A funny thing happened

[Ed Caffrey]

Not really funny, more like surprising and frustrating. Was working on Desert Ironwood handles for some hidden tang blades, drilling out the Ironwood. Now, anyone who's done this, knows how miserable Ironwood is for filling and clogging the flutes in a drill bit... TYPICALLY, I drill just an inch of so, then have to pull out of the hole, and using a sharpened rod (usually and ice pick), pop the swarf out of the flutes. I've tried everything I can think of to keep the ironwood from sticking to/clogging the flutes... without causing issues when it come time to glue up the knives.....but still haven't found it.

Well, I got a bit overzealous, trying to drill a bit more than I should have without cleaning the bit flutes... and I literally snapped off about 2" of a 1/4" drill bit INSIDE the block of Ironwood!! In all of m 30+ years of doing this.... that was a first! I'm still trying to figure out a way to get that piece of drill bit out, without wrecking the ironwood block. It's in there TIGHT.

Just another day of learning in the shop! Just reminds me to say.... "Never say never!"