Safety wire!

[corksil]

For those of you who take it to the track -- or are just as paranoid about safety as I am -- what did you find the best way to drill holes in bolts for the purpose of safety wiring them to be?

Just installed a new brembo front caliper, and had to use an aftermarket SSR bracket to get the job done -- but now that I've got non-OEM parts on the bike, I'm paranoid about bolts coming loose. I used plenty of red loctite but would much rather safety-wire things properly to finish the job correctly.

How do you guys drill a tiny hole in hardened steel bolts?

This is what I'm trying to accomplish...

[corksil]

And to follow up --- what's the best gauge/size/diameter safety wire to use for this sort of thing? I've been using some rather thick stuff so far, but the smaller of a hole I'll need to drill in a bolt, the less I will weaken the bolt.

[JohnnyBravo]

They sell a lil gauge to do it, you could probly make one yourself if your to cheap to buy one. No I don't have one, my neighbor does, no you can't borrow it... Sorry

[JohnnyBravo]

http://www.trackdaymag.com/techinspe...rack-bike.html

[csmith12]

I buy my rolls of safety wire from HF (http://www.harborfreight.com/0041-in...coil-8895.html). It's cheap and easy to work with.

When drilling for safety wire, I drill the smallest hole that the wire will go through. And buy good bits to make the job easier. Also, your gunna break a couple so buy a few before you start the job.

[crimsondragon]

Ebay sells packs of 1/16th cobalt bits. I bought a pack of 10 for drilling through ARP flywheel bolts for less than $15 and only used up maybe 4 and drilled 7.

[adouglas]

I used a "Nutholer." No kidding, that's what it's called. Great product, and I'd say well worth it.

http://www.motodracing.com/safety-wire-drill-guide

It comes with one or two 1/16 cobalt drill bits. Cobalt is important, you can get them online or in any decent hardware store. You WILL break them so buy a bunch.

Given how fragile the bits are, it's probably a good idea to use a small drill press if you can. I happen to have one. If you don't have access to one, be REALLY careful about keeping things square and straight.

With hardened steel use high RPM, lube (e.g. WD40), and "peck" at it rather than applying steady pressure. It'll be messy because of the lube.

Standard safety wire is a bit smaller than 1/16 inch (.0625). That's what you need.

Also, buy the special twister pliers. Neatness counts.

I just wanted to do the basic wiring for my track day, but found that it's kind of fun and a good way to pass long winter nights. So I wired up a bunch of stuff that wasn't required, just because I could.

Tip: The jig will drill a hole at a tangent, between two faces of the bolt head. It will not drill through the center. This is fine, but you'd do well to mark the faces you want to use before you remove the bolt, so the wire wraps properly around the head. When you reinstall the bolt, it will be oriented in the same way assuming you torque it correctly.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by adouglas

I used a "Nutholer." No kidding, that's what it's called. Great product, and I'd say well worth it.

http://www.motodracing.com/safety-wire-drill-guide

It comes with one or two 1/16 cobalt drill bits. Cobalt is important, you can get them online or in any decent hardware store. You WILL break them so buy a bunch.

Given how fragile the bits are, it's probably a good idea to use a small drill press if you can. I happen to have one. If you don't have access to one, be REALLY careful about keeping things square and straight.

With hardened steel use high RPM, lube (e.g. WD40), and "peck" at it rather than applying steady pressure. It'll be messy because of the lube.

Standard safety wire is a bit smaller than 1/16 inch (.0625). That's what you need.

Also, buy the special twister pliers. Neatness counts.

I just wanted to do the basic wiring for my track day, but found that it's kind of fun and a good way to pass long winter nights. So I wired up a bunch of stuff that wasn't required, just because I could.

Tip: The jig will drill a hole at a tangent, between two faces of the bolt head. It will not drill through the center. This is fine, but you'd do well to mark the faces you want to use before you remove the bolt, so the wire wraps properly around the head. When you reinstall the bolt, it will be oriented in the same way assuming you torque it correctly.

Like Andy said, but RPM is relative. If you have the option, 3,000-3,500 RPM is a good speed. Instead of marking the hole, if you can put a little punch int he location it may make it easier by basically spotting the hole a little for you so the drill doesnt walk on entry. You can use water honestly if you dont want to make a big mess since it dries fine. Oil is best, you can use your old motor oil and just use like a paint brush, every time you bring the drill out from pecking just rub the brush on the bit to get the chips out and re oil it.

