What is the best method to use when replacing boron steel?

There are many types of tools that can be used for drilling out spot welds on boron alloyed steel. Specialized drill bits are made for this. Incidentally, the cost of these bits is causing a lot of problems for shops and techs alike; they do not seem to last as long as desired.

If drill bits are your preference, a pneumatic C-clamp with a specialized drill bit is a good choice, as you can control the depth and not go through both pieces. Use at lower speeds under 600 rpm.

There are also some file belt sanders on the market that do a good job of accessing spot welds no matter where they are and buzz through boron in about eight seconds per weld. And typically the file belt or grinding surface will do a large number of welds per belt. Usually the file belts cost only a couple dollars, which saves a lot of money compared to drill bits. The tool usually pays for itself in a couple months. Some models feature multiple file belts of different surfaces for different applications.

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