Did I harden my bolsters???

Jason Wernli

Jason Wernli

Well-Known Member
Hey Guys, here is a new one to me. Last night I finished shaping 416SS bolsters for a new full tang hunter I am working on. I marked the pin locations and TRIED to drill them...no luck. Apparently I hardened them while cutting them out of the barstock.
I do not have a bandsaw (yet). I cut them with a cutoff wheel on a 4-1/2" angle grinder.
Has anyone else experienced this before?

Thanks,
- J
 
Personally, I don't think that you hardened them. You would have had to have gotten the steel above a cherry red which would have definitely caused a problem. Maybe a problem with carbides clumping, but I'm not sure. The best solution is probably carbide bits.

Doug
 
Thanks Doug,
These are the last two pieces from a bar I have used before. None of the pieces had this issue. I tried to drill two different pieces with two different brand new bits.
I grabbed a new piece of 416 and it drilled fine.
- J
 
Carbide bits will drill it, but they have their own issues, in my opinion. First, they're expensive! Second, they're fragile! Third, you can't sharpen them on just anything, need a green wheel really. And, lastly, they're not really the best with a squirt of oil like regular bits, I think they're meant to be used with flood coolant. If you get some, buy two, you'll probably break one. I've had kind of a love hate relationship with carbide drill bits, maybe I'm doing it wrong.
 
I've had carbide bits on hand for many years. When the occasion comes where there is a need I use them. A little more slowness to the down pressure and they work fine. I do also sharpen mine on a stripped diamond wheel. They have saved me repeating mega jobs.
Frank
 
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