Cobalt drills are good, getting coated will help a ton. TiN or something along those lines. If your using a drill press, if your using a regular hand drill you may snap them just by pressing at wierd angles, so the coating wouldnt help you. It only helps to keep the drill sharper for longer.

[Rifleman]

I took a block of aluminum and drilled and tapped the 3 basic sizes of bolt holes along one edge. Thread the bolt with a lock nut on it so that you can set the side to be drilled horizontal. I put the block in a vice and used a pretty sharp center punch to mark the point I wanted to start drilling.

I have a small vice that fits on my drill press and so i clamped the block/bolt assembly in the vice on the drill press for minimal movement.

Finally, Cobalt bits... no not the company Kobalt... the element Cobalt. There are bits that have 3 - 5 % cobalt in the steel... that makes for some really hard bits... they will cut stainless if you are gentle.

be sure the use some kind of cutting fluid and make sure the drill bit is vertical during the drilling process.

I would make a little divot, back off, realign and then start drilling again.

it also helps to mark them when they are on the bike so you know what flat to drill through. these are what I would call perfect. The safety wire is pulling the bolt int the "tight" direction. That is what you want, not just to keep the bolt from falling out but to keep it from backing off if at all possible.

I used the heavy wire, but it was a PITA to get through the drilled holes. I'm running the 0.032 soft stainless now... works and looks great.

[Proteus]

I would just buy wire-lockable (drilled head) bolts.

[Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Proteus

I would just buy wire-lockable (drilled head) bolts.

this is always a good idea for the easy stuff, engine case bolts, clutch cover bolts...

frequently it is hard to find the proper length and strength requirements with predrilled fasteners when dealing with brakes or other high stress locations

I replaced most of the engine case bolts with anodized aluminum, easy to drill.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by corksil

all of these photos show poor safetywiring. the wire should be tight and pulling on the bolt. see how there is a curve to all those. that means its not tight enough. the wire should be pulling the bolt clockwise always.

i use the HF safetywire and safetywire pliers also.

[Racer x]

I would pass that at tech

[Road Dawg1]

Your mileage may vary, but the AF taught me not to have runs that were too straight between the objects being tied off. Some of those pics would be just fine and some of them wouldn't hold tightening pressure or were too straight.

Safety wire pliers are nice, but the thin stuff will snap easily if you aren't careful with it.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by corksil

......... How do you guys drill a tiny hole in hardened steel bolts?

The trick is to keep the drill bit sharp.
The steel of the drill is harder than the bolt, but if it overheats it becomes dull.
Plenty of lubrication keeps friction down and carries heat away.

Use the smallest diameter bit first: the point (chisel edge) of the bigger bit does not cut the metal; hence, the bigger the initial diameter the worst.

Experiment with the best speed: too much leads to overheating and dulling.
The bigger the diameter, the slower the optimal speed.

Copied from:
http://boingboing.net/2014/08/25/a-b...to-drills.html

"Mind the speed of the drill on hard materials with large bits which can heat to the point where it will stop cutting and can burn, melt, or otherwise damage what you're drilling. It's impossible to go too slow to be safe, but most drills don't provide much power at low speeds. A 1/2" bit cutting hard steel should turn around 500 RPM while a 1/8" bit in wood can go up to 10,000 RPM without problems. A good rule of thumb is: If it starts spitting out smoke or discolored chips, slow down. Use cutting oil when drilling metal, which will not only lubricates and cool the bit, but help remove chips. You won't typically need more than a few drops per hole and it will dramatically improve the life of the bit.
........
Bits often have coatings to improve their performance. Black oxide mostly lubricates and prevents rust, while titanium coatings improve the hardness and heat resistance. However the coatings are thin and once they've worn off you're left with an ordinary bit. Sharpening them just removes this coating, and they'll never get return to their original performance.

The points of the bit come in two styles. Spade points are the most common and require the bit to be pressed into the material before it starts to cut. On hard surfaces like metal this can mean it will skate around before making a hole, which will often put the hole in the wrong place. This can be minimized by using a center punch or drilling a pilot hole to mark the hole, but split tip (aka: pilot point) bits reduce wandering and eliminate the need to punch or drill a pilot hole.

