HELP ... the MOD from hell ...... a LM pocket clip mod ..... saga continues

[eodtech]

Well today I completed my Swiss Spirit pocket clip mod, all went according to plans with ONE exception.



What a bear of a time drilling the s/s L/M pocket clip... it's very hard s/s.

It took me close to 2 hours to drill the one  5/64" hole - I would drill, sharpen the bit, change to another bit, resharpen, seems like it went on for ever - when it actually did.

Questions:

1. Does any one have a punch for stamping out the one hole that I could pay to do one hole in a LM pocket clip for my SOG mod?

2. Would a local machine shop have such a punch , and be willing to do it for one hole, or is there some other type of fabricator that I need to contact?

3. What type of a drill bit do I need to use against this s/s to do this in a short period of time if I have to do it myself?

4. Any other suggestions

TIA

[J-sews]

The one simply solution to all your troubles Andrew is CARBIDE. Yep, that's right, just a simple carbide drill. They used to be extremely rare and valuable, now they are common as can be. I feel bad.....I should have suggested this from the start for drilling through the LM pocket clip.

The problem you ran into is an issue called "work hardening." When the steel drill bit you were using heated up, it caused the spring steel in the pocket clip to become very hard at the point of contact. The harder it got, the duller the drill became, which caused more heat, which made the spring steel get harder, etc. It was a viscous circle that happened in a few seconds after you started trying to drill.

Running your regular drill bit at extremely slow rpm's and using a cutting oil helps, but the best solution is simply to use carbide. It will cut through the clip steel like nothing and leave very little burr sticking out the back side.


(sorry again I didn't think to mention this sooner)

Bob

[WhichDawg]

I went to a seminar at Blade West about "everything you wanted to know about the mill" and stuff
and they were talking about that. They said when a high speed bit gets that hot it usually ruins it's
temper and you have to sharpen it more and more because it becomes soft.

Bob is right, carbide works best but remember it is brittle and can break easy if you don't go in straight
or move it too much (by hand and not in a press) so be careful. Also they said start with a smaller size
and work your way up (test fitting often) for the best fit.

[J-sews]

I went to a seminar at Blade West about "everything you wanted to know about the mill" and stuff
and they were talking about that. They said when a high speed bit gets that hot it usually ruins it's
temper and you have to sharpen it more and more because it becomes soft.

Bob is right, carbide works best but remember it is brittle and can break easy if you don't go in straight
or move it too much (by hand and not in a press) so be careful. Also they said start with a smaller size
and work your way up (test fitting often) for the best fit.

Thanks WD, that is an excellent point about carbide. It is not something you want to try using in a hand drill, where steadiness is a problem. Only use carbide in a drill press with the object being drilled clamped securely.


And be sure to wear safety goggles or glasses of some sort. 

[prime77]

It took me close to 2 hours to drill the one  5/64" hole - I would drill, sharpen the bit, change to another bit, resharpen, seems like it went on for ever - when it actually did.

That is exactly the same problem I had when I did this MOD on my Spirit. What a pain in the butt was to drill that hole. And I remember reading on Bladeforums that someone didn't drill the hole in the perfect spot so the lip on the clip didn't keep the clip from wobbling very good so I was worried about getting it in the right spot and trying to just get through the clip. It was worth it though.

[SteveRacer]

Those type of holes can be made with HSS drill bits, but the bit has to be resharpened to a special configuration for thin metal.  The web you were pushing was probably too big, and if you were using a hand drill you probably didn't have the feed and speed correct.  135 degree split-point colbalt, screw machine length, the right heavy oil lube plus a lot of air cooling at 2500 rpm with moderate pressure.  You also should drill into a backing to try and minimize the break-through grab.

Carbide in a hand drill borders on insane.   Ask me how I know ...   

I own a prototype machine shop with big scary tools controlled by evil computers ...  so the next time somebody wants to avoid such challenges I can bang out a clip or two if you send me the clip (or whatever), specific instructions, and a postage-paid return envelope.

I've been lurking a while and I'm brandy-new as a poster ...  but I like your community and would love to participate in a tangible positive way.  I'm going to be asking for favors soon...   

best-

-steve

[AndyTiedye]

A newbie with a machine shop!  You rock!

[Freudian Frog]

OH MY GOD. I love this man. Please have my Victorinox Swisstool Spiritbabies.

[SteveRacer]

OH MY GOD. I love this man. Please have my Victorinox Swisstool Spiritbabies.

Please submit pics [of your tool(s)] and a neutral public location where we can meet.

-steve

[J-sews]

OH MY GOD. I love this man. Please have my Victorinox Swisstool Spiritbabies.

Please submit pics [of your tool(s)] and a neutral public location where we can meet.

-steve

No need to post pictures of your meet-up gentlemen.

[Smitty44]

Nice MOD eodteck,and welcome to the forums Steve.