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Drill bit size for portholes

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  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Drill bit size for portholes
Posted by mfsob on Monday, April 25, 2005 9:07 AM
Continuing my adventures in 1/700 scale ship modeling - what size drill bit should you use to bore out the portholes to make them appear even semi-realistic? I bought a drill bit set at the local hobby shop. It does not list the sizes of the bits, but the smallest one is too big for these tiny portholes. I tried a straight pin (not smart ... bent the pin and popped out a chunk of resin) and am now at a standstill.

I understand that these tiny drill bits come with a number instead of an inch size, so which one should I try and use? #80, maybe?
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 25, 2005 10:13 AM
i have the tamiya hand drill..i used the # 80 for my 1/720 graf zeppelin port holes..it came out perfectly..if you have alot of different size bits, than i would try to match it up to your port hole size..like i said, the # 80 was fine for my 1/720 scale ship
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Grass Valley, CA
Posted by seaphoto on Monday, April 25, 2005 2:21 PM
In 1/700 scale, a 12 inch porthole would be .017, or take a about a # 77 drill.

A 16 inch portohole would be about a number 74.

You can get these sizes at hobby shops or most hardward stores, as they are standard wire guage bits. You might find that a common set of # 61 to # 80 comes in pretty handy, at at $ 20 or so, might be worthwhile.


Cordially,

Kurt

Kurt Greiner

Interested in large scale, radio control warships? http://www.warshipmodelsunderway.com

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Monday, April 25, 2005 8:15 PM
Unfortunately the drill set I got at the hobby shop did not list the sizes on them, but I need an even smaller one. Where would you get bits smaller than #80?
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Monday, April 25, 2005 11:54 PM
I have the impression that the #80 bit is the smallest commonly available. Years and years ago I did find a set of smaller bits at a jewelry supply company. They had fat shanks; the drilling part was only about 1/8" long. For model building, frankly, they were virtually useless: they were made of high-carbon steel, and snapped under the slightest side pressure. They also, simply because they were so small, got dull quickly - and were, if I remember correctly, quite expensive.

I'm sure modern industry produces bits smaller than #80, but I question how practical they'd be for model building - in terms of handling, breakability, and money.

I wonder if, in fact, the unmarked set mfsob bought actually goes all the way down to #80. A #80 bit is mighty small. In 49 years of model building I can't think of an occasion when I've really needed anything smaller. A #80 bit certainly would be small enough for 1/700 portholes; in fact it might be a little too small for that purpose. A hole drilled in plastic with a #80 bit can, if you're careless, be filled up accidentally with paint.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 8:07 AM
Thanks for all the input. It is a Loose Cannon resin Victory ship, and the smallest drill that came with the set from the hobby shop was too big to deepen the portholes, so I'm guessing it wasn't a #80. But I did do a little looking, and they do apparently make drill bits that are much smaller, all the way into the #90s.
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 9:12 AM
They make them smaller than #80 all right; I've heard stories of high-tech industrial drill bits that can only be seen under major magnification. I remember when I was working at a hobby shop in Columbus, Ohio, a customer came in one day with a #80 bit that he'd turned into a tube. He worked for - as it was called in those days - North American Rockwell Aviation, and had gotten a technician to hollow out that drill bit as a gag. But I question how useful such tools would be for model building - and I suspect I wouldn't be able to afford them.

My suggestion is for any serious modeler to pick up a good set of bits ranging from #60 to #80, stored in an index that identifies them individually. That range will cover just about anything that comes up in ship modeling.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Piedmont Triad, NC (USA)
Posted by oldhooker on Friday, April 29, 2005 11:11 AM
Here's a set of micro drill bits... you get 50 bits,


Qty. - Size - Dia. Inch
-----------------------------
5 - 80 - 0.0135
5 - 78 - 0.0160
5 - 75 - 0.0210
5 - 74 - 0.0225
5 - 73 - 0.0240
5 - 71 - 0.0260
5 - 0.75mm - 0.0295
5 - 67 - 0.0320
5 - 65 - 0.0350
5 - 1.15mm - 0.0453

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34087&item=4376555473&rd=1

He is a reliable seller... have purchased these sets, and they've REALLY come in handy on many modeling areas! Smile [:)]

Take care,
Frank

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Friday, April 29, 2005 8:41 PM
I did get a set from MicroMark, one each from 61-80, so I see what you mean about the #80 being really, really small! The smallest in the unlabeled set from the jobby shop appears to be at least a 60, possibly a 58, so now I know why it was way too big to bore out the portholes in my 1/700 model/ Onward through the fog!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 1, 2005 1:23 PM
Try Model Expo, that's where I bought mine. They have small sets to large sets, but more importantly, 10 packs of each individual size. Hope this helps

www.modelexpo-online.com

John
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Grass Valley, CA
Posted by seaphoto on Monday, May 2, 2005 3:35 PM
You can get drill bits from # 81 to # 97 (.0059) from this supplier

http://www.drilltechnology.com/drill/dt2.html

I have not dealt with them, but the prices are what I have seen before for these sizes - the smaller you go, the more expensive, with # 97 going for # 12.90 each. Hate to break those! Even scratchbuilding a lot, I have yet to see a need for a drill much smaller than .0010.

Kurt

Kurt Greiner

Interested in large scale, radio control warships? http://www.warshipmodelsunderway.com

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Thursday, May 5, 2005 1:31 PM
And speaking of scale ... what is the formula for figuring scale? I'm trying to get some things down to 1/700 size. I know I saw that formula in here somewhere, but now, naturally, can't find it!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 5, 2005 1:42 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by mfsob

And speaking of scale ... what is the formula for figuring scale? I'm trying to get some things down to 1/700 size. I know I saw that formula in here somewhere, but now, naturally, can't find it!


Assuming the scale really is 1/700, just convert your desired size into inches and divide by 700.
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