Can't seem to drill my gear box for a new label plate

Tojan19 · Feb 26, 2013

So I bought a new reproduction label plate for the gear box on my SB9. The holes don't quite line up with the originals. I decided just to use some button head #6 screws to fasten it down.
Well I tried to drill out one existing hole. The bit went in enough to widen it up, but won't go any deeper.
I tried a smaller bit in another existing hole. It wouldn't go any deeper either.
I tried to make a new hole. Drill bit didn't do a thing.
These were good sharp bits.

What the heck is this thing made of? Looks like regular cast iron. Should drill easy.
Any advice? I'm about to give up and use double sided tape.

tommy1010 · Feb 26, 2013

There is probably a piece of the original fastener in the hole. They are an SOB to get out. Drill along side of it and try to remove the piece. A little JB weld in the hole and then drill after setup.

Tojan19 · Feb 26, 2013

tommy1010 said:
There is probably a piece of the original fastener in the hole. They are an SOB to get out. Drill along side of it and try to remove the piece. A little JB weld in the hole and then drill after setup.

I though if that, but even drilling in a new location was unsuccessful.
I wonder if I should take the box off the lathe and use the drill press.

DMF_TomB · Feb 26, 2013

Tojan19 said:
So I bought a new reproduction label plate for the gear box on my SB9. The holes don't quite line up with the originals. I decided just to use some button head #6 screws to fasten it down.
Well I tried to drill out one existing hole. The bit went in enough to widen it up, but won't go any deeper.
I tried a smaller bit in another existing hole. It wouldn't go any deeper either.
I tried to make a new hole. Drill bit didn't do a thing.
These were good sharp bits.

What the heck is this thing made of? Looks like regular cast iron. Should drill easy.
Any advice? I'm about to give up and use double sided tape.

.
i work for a company that makes cnc machines. you might be surprised at the amount of parts that are tool steel hardened and tempered or case hardened even screw threads and sometimes they put stuff in threaded holes so they don't case harden and sometimes they harden everything. why, i do not know but many parts are hard and short of carbide not much will cut them after hardening. even aluminum can have a hard coating put on it, sure after you get through hard coating it is soft but i have seen the hard coating dull drill bits very easily before getting through the hard layer

iwananew10K · Feb 26, 2013

take a dremel and grind the "skin" off where you want to drill.

packardbill · Feb 26, 2013

The original drive screws are HARD. Since the heads are sheared off, your best bet is to remove the gearbox and use a punch from the backside to knock the screws out. This will give you the opportunity to clean out the mung (swarf) in the gears...heck disassemble the whole box and clean and lube everything. Maybe new felts if it needs them.
I would bet you dulled your bits when you tried to drill the old drive-screws. Good luck.

paulsomlo · Feb 26, 2013

packardbill said:
The original drive screws are HARD. Since the heads are sheared off, your best bet is to remove the gearbox and use a punch from the backside to knock the screws out.

Umm... I don't think that the drive screws are accessible from the backside - the holes are blind.

Tojan19 · Feb 27, 2013

packardbill said:
The original drive screws are HARD. Since the heads are sheared off, your best bet is to remove the gearbox and use a punch from the backside to knock the screws out. This will give you the opportunity to clean out the mung (swarf) in the gears...heck disassemble the whole box and clean and lube everything. Maybe new felts if it needs them.
I would bet you dulled your bits when you tried to drill the old drive-screws. Good luck.

I was able to pull these out when I removed them. They didn't get sheared off.

edkolt · Feb 28, 2013

The gear box is cast iron. It should be easy too drill unless the bit is dull or the hand drill is in reverse.

Ed S

iwananew10K · Feb 28, 2013

those gear boxes are cast iron but are thin in cross section and hard as heck on the surface.

personally i would go with the double sided tape or some type of adhesive.

barring that you can use a carbide burr or small grinding point to get through the hard layer.

SteveM · Feb 28, 2013

iwananew10K said:
personally i would go with the double sided tape or some type of adhesive.

Just glue or solder some drive screws to the holes so it looks good!

Steve

Gigantor · Feb 28, 2013

Aren’t these plates usually installed with “Round Drive Screws” or “Screw Nails”? I had to buy a box of 100 (that’s the smallest quantity McMaster had) of #4 x ¼”. If you want to give them a try I’ll gladly send you ½ a dozen for free. PM me your address and I’ll drop them in the mail.

John

packardbill · Feb 28, 2013

paulsomlo said:
Umm... I don't think that the drive screws are accessible from the backside - the holes are blind.

I guess I shouldn't comment on a 9"(never having one apart). I can tell you this, the gearbox on a 10L,13" and 16" were drilled through! Maybe it's not the size, but the age of the machine that makes the dfference, I don't know.

k3vyl · Mar 8, 2013

Cast iron needs slow speed,make sure your not running the drill too fast,and use the drill press.The double faced tape idea may be a good one.

Tojan19 · Mar 8, 2013

I've actually had success getting a hole drilled. I picked up a Cobalt drill bit from the hardware store and it cut very easily. I don't know if it was a surface hardness thing, or a bad drill bit thing. I'm going to finish up this weekend. I really need to get some pics up. Hopefully this weekend I'll get the switch wired up and actually get this thing spinning.

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