working hardend steel

[jkid_39]

If anyone has hardened steel/spring steel shafts that they need to modify and are having a really hard time I have just learnt a few usefull hints for drilling holes to either relocate or attach a flopper or for a line hole.
Firstly regular high speed steel drill bits wont touch it, even cobalt bits are near impossable to get a bite with. A carbide drill bit will work but chances are it will snap 1\2 to 3\4 of the way in because it is so brittle.
However just for the hell of trying it I found a glass\tile bit worked extremely well,it is the ones that look like a spade you will have trouble without a drill press. Use a slow drill vice it and apply a lot of pressure. If you mess up and have to drill holes that are too big to pin the flopper fill it with jb weld and re drill the corect size hole with a regular bit. it is also a bit softer on line if you are unable to round off the sharp edges of the metal with a file it will keep mono from fraying

any wishbone groves and trigger notches will cut easily with a cut off blade on an angle grinder.


hope this saves someone some time, took me far too long to figure this out.

[ReefTroll]

Old thread revival I know, sorry!

Firstly use a punch to make a guide "dent."
Next, try and get hold of some cutting compound. Drill on a slower speed with some compound and, like I just did this morning with a stainless rod, a normal drill bit will work just fine.....

[Mongrel454]

Nice tips