drilling a hole in a gun leaf spring
I'm replacing a leaf spring in an old shotgun that parts are no longer available. I've got a mainspring from a Colt blackpowder revolver that is almost perfect in size and shape, but I've got to relocate the mounting hole in the spring. I know none of the drill bits I own will touch this spring steel. How can I get a new hole in it?
0
-
Cobalt drill 0 -
It was difficult but I used a very tiny grinding wheel on a Dremel. To ensure I didn't kill the temper, I used very slow rotation while it was underwater in a shotglass.
Obviously water and electricty don't mix well at home, but it worked for me. You might just want to grind and cool every 15 seconds or so.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Geri
Cobalt drill
+10 -
Carbide cutter in dremel tool. 0 -
THEY MAKE CARBIDE DRILLS (BROWNELLS) 0 -
Cobalt bit is probably best for drilling steel, but tungsten carbide bits can work too. You should be able to find both off the rack at any big hardware store.
Make sure you get one with a tip designed for drilling metal.
Also, as mentioned, you'll want to run this slow and/or liquid cool so you don't ruin the leaf spring temper.0 -
Is the new hole you intend to drill going to be above or below the original hole?
Any hole located between the mounting screw and the load placed on the spring is going to be a weak spot where the spring will eventually break.0 -
I think you should be able to drill the hole with a quality high speed steel drill at slow speed with kerosene or oil cutting fluid.Use about 20 lbs pressure on a drill press. Break through slowly.
If you can file the spring, you can drill it.
Polish the area so you can see any change in tempering colors. It should
not go beyond dark yellow.0 -
A good whack with a center punch before starting will be your friend too [:D] 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
9 comments