Tougher Drills???

[firbikrhd1]

the question for people drilling through files is, are those files still usable as files before they drill em? :P
they could of easily have been annealed files.

That is a possibility although they didn't appear any different from files most of use in our shops daily. The demo I saw took place around 20 years ago. I wish I had paid more attention and actually tied to use a file before they drilled it.

[saltmine]

I think it has a lot to do with technique, also. I've always run my drills a lot slower than most guys, and have had excellent luck with them. A few years back, we were installing overload springs on an F-350, and the booster springs refused to stay in place. A friend of mine, who likes to collect antique tools suggested we drill a hole in the spring and thru-bolt it. Good idea, except that the spring is only a huge piece of spring steel, a half of an inch thick. I had visions of drilling on it until way past my retirement day. He told me to bring the springs over to his house, with the appropriate drill bit and we'd get them done in no time at all.. skeptical, I did just that, stopping by the hardware store to pick up a Cobalt drill bit, just in case. What greeted me was a bit of a shock, and my skepticism grew as he clamped one of the springs into the drill and chucked up the bit in what looked like an R-8 holder. It was hanging on the wall of his garage, a hand-cranked, automatic feed, antique drill. We slathered some lard on the bit, and the area of the spring where the hole was supposed to go, and he proceeded to turn the two-foot-long crank. The bit advanced slowly as it rotated, and watching, I figured it wouldn't be long before the crank stalled...or something broke. Much to my surprise, the drill marched through the half-inch spring like it was peanut butter. Astounded, I did the other spring and was amazed that the effort was only slightly more than hand cranking the table on a Bridgeport. When done, the drill bit looked like new, and the springs went back on the truck with their overloads to serve many years afterward. I don't think that bit turned more than 50 rpm's the whole time.

[sasquatch]

Re: Saltmines post, is that called a cole drill, darn can't remember the name of them, but G A EWEN who used to post here had one.

[J. Randall]

Re: Saltmines post, is that called a cole drill, darn can't remember the name of them, but G A EWEN who used to post here had one.

It probably was not a Cole if it was mounted to the wall, they are a portable setup. I imagine it was just an antique drill press that worked about like the Cole.
James

[sasquatch]

Geo, had pictured a post or two about it here when he bought it and tried it out, pretty sure it was a cole drill. Seems he had it clamped to his bench or in a vise?