dqdave1
Veteran Member
Can you burn holes through spring steel without problems?
Anyone ever built ..
- Thread starter amashinga
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Eagleview
Veteran Member
Very rough cut , lots of slag and destroys the temper .
Iplayfarmer
Super Member
Oh, Good observation. Point taken.
Interesting you mention that. I had an old homemade trailer I bought off a guy a few years ago, and drilling holes in the frame to put new decking on was a struggle. About every third hole would go right through, but with all the others I'd get partway through and the bit would just stop cutting. I could go to a new hole and it would cut, but I couldn't get anything out of the partial holes. I wonder if I was experiencing that "work hardening" you mentioned. I eventually did have to resorted to expert help in the form of a fabricator that lives up the road a ways from me.
Eagleview
Veteran Member
Many things can cause "work hardening" including using a dull drill bit or relaxing your push even a little as the bit is cutting . Instead of a nice spiral of swarf coming out of the hole and ejecting the hot metal , the drill may spin on the spot for a few seconds , heat the metal and it's all over . Sometimes you can get around this by turning the piece over and drill from the other side . Or using a die grinder and a tungsten bit , grind off the hard surface and resume drilling once it's gone . Another thing that is happening lately is a lot of recycled steel is being used . It is a conglomerate of every type of steel that was in the scrap yards . Hardened steels , bearings , diff gears etc. all end up in the pot and it is not uncommon to find a hard spot in a piece of mild steel where it has'nt mixed 100% .
CCWKen
Veteran Member
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A carbide bit will drill right through a spring. I've used concrete bits and touched them to a green wheel to sharpen the cutting edges. Use a drill press. Ease off the pressure as it breaks though the other side. Use a coolant of your choice. If you canter the bit with a hand drill, it WILL break the carbide insert. 
But, the concrete bits are cheap.
If you have an A/O set up, you can spot heat where you need the hole(s). Heat to yellow and let it cool. Drill with a standard bit with coolant. You don't need "spring" where the hole is anyway.
But, the concrete bits are cheap.If you have an A/O set up, you can spot heat where you need the hole(s). Heat to yellow and let it cool. Drill with a standard bit with coolant. You don't need "spring" where the hole is anyway.
unless you have a long backbone holder, you do need the spinginess very near the hole, or it will just bend.
Egon
Epic Contributor
The springs should work nicely in my opinion. I use several as bolt on forks for the bucket on my little tractor.
Drilling the holes can be an aggravating procedure requiring the constant sharpening of the bit. Using a torch and reamer will be much quicker. Even better is if you could find enough springs that are all the same and have a center hole already in them.
Drilling the holes can be an aggravating procedure requiring the constant sharpening of the bit. Using a torch and reamer will be much quicker. Even better is if you could find enough springs that are all the same and have a center hole already in them.
Eagleview
Veteran Member
I do'nt want to be a wet blanket but i was thinking about the concept today and i think that the leaf springs will store a lot of energy when snagged . That stored energy when released could propel a stone at high velocity straight at you . Or even snap the tyne off and throw itself at you . The ones i have seen have a different curve on the tyne which would have interferance with the ground as it returns , disapating the energy .
kcprecision
Bronze Member
Iron Horse you are right, they will throw gravel at you but not as bad as you might expect. But it only takes one.