Help drilling through some hard material

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 10:05:59 GMT

go to see Welding Machine for Help drilling through some hard material

Hello people. I though I might pick your brains to help me find a solution to a problem I just ran into.  I took in a Ford cylinder head that had a broken bolt broken off inside of it at the thermostat housing. The bolt was extracted by the owner finally but the hole and threads were damaged in the process. I had to fill in one of the bolt holes, drill and tap a new hole.I decided to go with a new TIG rod I have been using successfully called EZ-TIG. This rod can repair cast iron without the usual pre-heat so is a great time saver.  The problem is that the deposit turned out to be real hard. So hard that I was barely able to make a mark on it with a center punch. My drill bits barely make a mark on it but I was able to get a small hole started, barely.So my question is, Is there a drill bit that will go through this stuff? I should have tested a sample weld with it to see how hard it was before committing to the actual client's project.  If I am unable to find a drill bit solution I will use my plasma cutter to cut out the repair and fill it in with silicone bronze rode instead. I am thinking that even if I get a hole made, I may not be able to cut the threads due to the hardness of the stuff.Any help is greatly appreciated.Thanks,Tony
Reply:well, proabasbly the co. that sold this deal sayts its your fault or similar.     thees a all kinds of expensive bits/carbide etc.       so, being i  i was on my own on this, i'd go w/ a round/ball  carbide bur, get a cetnter point established, and follow up and  press hard w/ a good  tap bit, lots of pressure slow speed, and tap w/ moly dee.       as for recourse on them fault, i'd have to think on that one for a while.
Reply:i think i see yor pics reversed,    ball carbide bur is best friend to get centereed, oversize the hole on housing if needed,Last edited by 123weld; 06-15-2016 at 03:38 AM.
Reply:double up the gaskets/silicone, new bolts - for the mess.     you'll be back on the road before you know it
Reply:If you've got a common cheap tungsten carbide tipped concrete drill you could regrind the tip to have angles like a drill bit for metal.
Reply:If it's so hard you can't drill, tapping the new threads will be your next challenge..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Seems like from the get go a Time-sert set up should have been used for this repair. Would have been back on the road already.www.tjsperformance.comDynasty 300 DXHTP 240HTP Microcut 380Hyperthem 85JD2 Hyd Bender and HF Hyd Ring Roller all in one =(Frankenbender)Bpt. Mill/DRO4' x 8' CNC Plasma TableInstagram: tjsperformanceYT: TJS Welding and Fabrication
Reply:Blow a hole though it with your plasma and either use the bronze to fill,drill and tap or braze a stud into the hole. Have fun.---Meltedmetal
Reply:Wash the EZ-TIG out with plasma or OA torch and start over.EDIT: you may get away with piercing a hole with torch and then ream and tap. Thats what I would shoot for. Good luck.I see now that Meltedmetal already suggested this.Last edited by Insaneride; 06-15-2016 at 09:32 AM.
Reply:Getting a hole in it is the easy part, solid carbide drill bit will do that.Getting a tap through it will be the hard part.I agree with what was already suggested. Go to plan B and get the hard metal out of there by any of several methods.I would drill out with solid carbide bits until all hard metal is gone and then use a timesert as already suggested.
Reply:I've never heard of Timesert but just looked it up and I see it would be a good tool to have on hand.  Though at $1500 for a master repair kit I would have to do a lot of this stuff to justify the expense.  I opted to weld a stud over the area.  Repair came out well.  Thanks for the suggestions they are still valuable because sooner or later I will face a similar situation where welding a stud is not an option. Attached Images
Reply:You hardened it with welding.You need carbide drills and taps.A cheap way would be to grind out the section and braze it which is what should have been done.Most people buy thread inserts as they need them not an entire kit like a shop might have to.Last edited by mikecwik; 06-15-2016 at 06:02 PM.
Reply:Clever solution of welding the stud on.
Reply:therreraExcuse my being, 'the odd man-out', but two botched repairs, and a stud welded to cast iron and mystery metal . . .I'd augment with: Perma - Perma - Permatex. Keep us posted if Door #4 opens . . .Opus
Reply:As usual, the "short" cut ends up being the long way around...RyanMiller Multimatic 200 tig/spool gun/wireless remoteMillermatic 350P, Bernard/XR Python gunsMiller Dynasty 350, Coolmate 3.5 & wireless remoteCK WF1 TIG wire feederMiller Spectrum 375 XtremeOptrel e684Miller Digital EliteMiller Weld-Mask
Replyike said above, the hole is the easy part.
Reply:For the next time you need to drill something very hard, go and buy a set of Bad Dog Drill bits. They will drill just about anything you need to drill from hardened files to stainless steel that regular drill bits just skate across. Google them and buy a small set, They drill files like it was wood. Lifetime warranty, I first saw them at a woodworking show and have seen them in metal working shows also.
Reply:I assume the hardness is because the steel from the tig filler picked up too much carbon from the cast iron.  Then the mass of the cast iron effectively quenched it.Do you think this deposit could be softened by attempting to anneal?  Would this be worthwhile, or are you just wasting gas trying to get the whole cast iron piece up to temp?Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:Originally Posted by G-sonIf you've got a common cheap tungsten carbide tipped concrete drill you could regrind the tip to have angles like a drill bit for metal.
Reply:Thanks for the advice to all of you.  It is greatly appreciated.  Just an update.  The stud didn't hold when it was torqued down and I had to redo the repair.  This time I took my plasma cutter and opened up the hole again and filled it in with silicone bronze using my tig torch.  Then I drilled and tapped the correct size hole and it worked great.I have had to weld studs onto thermostat housings before and they held fine.  I think maybe he over tightened the nut and it pulled the stud out.  Oh well..............