When drilling deep holes in soft materials be sure to occasionally pull the bit out and clear the flutes. Otherwise the flutes will get packed with chaff, and it will stop cutting. "

[alex.s]

hey @Motofool

is there an "ideal" angle for the cutting face? i've been hand-sharpening my bits but it seems like i'm getting too steep of an angle and it pulls too hard? it likes to drive in too deep and get stuck on a too-big chunk of metal? maybe not enough lube and too much pressure?

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by alex.s

hey @Motofool

is there an "ideal" angle for the cutting face? i've been hand-sharpening my bits but it seems like i'm getting too steep of an angle and it pulls too hard? it likes to drive in too deep and get stuck on a too-big chunk of metal? maybe not enough lube and too much pressure?

The ideal angle changes with the material to be drilled, but 60 degrees is the most common.

This is a very good article:
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/article.html?&A=112910

When drilling steel by hand, if the bit is properly sharpened, you will always use excessive pressure.
Big holes in big chunks of metal are drilled in machines that control the feed or progress of the tool, so the cutting edge cannot grab too much material at once.

http://www.americanmachinetools.com/...rill_press.htm

Sheet metal or thickness smaller than the diameter of the hole are the worst for grabbing the bit at the end; hence, punching is a better technique, as well as using stepping bits.

Hand-sharpening is a very difficult skill, the smallest the bit, the harder to get it right.
The main difficulty for me was always getting both edges symmetrical.
When the several angles, symmetry, speed and pressure are correct, the cutting edges stay relatively cool, creating reasonably long, even chips when drilling.

[alex.s]

thanks for the info hernan. do you think a sharpening holder tool is worth the cost?

[Racer x]

Think of the bolt or nut you are drilling as a coconut. The outside is very hard but the inside is soft. You start drilling and drill through the hard outer shell. Then drill the soft center. This is when trouble starts. As you go into the soft center the bit dulls some. Then suddenly the drill hits the outer shell. The bit grabs and snaps. So keep it in mind after you get through to the other side to ease up on the pressure and be ready for the bit to grab.

Also if you are made of money. Snap-on sells a set of safety wire plyers that twist in bothe clockwise and counter clockwise direction.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by alex.s

thanks for the info hernan. do you think a sharpening holder tool is worth the cost?

You are welcome

Not all sharpening machines are good, but all are expensive, especially for the person that only drills eventually.
The key for those is the flatness of the grinding wheel, which tends to disappear with use.
A diamond cutting tool to rectify that surface is the only way, ....... other than replacing the abrasive surface.

Personally, I cannot recommend any, as I just don't have experience with those.

Most hardened drill bits that are sold today have a relatively soft core (tool grade steel), which will be exposed once the tool is sharpened.
For that reason, ........

1) Keep the hardened type cool and lubricated during drilling, so the original sharpness lasts as much as possible.
2) Buy regular bits (cheaper) and sharpen them regularly (by a skillful hand or in a machine).

[corksil]

Wow this thread exploded with helpful info! I don't have time to read all of it now and take proper notes for this project -- but I most certainly will read every post and take notes before I tackle this.

Speaking of tackle.. My jackpot in terms of wire at low cost was stainless steel wire designed for fishing leaders. Toothy fish bite through fishing line apparently and it's common practice to use a length of stainless steel wire (of appropriate diameter for the fish to be caught) between the lure and the line. Tackle shop had the best prices on all the stuff I needed. Waaaay cheaper than the stuff from the bike shop.

I'll just post my notes from this morning before I set out hunting for appropriate wire. In case anyone else is following my work with the purpose of wiring up their own stuff. I'll try to keep the thread condensed in my [long] posts.

The article someone linked way up in the thread called for 0.032" wire and a 5/64" drill bit. That would be 0.8125mm wire, and a 1.984mm drill bit. Seems like too loose of a hole to me.. I like the tight holes. Not the lose ones. Back on topic.

For reference, 1/16" is 1.587mm.

Adouglas recommended 0.0625" wire (1.5875mm hole required)
Csmith recommended 0.0415" wire (1.0414mm hole required)
Rifleman recommended 0.0325" wire (0.8255mm hole required)

Again, typical hardware store drill bits usually jump from 1/16" (1.587mm) to 5/64" (1.984mm) -- I measured all this stuff with my caliper and most of the quality control tolerances were shoddy at best, but the bits and wire were typically accurate to the nearest 0.003" (three hundred thousandth of an inch.)

I recommend anyone doing this get a very accurate caliper and measure things for themselves before buying anything -- as stated -- none of this stuff measured exactly as it was advertised to be in size. (For what it's worth, the "made in china" stuff was usually the furthest from "spec" -- and the stuff with "made in america" packaging always seemed much closer in terms of tolerances.)

