Drilling a saw's plate?

[steven c newman]

About ready to re-handle a saw. :D Need to drill new holes to match the tote.265651 Bolts are cleaned up, all are steel, too.

What speed to use? Type of point on the end of the bit? Drill bit size? Oil, or water to cool the job?

[David Weaver]

carbide masonry bits, drilled with the handle on the saw and the screws slipped in one by one as you drill the holes so that the fit is good and tight (else the holes might not line up).

hss bits will also work, but they won't last that long. You're going to be heating the steel more or less to ruin its temper where you're drilling and that will allow the bit through, at least that's my experience regarding what happens.

if the handle doesn't want to stay in place while you drill, use a spray adhesive or hairspray or something to keep it still long enough to get the first hole or two drilled.

[Ron Bontz]

Hi Steve. If that is the only saw you are going to drill then a cobalt bit may work with cutting fluid. I use solid carbide, 2 flute , 140*. 118* is more like a regular drill bit but it will also grab the plate quicker. The hole should be the same size as the bolt passing through it plus a couple of thousandths. Drill bits can vary a bit so you will want to test fit one. If you use a drill press you can use a drill press clamp with a piece of leather or wood in between to avoid damaging the handle while still compressing the plate in between to help hold in place. And if poss. place a bolt in the holes as you go along. Lastly, if you drill the holes all the way through the plate while it is in the handle you will create a burr on the exit side of the hole.It helps to hold the plate, but also can damage the handle if you pull the plate out of the handle afterwards. Best of luck.

[george wilson]

I just used masonry bits w/handle in place as David suggested. Run the drill fast.

[Federico Mena Quintero]

Perfect timing! The saw screws I have are larger than the holes in a saw that is missing a screw. I'll try this for sure.

[steven c newman]

Ok, here goes. Ihad a good Ti bit of the right size, and gave it a fresh edge. Chucked it up into my H-F drill press, and set it on the slowest speed it would do. Can of 3in1 oil at the ready. Fingerclamp by Visegrip to hold the saw in place. Lined up the hole. Filled the hole with the oil. Started the DP up. Pressed down HARD to drill. Saw some white smoke come out of the hole, and eased off a bit. First hole done. Installed a bolt in the hole. Repeat as above. Four holes drilled.

Installed a wire brush in the DP, and stripped the finish off, wasn't much left anyway. 265658265659265660265661Just a $0.25 saw. Handle came from another 25 cent saw. BLO for a finish. Will need some sharpening. It started out like265662 So, maybe it is an "improved" version??

[Chris Fournier]

A carbide masonary bit lacks the appropriate geometry to cut steel. This would be futile to say the least. A humble HSS bit at the right speed would do the job easily. Woodworkers who monkey with metal need to spend time researching metal working! Unfortunately, it is an entirely new realm that requires diligence and comittment! Metal is not nearly as forgiving as wood, get it wrong and it is ruined or requires a lot of back pedalling.

[David Weaver]

It's not ideal geometry but it works because it can tolerate heating the spring steel and making it a lot weaker.

I've used HSS bits, too, but they don't hold up as well, and after a couple of cuts they end up working more like a punch through the metal.

There's not a lot of risk in a saw plate, though, it either goes through or it doesn't, and if it gets lipped on the offcut side, it just keeps the handle on via the lip. Any smoke or burning is a very small area on the inner part of the wood.

Most people using only a drill press and not wanting to use cutting fluid (as in, if you have a saw handle and have no means for really accurate drilling) will be best served with the burn method with the handle on putting the saw nuts in loosely at least as you go. It'll ensure that the handle ends up fitting without holes getting out of place.

[Ron Bontz]

Hmmm. You know, I am pretty sure there is a skinless cat running around here some where.:D

[Dave Beauchesne]

Just a thought - a Whitney punch should work, as long as there is a prick punch mark where each hole should be.

I have used them several times on stainless, but never on saw plate.

Just another option ( possibly )

[Paul Saffold]

You don't want to do this if you ever want to get the handle off. This was drilled after heating the saw plate with a butane torch to anneal a small spot and drilled with a bit to match the saw nuts. 265683

The next plate I drilled with progressively bigger bits and it worked better.

[Cody Cantrell]

+1 on the Whitney punch leaves a nice clean hole. Easy to line up also

[Winton Applegate]

The elderly lady at the machine tool supply, when she was about to teach me some thing life changing about using my metal cutting tools used to say "Listen To Mother".
1. Prick punch EXACTLY where you want to drill.
2. Wider punch to set up the mark for the bit.
3. Back up the cut with a piece of thick , flat, aluminum, hard wood in a pinch.
4. Use a very small bit, doesn't matter what size say 1/16 COBALT ! This one can be a twisted flute bit.
5. For the final larger size hole use a sheet metal bit with straight flutes so it doesn't screw its self into the plate, not a twist bit, for sheet metal to final size COBALT !
ly this. These bits even debur the hole for you by lightly using the next larger size "step".
http://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Tools-10234CB-16-Inch-12-Step/dp/B00126J1PG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372822447&sr=8-2&keywords=cobalt+unibit

Use a drill press with a depth stop. Practice so you find the right "step" in the unibit. IT IS VERY EASY TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP AND DRILL THE HOLE TOO LARGE unless you set a stop or other wise make a fail safe.
Viola !
Holes where you want them. Don't have to woller out the holes in your handle attempting to guide a larger bit with wood. What ?

If you gonna anneal the steel do it before drilling ; not with the bit. Chances are it is ALREADY annealed in this area for the first drilling operation
Wrap the blade in wet rags and then apply the torch or put on a hot but not red electric stove element until it turns colors.

As far as speed the slower the better just takes longer. Heat is the enemy of an edge. Use cutting oil that has been formulated for steel not motor oil big difference.

OK that was vague. How about 1000 rpm for 1/16 bit may take quite a while. For mild steel this size bit I would go 3000 rpm
For the unibit much slower; 500 for the small end and if it smokes much even slower for larger steps.
Industry gets by with using much, much higher speeds because they deluge the bit with cutting fluid like it is coming out of a faucet; which it is.