Drilling a pritchel hole in a old anvil
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Subject Author Date
Drilling a pritchel hole in a old anvil Curt Welch 09-28-2009
Posted by Curt Welch on September 28, 2009, 3:29 pm
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Anyone ever try to drill a pritchel hole in an old anvil which doesn't have
one?

I'm looking for options for doing that. I've got an old 1820's Mouse Hole
Forge anvil without a pritchel hole which I'm currently working on refacing
using hardfacing MIG wire. I've stopped before putting on the final layers
of the hardest (HRC 55? range) layers because I've decided I really don't
want to live without a pritchel hole if I don't have to and it will be
easier to hardface around a whole than to try and drill though the
hardfacing later.

The current top layer of the anvil is BB-G hardfacing wire which is around
HRC 45 in range. My standard drill bits aren't cutting it. But I've not
even got down to the original steel plate in the anvil which I think might
be harder.

Annealing the steel and then trying to heat treat it later doesn't really
seem like much of an option here - and I have no clue what that would do to
the hard facing layers I've already put down on the anvil. So if I'm going
to do this, I think drilling or grinding though it is the only workable
option.

I've talked to a couple of machine shops. The first didn't even want to try
it, and the second would be happy to try, but could not make any grantees
and would charge $85 an hour plus the cost of any tooling he broke while
trying.

I just ordered a 1/2" carbide bit from enco to experiment with ($45 with
shipping). That's really about the limit of how much money I want to waste
on this. Really just wondering if anyone here had every tried such a thing
and had any advice about it.

--
Curt Welch http://AyrHillForge.Com/
curt@kcwc.com http://NewsReader.Com/

Posted by Ignoramus5928 on September 28, 2009, 5:29 pm
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Curt, a carbide drill wil not care much about metal hardness. However,
it will require a rigid machine. You are on the right track buying the
carbide drill, though much cheaper alternatives are available on ebay,
esp. carbide tipped drills. I would say on ebay a good 1/2" drill can
be had for about $15, including shipping. I have a few of such
drills. They are invaluable when drilling tough stuff like bearing
balls, which I had to do recently.

Just keep them cool enough.

i

Posted by RAM³ on September 28, 2009, 9:20 pm
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> Curt, a carbide drill wil not care much about metal hardness. However,
> it will require a rigid machine. You are on the right track buying the
> carbide drill, though much cheaper alternatives are available on ebay,
> esp. carbide tipped drills. I would say on ebay a good 1/2" drill can
> be had for about $15, including shipping. I have a few of such
> drills. They are invaluable when drilling tough stuff like bearing
> balls, which I had to do recently.
>
> Just keep them cool enough.
>
> i
>
I'll second that, Iggy - I've often used masonry-type caarbide-tipped bits
on hardened/tempered steel (usually store-bought knife blades) with good
results.

While not the most accurately sized, they'll do for pilot holes and other
non-dimensionally-critical purposes.



Posted by Ignoramus5928 on September 28, 2009, 10:49 pm
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>> Curt, a carbide drill wil not care much about metal hardness. However,
>> it will require a rigid machine. You are on the right track buying the
>> carbide drill, though much cheaper alternatives are available on ebay,
>> esp. carbide tipped drills. I would say on ebay a good 1/2" drill can
>> be had for about $15, including shipping. I have a few of such
>> drills. They are invaluable when drilling tough stuff like bearing
>> balls, which I had to do recently.
>>
>> Just keep them cool enough.
>>
>> i
>>
> I'll second that, Iggy - I've often used masonry-type caarbide-tipped bits
> on hardened/tempered steel (usually store-bought knife blades) with good
> results.
>
> While not the most accurately sized, they'll do for pilot holes and other
> non-dimensionally-critical purposes.

There are carbide tipped drills for metal, I was referring to those
kinds, not masonry drills.

Example is here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-New-Butterfield-Carbide-Tipped-31-32-Drill-Bit-3-MT_W0QQitemZ120473563547QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0cc8b19b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

ebay has plenty of those if you look deep

i

Posted by RAM³ on September 29, 2009, 5:08 pm
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>>> Curt, a carbide drill wil not care much about metal hardness. However,
>>> it will require a rigid machine. You are on the right track buying the
>>> carbide drill, though much cheaper alternatives are available on ebay,
>>> esp. carbide tipped drills. I would say on ebay a good 1/2" drill can
>>> be had for about $15, including shipping. I have a few of such
>>> drills. They are invaluable when drilling tough stuff like bearing
>>> balls, which I had to do recently.
>>>
>>> Just keep them cool enough.
>>>
>>> i
>>>
>> I'll second that, Iggy - I've often used masonry-type caarbide-tipped
>> bits
>> on hardened/tempered steel (usually store-bought knife blades) with good
>> results.
>>
>> While not the most accurately sized, they'll do for pilot holes and other
>> non-dimensionally-critical purposes.
>
> There are carbide tipped drills for metal, I was referring to those
> kinds, not masonry drills.
>
> Example is here.
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-New-Butterfield-Carbide-Tipped-31-32-Drill-Bit-3-MT_W0QQitemZ120473563547QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0cc8b19b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
>
> ebay has plenty of those if you look deep
>
> i
>

<chuckle>

Iggy, in this area we've learned to "make do" a very, very long time ago.

The masonry drills are:
1. cheap
2. available at 24-hour Wal*Marts
3. Cheap
4. available at lumber yards
5. CHEAP

Did I mention "cheap"? <grin>



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