Can you machine drill rod?
Rachel Hickman
Published Feb 09, 2026
Can you machine drill rod?
Drill rod stock is typically supplied without being heat treatment, or unhardened, so that it is easy to machine. Once the metal is machined into its tool form, it can be hardened through heat treatment and then drawn back.
What is drill rod used for?
Common applications of drill rods include drill bits, taps, dowel pins, shafts, and reamers. They are also used to manufacture hammers, files, and punches. Water hardened drill rods are not heavily alloyed, allowing the material to be more easily machined than the oil hardened variety.
What grade is drill rod?
The rods are manufactured of annealed tool steel (O-1, A-2, D-2, H-13, S-7, M-2, or W-1). Then they are cold drawn and (usually) polished….Drill Rod Machinability Table.
| Material Type | Grade | Machinability * |
|---|---|---|
| Tool Steel (Annealed) | H-13 | 75% |
| S-7 | 95% | |
| W-1 | 100% | |
| M-2 | 65% |
What is o1 drill rod?
O-1 Drill rod is one of the most widely selected grades of drill rod. It is precision ground which saves time and money in part making. It is made from grade O-1, an oil-hardening, non-deforming general tool steel.
How do you harden A2 drill rod?
Preheat slowly to 1350-1450F and hold at this temperature until part is uniformly heated. After thorough preheating, heat to 1750-1800F. Hold the work piece at the hardening temperature until it is completely and uniformly heated. A2 is an air hardening steel and will develop full hardness on cooling in still air.
Can drill rod be threaded?
Threads of standard drill rods come in aluminum or mid-weight steel, allowing ergonomic flexibility that provides better handling capacities even on most demanding applications.
Can you bend drill rod?
Drill Pipe has the ability to bend based on the Steel Grade, Manufacturing Method, and Dimension of the pipe. One of the most common problems that drillers experience is premature rod failure (permanent bends or breaks) caused by over-steering the pipe / exceeding the allowable bend radius.
Is stainless steel rod strong?
Stainless steel threaded rod proves, when tested, to be stronger than most Grade 2 steels, but weaker than Grade 5 and Grade 8 stainless steel raw materials that have been hardened. Depending on the ratio of metals in the alloy, the definitive strength of most stainless steel grades will range from about 70 to 220 ksi.
How hard is A2 drill rod?
Tool Steel Drill Rod A2 is an air-hardening tool steel with good strength and with excellent stability in heat treatment. A-2 tool steel exhibits wear resistance that falls between O-1 and D-2 steel.
How long is drill rod?
Most drill rods are produced in 36″ (915mm) lengths. Some manufacturers also produce rods of 144″ (12 feet) in length.
What is the carbon content of drill rod?
1% carbon
The rod has been ground to achieve the precise shape and size. A water-hardening 1% carbon alloy, this grade is used where a simple heat treatment is more important than either wear resistance or high dimensional stability during heat-treating.
