Sheared bolt - best drill bits for steel?
Discussion
I sheared off a bolt head during attempted removal. Carefully drilled out a hole into the threaded section, hammered in a bolt removal bit...and that sheared too, leaving its core in the threaded section.
Brand new Bosch Cobalt bits won't even dent it. Tried cutting oil, different drill speeds and torque settings, different bit sizes...not even a scratch.
This is war. What are the best drill bits? Carbide? Titanium?
Thanks for any advice.
Brand new Bosch Cobalt bits won't even dent it. Tried cutting oil, different drill speeds and torque settings, different bit sizes...not even a scratch.
This is war. What are the best drill bits? Carbide? Titanium?
Thanks for any advice.
Forget drill bits, they won't even scratch the broken tool.
If you have a dremel, Tungsten Carbide Steel Double Cut Rotary Burrs are the dawgs danglies
I snapped a drill bit in a similar fashion & nothing could bite, so I went to Amazon & ordered the burrs. Within minutes of starting, the broken bit was dust! And I was able to run a tap down the threads & save the part.
If you don't have a Dremel, get one. One of the most epic tools you can have in your arsenal.
If you have a dremel, Tungsten Carbide Steel Double Cut Rotary Burrs are the dawgs danglies
I snapped a drill bit in a similar fashion & nothing could bite, so I went to Amazon & ordered the burrs. Within minutes of starting, the broken bit was dust! And I was able to run a tap down the threads & save the part.
If you don't have a Dremel, get one. One of the most epic tools you can have in your arsenal.
If you are trying to drill out the "easiout" forget it, it ain't never 'appenin' fella.
TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
Dremmel do have diamond bits, but you will need to be surgical with it & have lots of patience to stand a chance.
TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
Dremmel do have diamond bits, but you will need to be surgical with it & have lots of patience to stand a chance.
Thanks, guys.
To close out this riveting tale, I removed some underside hardware and exhaust heat shield to expose a bit more of the bolt's threaded shaft. I then used a tiny Dremel cutting disc to remove the section containing the sheared-off extractor bit. Then it was just a case of carefully drilling out the rest with Cobalt bits and finishing off with a thread tap.
Amazon are delivering the Tungsten Carbide Dremel bits tomorrow and I am sure they will come in use for a future DIY catastrophe.
I need to learn to weld. The welded nut route would have probably been the quickest solution.
To close out this riveting tale, I removed some underside hardware and exhaust heat shield to expose a bit more of the bolt's threaded shaft. I then used a tiny Dremel cutting disc to remove the section containing the sheared-off extractor bit. Then it was just a case of carefully drilling out the rest with Cobalt bits and finishing off with a thread tap.
Amazon are delivering the Tungsten Carbide Dremel bits tomorrow and I am sure they will come in use for a future DIY catastrophe.
I need to learn to weld. The welded nut route would have probably been the quickest solution.
E-bmw said:
If you are trying to drill out the "easiout" forget it, it ain't never 'appenin' fella.
TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
Dremmel do have diamond bits, but you will need to be surgical with it & have lots of patience to stand a chance.
I used TC as I stated above to ream out a snapped drill bit. I can say with absolute confidence that it ate it out. I was careful not to press too hard as it wanted to bite deep, but it was out within moments. However, I would agree with diamond bits....TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
Dremmel do have diamond bits, but you will need to be surgical with it & have lots of patience to stand a chance.
E-bmw said:
If you are trying to drill out the "easiout" forget it, it ain't never 'appenin' fella.
TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
Tungsten carbide is considerably harder than an easiout, but hand drilling with a TC bit is likely to end in more tears. Sometimes the broken part can be loosened by using a punch and hammer and hitting sideways from as many angles as possible.TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
SystemOfAFrown said:
E-bmw said:
If you are trying to drill out the "easiout" forget it, it ain't never 'appenin' fella.
TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
Tungsten carbide is considerably harder than an easiout, but hand drilling with a TC bit is likely to end in more tears. Sometimes the broken part can be loosened by using a punch and hammer and hitting sideways from as many angles as possible.TC won't touch it, they are for masonry.
The ONLY chance you stand is to go harder, & the only thing harder is diamond.
In all honesty, until searching after seeing the OP had success, I have not come across TC drills for steel before now.
60 years old & still every day is a school day.
There's a guy who takes a stand at motoring type shows selling sets of 'lifetime guarantee' drills. He demonstrates them by drilling holes in everything and anything (albeit chosen by him 
). They are just sharpened masonry drills in a nice indexed box.
It transpires out that you need to attack the job with max torque and max pressure to have any success; no pilots, no lube, no manners, just max attack! Tricky in most real life scenarios, as opposed to a bench demo.
My mate bought a set at the Motorbike Show a few years back. They are indeed 'lifetime guarantee; to avoid p&p charges it's best to catch him at a show and have all your broken ones in your pocket. Never a quibble... but then it's always in front of an audience
). They are just sharpened masonry drills in a nice indexed box. It transpires out that you need to attack the job with max torque and max pressure to have any success; no pilots, no lube, no manners, just max attack! Tricky in most real life scenarios, as opposed to a bench demo.
My mate bought a set at the Motorbike Show a few years back. They are indeed 'lifetime guarantee; to avoid p&p charges it's best to catch him at a show and have all your broken ones in your pocket. Never a quibble... but then it's always in front of an audience
Thankfully OP has sorted the issue, but if the problematic piece of steel is embedded in aluminium it is possible to dissolve it whilst leaving the aluminium intact, using a solution of alum (the block of stuff you rub on razor nicks).
Of course, that is not suitable for steel into steel as it will dissolve everything. I will be testing this method to get an old steel stud out of an aluminium engine block in the next year or so, wish me luck!
Of course, that is not suitable for steel into steel as it will dissolve everything. I will be testing this method to get an old steel stud out of an aluminium engine block in the next year or so, wish me luck!
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