drilling spring steel

[dustrunner]

anyone have any tips on correctly drilling spring steel ?

[Ordo]

Carbide works well with lots of coolant. Go slow and keep an even amount of pressure on it while drilling. You drilling leaf springs?

[El Camexican]

The angle of the drill bit tip can also be minimized a bit as well (flatter). Look up drilling tips for stainless steel and you'll find some info that might help.

[Xowner]

How many holes do you have to drill? We use it on the latemodel car that I help a buddy with and we bought a punch to use to put holes in it. Way easyer then drilling.

[beets442]

+1 slow and lubed. I've drilled a smaller hole first on a drill press.

[dustrunner]

i got some angle L bed frame and been using it to build stuff... cheaper than buying the good stuff.... would torching a hole in it hurt anything and welding it ?

[fabiodriven]

i got some angle L bed frame and been using it to build stuff... cheaper than buying the good stuff.... would torching a hole in it hurt anything and welding it ?

That stuff is absolute garbage. It's really hard and it snaps. You can't even cut it with most Sawzall blades. Unless you're BCredneck, I wouldn't use it for anything.

[Dirtcrasher]

^ :lol: Yep, carbide and don't over heat it.

I am yet to figure out why I ever kept any bed frames; They are much to hard to drill.

[El Camexican]

What Flabio said X 1000! That stuff is made from old railway track (I'm not kidding, I buy some other items made of old rail track down here). It has a super high tensile strength and next to zero ductility, you can't do anything with it after it is hot formed. Best use whatever you have left for marking the rows in your garden and if you have used it for anything your life depends on, get rid of it ASAP!!!

PS. Don't ever try to punch a hole in it, it could cost you an eye, or worse.

[dustrunner]

ive been uing it for years with no problems... guess i'll hafta stress test some of the older builds ive done with it......

[El Camexican]

ive been uing it for years with no problems... guess i'll hafta stress test some of the older builds ive done with it......

That type of steel (if its what I think it is) makes great parking lot and driveway rebar (not columns or beams) as well as fence T- posts, but you are asking for trouble if you are using it in an application where flex, or work hardening is an issue. For what little more A36 steel costs I’d stay away from the unknown.

[Dirtcrasher]

Speedy Metals has anything you want in increments from 12"s and beyond.

They are very reasonable and ship quick.

[WIkid500]

That stuff is absolute garbage. It's really hard and it snaps. You can't even cut it with most Sawzall blades. Unless you're BCredneck, I wouldn't use it for anything.


Hahah, So true!

I use that trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro for target stands, works great for shooting at with the rifle. Not much good for anything else though.