harder but the drill is the problem.
My advice would be cut with as much down pressure as you can to keep a continues chip.
If you have a drill press it will go much smoother as it makes it easier to generate the required pressure and prevents the drill from moving/changing the cutting angle.
So in short you want to either cut or not cut. Having the drill in contact with the work and not making a chip is destroy the bit very fast. So don’t be timid or try to take it easy, go hard or stop.
 
Bronco said:
As a machinist... my 2 cents:
If you have a drill press it will go much smoother as it makes it easier to generate the required pressure and prevents the drill from moving/changing the cutting angle.
So in short you want to either cut or not cut. Having the drill in contact with the work and not making a chip will destroy the bit very fast. So don’t be timid or try to take it easy, go hard or stop.
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I am also a machinist..... Yeah, use a drill press not a a hand drill. the drill press will give you a mechanical advantage through the quill handle.

I dont know about spring steel, but what one of the posters mentioned earlier is called work hardening. As Bronco said, if you dwell in the hole while the drill bit is spinning, but not actually cutting, it will either dull the bit or work harden the material or both.....

Set the drill press to the slowest setting it has. By my calcs you should run about 300 RPM for a 3/8 inch diameter hole. Use plenty of cutting oil. If you can get it, Moly-dee works good but is smelly and messy. The best stuff in the world IMO is Tapmatic EDGE tapping gel... Works on anything.

You can get carbide tipped drills and they will drill through almost anything if used properly. Just make sure it is a carbide tipped machine drill, NOT a masonry bit.

That is a whole different animal. If you try to drill steel with a masonry bit it will take you all day, a half dozen drill bits, and you would be lucky to go a 1/4 inch into the steel.....

Also, and this is for EVERYONE, NEVER, NEVER, EVER, hold the material by hand on a drill press. EVER!! USE C-CLAMPS, KANT TWIST, BESSYS, or PIPE CLAMPS if you have to, but NEVER hold it by hand. EVER! Trying to hold material by hand while drilling through it on a drill press is universaly stupid....Just my $.02
 
Original_MudButt said:
I am also a machinist..... Yeah, use a drill press not a a hand drill. the drill press will give you a mechanical advantage through the quill handle.

I dont know about spring steel, but what one of the posters mentioned earlier is called work hardening. As Bronco said, if you dwell in the hole while the drill bit is spinning, but not actually cutting, it will either dull the bit or work harden the material or both.....

Set the drill press to the slowest setting it has. By my calcs you should run about 300 RPM for a 3/8 inch diameter hole. Use plenty of cutting oil. If you can get it, Moly-dee works good but is smelly and messy. The best stuff in the world IMO is Tapmatic EDGE tapping gel... Works on anything.

You can get carbide tipped drills and they will drill through almost anything if used properly. Just make sure it is a carbide tipped machine drill, NOT a masonry bit.

That is a whole different animal. If you try to drill steel with a masonry bit it will take you all day, a half dozen drill bits, and you would be lucky to go a 1/4 inch into the steel.....

Also, and this is for EVERYONE, NEVER, NEVER, EVER, hold the material by hand on a drill press. EVER!! USE C-CLAMPS, KANT TWIST, BESSYS, or PIPE CLAMPS if you have to, but NEVER hold it by hand. EVER! Trying to hold material by hand while drilling through it on a drill press is universaly stupid....Just my $.02
Click to expand...


I learned that fact at an early age... About lost a finger...
 
Funny as I drilled mine using a masonry bit? This was to put spring pads in the ends. Dont think I would like to risk weakening the leaf with two sets of holes for a center pin though?
 
I have drilled a lot od scheduil 40 staineless pipe whil i was working for an industrial plant the best way to go about it is like branco and orignal_mudbutt sead use a drill press and get a cutting oil and dump it on like there is no tomarow keep the bit cool and it will stay sharp. I drilled over 300 one inch diamater holes using the same bit on stainless pipe before it needed sharpned. Also pick a preshure and stay with it dont lightne up or pull/push harder, I have destroyed drill bits worth more than a weeks pay because I switched it up mid way through a hole.
 
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