This may be a dumb question?

[Jim-Iowa]

I'm making a new sideplate and want to recess the flathead lock bolt into 1/8" hotrolled steel.
Need a flatbottomed hole. I have some brad point drills that I have only used for wood aplications.
Would they be too soft to drill steel? Guess I could try it, worst case would b to ruin a bit and blank?
If you think so what wooud you use to recess a flat bolt head in steel?

 

[Roy]

I have made cutters from mild steel and case hardened them, works fine in brass.

 

[Roy]

the small one was made from tool steel and silver soldered to the shaft.

 

[rabjr]

I'm going to be making a side plate out of Ivory soon and didn't even think of the recesses for the bolts. :hmm: Can't get it hot though.

 

[Roy]

need to take it slow...

 

[rabjr]

Yes! Remember that when your doing them for me. :rotf: :grin:

 

[Roy]

:haha:

Hey Jim just tried one out in steel and it worked o.k. I need to resharpen it now :haha: but it did work :thumbsup:

 

Hey Roy! What's yer NDN name? Red Hand? :rotf:

I caught ya red handed there didn't I? :haha:

 

[paulvallandigham]

You don't want to use brad point bits on brass or steel, no matter how soft. They are for wood, only!

There are special drills, but most people use an end reamer to flatten a countersink hole in steel. Take a look at the Harbor Freight Website and see what they have. Otherwise, contact Brownells, and see what they can provide you.

Most builders use flat head screws and do not recess the screw holds to reduce the width of the lock and bolts. If you use a thick enough piece of BRASS for your sideplate, you can use a countersink and a tapered wood screw head to mount the bolts flush with the top of the sideplate. Most sideplates come from 1/16" thick brass. But I have seen 1/8" brass plates also used. It all depends on the size of the sideplate, and amount of weight you want to add to the gun. The heavier sideplates look better on muskets, and smoothbore military styled guns. You will also see them, occasionally, on trade guns.

The main purpose of the side plate is to provide a washer to protect the wood of the stock from being crushed, or split when you tighten the screw down. Metal work, engraving, and other purposes were found to make more use of the sideplates, later. The serpentine sideplates commonly found on Trade guns was an attempt to add some " magic " to the guns to make them more marketable to Indians.

 

[bigdatab]

You could use a center cutting endmill in a drill press,run it at a high speed cause it's small in diameter. Make sure you have the plate held very securely. Go down slow it will work and their cheap $3 for imported version. Get one just a tad larger than screw head dia.

 

[John Taylor]

It don't cost that much for the proper tool look here

 

[grey8833]

John Taylor:

Made my day on that site. Thanks!

Mike F

 

[Jim-Iowa]

:haha:

Hey Jim just tried one out in steel and it worked o.k. I need to resharpen it now :haha: but it did work :thumbsup:

Yes it does Roy! And thanks for taking the time to try it! I got home tonight and pulled a 3/8 " brad point out of the junk drill tray(bits that need sharpened) and filed the rake a little flatter. I took a scrap piece of the 1/8" stock and drilled an 1/8" pilot hole for the brad point. I had the drill press running at 420 RPM and put a large drop of Marvel Mystery oil around the hole to prevent overheating the bit. It cut fairly easy and made a nice clean flat bottomed recess. That junk bit is now in my prized possesion drawer in my toolbox.

I need to thank you all for your ideas and comments. All good ideas.
John Taylor, your right that would be the best way to do this. And thanks for posting that sight, I'll be bookmarking it for sure.

Unfortunately I want to get this done Saturday and don't have time to wait on a mail order delivery.
Again thanks everybody this was a fun discussion.

 

[J.D.]

I would mount the sideplate in a solid drill press vise and drill the screw hole, then drill to depth with a standard drill bit of the correct diameter for the counterbore. Grind the point on the second drill bit flat and redrill to form the the flat bottom of the counterbore.

If ya don't wanna buy a new drill bit, regrind the proper point on the drill bit and your good to go.

Don't know if I would have used a brad point, but if it works, use it.
J.D.

 

[rkeltner]

no insite on the drills, but, the only question that is truly stupid is the one that you don't ask!

 

Jim knows that, he just wanted a bunch of us to read it sooner, rather than later. We all jump on stupid questions. What does that say? :rotf:

Bill

I love my wife, it's so nice to have that someone special to annoy the rest of your life!

 

[Jim-Iowa]

Jim knows that, he just wanted a bunch of us to read it sooner, rather than later. We all jump on stupid questions. What does that say? :rotf:

Bill

I love my wife, it's so nice to have that someone special to annoy the rest of your life!

Your dead on Bill. But I often get these dumb ideas and just have to discuss them with some more knowledgeable guys before I go with it or move on to plan B or I just hate it when I go all the way to plan Z. :grin: