Bertie Pittman wrote in message
...
I suppose the recent threads about making Oland tools and cutting HSS
have motivated me toward some tool making and of course there always
seems to be some question. :-)

I took a 12" long Irwin HSS drill bit and ground a skew shape on the
end that normally goes in the drill. Then I mounted it in a scroll
chuck and used the drilling end to bore a hole in a hardwood handle
I'd turned. I left the drill in the same hole and had myself an
nice round skew with an exposed shaft length of about 8 inches.

It sharpens and seems to work pretty good to me. When grinding I
don't see many sparks at all but the ones I can see are the orange
balls like with other HSS .

I wondering if anyone knows how drill bits are hardened. Are the bits
or blanks hardened the whole length or just the end where the cutting
spirals are ground? And is it possible to hardened or soften HSS
with the processes used at home for carbon steel?

I'm also wanting to make a set of small hollowing tools for ornament
size or smaller hollowing and I wonder how you go about bending HSS
in a home workshop, if in fact you can. Or is it better to make
miniature Land type tools for ornaments and miniatures?

I'll be looking at Darrell's web site and other web recourses, however
any more help or ideas from those of you that are experienced in this
area and have made these type of tools will be appreciated.
========================================

Bertie,
1. Most small drills are hardened full length, but since you have one extra
long, it may not be that way, or at least it may be tempered way back to
reduce brittleness.
2. It is possible to temper HSS at home but it requires MUCH higher
temperatures, and generally is not feasible.
3. You can make pretty good ornament tools from Allen wrenches embedded in a
small handle, or HSS can be bent using a propane or MAPP torch.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX.