Drilling hard steel

[STOBBER]

Can anyone please tell me a good way to drill holes in an old bush axe blade  :confused:   , i tried a slow speed carbide drill press , and a dye grinder....burnt both bits up    , this stuff is like diamonds. Can i heat it up cherry red and then drill it  , i dont know much about heat treating so i try and leave the blade portion alone. Someone sugessted sticking the blade in sand and then using a torch to heat the handle section cherry red , let it cool , then drill my pin holes.
Any ideas...i think the steel is 1095.
Thanks
Tim

[kbaknife]

Those pointers might actually work.
One thing to be afraid of is air hardening. It can happen.
One way to avoid this is something I do:
I suspend the "important" part in water, leaving the portion in question above the water.
Clean the steel so it's shiny.
Use an acetelyne torch with a welding tip in a rather dark room. Watch the colors as you "paint" the heat into the steel.
Just as you go through all of the really groovy pretty colors, at about 900 degrees, the steel will turn black!
The very next color is a faint red. you want to juuuuuuuuuuuust be able to see the color of red heat coming into the steel in a dark room and STOP! Don't go hotter! If you austenize the steel, even shallow hardening steel can air harden just a little bit, but enough to still dull a good bit! So, don't get it really hot.
Let it cool, hanging in the water.
Clean it off, do it again.
And again.
And again.
Then drill.
Have a nice day!

[STOBBER]

Thanks bud........any other ideas guy's?
I think this is some really good knife steel, any ideas on what type of steel it is?
Tim

[theunluckyhunter]

karl's idea is best, you wont ruin your temper.

[Todd Robbins]

I agree with Karl's idea, too.  You can probably drill it with masonry bits from Lowe's or Home Depot, and a carbide bit should have done the trick.  Karl's method will most assuredly work, though.

Todd

[STOBBER]

Thanks guys....i'm still trying !