Here are the drill bits I'm going to be working with. Of course things get more complicated once we introduce "gauge" in terms of nomenclature --- but for reference -- #60 drill bit is 1.016mm.

Seeing as this is a japanese machine, it seems only right to use millimeters.

As for wire, I've come up with two kinds of wire I mic'd to 1.0mm and 0.80mm. For reference that is a #60 drill bit (1.016mm technically) and a #67 drill bit (0.8128mm technically.) [The "#" sizing system was developed by dentists, who apparently like hole drilled in teeth to be on the "loose" side of things.]

I'll re-read the helpful drilling advice posted further up in this thread before I sit down and start breaking drill bits. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Here are some pics of the drill bits I'm working with and wire. Harbor fart, ace hardware wire, and fishing leader line wire.

If anyone has made it this far and still seems lacking in intelligence -- let me say one final thing. DO NOT BUY GALVANIZED STEEL WIRE. IT HAS NO-WHERE NEAR THE APPROPRIATE TENSILE STRENGTH (STRETCH-UNTIL-BREAK-STRENGTH) REQUIRED FOR THIS TYPE OF APPLICATION.

Thanks guys hopefully everyone is having a lovely evening.

[corksil]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82...ew?usp=sharing

Specializing in advanced motherufckery. That's me!

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by corksil

For reference, 1/16" is 1.587mm.

Adouglas recommended 0.0625" wire (1.5875mm hole required)
.

Not quite.

Originally Posted by adouglas

Standard safety wire is a bit smaller than 1/16 inch (.0625). That's what you need.

.

The hole is 1/16. The wire is a little smaller to fit into the hole.

You don't need to overthink this. Put the caliper down and back slowly away.

Buy a pack of 1/16" cobalt bits.

Buy a can of ordinary safety wire (most people use the gauge that fits into a 1/16" hole, so that's what you'll find most easily). It will be clearly identified as safety wire, right on the label, so don't worry about the wrong material.

Buy a pair of safety wire pliers (which might just come with wire anyway... mine did).


Done.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Not quite.



The hole is 1/16. The wire is a little smaller to fit into the hole.

You don't need to overthink this. Put the caliper down and back slowly away.

Buy a pack of 1/16" cobalt bits.

Buy a can of ordinary safety wire (most people use the gauge that fits into a 1/16" hole, so that's what you'll find most easily). It will be clearly identified as safety wire, right on the label, so don't worry about the wrong material.

Buy a pair of safety wire pliers (which might just come with wire anyway... mine did).


Done.

Hes using fishing leader wire saying its cheaper (maybe its a hawai thing) Im not sure of the gauge, but im sure its prob ok. Safety wire here i only find in 2 sizes, both of which fit in 1/16 hole and both rated for the bike. It was like 8 bucks for the can of it, so i didnt think it was a bad deal. Will more than likely be fine for my entire life haha.

[Rifleman]

Yeah, I'm going to agree with Adoug... don't over think this.

Get a pack of 1/16th Cobalt bits

mark your bolts where you want the holes to go so that when tight, the lock wire will be pulling them in the "tight" direction.

the smaller wire bends and twists up nicer and will be just fine in all normal circumstances.

the reason for lock wire on track bike is to keep from losing parts that will endanger other people. You have 6 case bolts come lose, you will pour oil on the track and hurt someone else.

track bikes are worked on more often... you will have your brakes on and off more times in one season then the normal street bike has them on and off in its life time.

the purpose of lock wire is to add one more step between it's on and tight... and it's bouncing down the track and hitting the guy behind me.

Wire your case bolts, wire you oil plug and oil fill, wire your oil filter if you can (most guys put a hose clamp around the filter and run lock wire under the hose clamp. Lock wire the parts of the brake caliper you take apart (normally the mount bolts)

rule of thumb is if it's something you take apart frequently, it's something you want to think about wiring.

the ONLY time you need to go to the level you are talking about is Aero-space. Airplanes and Space ships... and well submarines (got to keep the ocean out of the people tank) for those applications they have exact standards for the type and size of wire, the number to twist per inch (TPI) the minimum length of the 'tail' All part of quality assurance where zero error is acceptable.

the only reason I'm so what ever about it, is because i had to do it on sea water systems... if I know how to do it right, might as well do that on the bike as well.