What is a Pin Vise and Do you Actually Need One?

JohnnyK

This is my pin vise. I think that it was made by X-acto. My father bought this for me 65 years ago. I like the way the swivel head fits apainst my palm. It has two double-end collets. It looks simiar to a current General Pin Vise. I couldn't imagine building models without this simple tool.

 

I love that one. I use it for when I have do do a lot of holes.  Saves my hand.  If I only have to do one or holes of a size I have preloaded in one of my cheaper pinvises I will use that, but everything else it is that one.

Yes it is an x-acto.

This is my pin vise. I think that it was made by X-acto. My father bought this for me 65 years ago. I like the way the swivel head fits apainst my palm. It has two double-end collets. It looks simiar to a current General Pin Vise. I couldn't imagine building models without this simple tool.

This is the pin vise I use. Double ended, it can be used with a number of different sized drills, scribe points, etc. This one was made by General Hardware.

A pinvise is an essential modeling tool.  I have five, four pre-loaded with the bits I use most often.  Small drills, smaller than #60, are fragile, and a hand-held dremel will break them quickly.  If you are very skilled at it, and have a dremel with the best speed control- say below 100 rpm, you can get away with it, but you'll break a lot of drills developing the skill.

The kit on my bench now has dozens of small parts that have a plastic pin projecting that must fit into holes cast in other part.  Unfortunately many of the pins are slightly oversize or the holes slightly undersized.  I have had to drill all the holes slightly larger.  The pins were about 0.030, the holes about 0.028.  I drilled the holes out to about 0.034.

I could not finish the kit without a pinvise.  There are good pinvises, and bad pinvises.  I like the type that has a swiveling head on it that does not try to drill a hole into the palm of your hand when you twist it while applying pressure.

I'm with Greg on the Tamiya pin vise.  I bought one as a replacement for my existing cheapy, and at first I was disappointed with the Tamiya one...didn't even try using it for a while, just because it was so much bigger and heavier than my existing one.  Turns out that the extra size and weight wasn't a problem at all and actually made it easier to control.  So, once I overcame my aversion to its size and weight, its been the superior tool and I haven't used any other pin vise since.

Thanks all!  Just ordered one thru walmart that comes with 57 different bits and misc pieces. Think it was about $16. As I get better at model building, I'm sure I will do an upgrade on my tools.

My wife gave me a visor magnifier with LED light for christmas.  I'm sure that will come in handy

I tried a Tamiya pin vise and I'd never buy anything else again. I have 3 or 4 of them now in various sizes, including a multi-chuck one as mentioned above.

The saw cuts on a cheap pin vise chuck will almost certainly be off-center, and will have you cussing pin vise use when it's just the pooly machined chuck. On the bigger sizes, the cheap chucks will have the I.D. hole off center, with the same results.

I'm sure there are other quality pin vises, someone mentioned Micromark which I'd tend to trust, for example.

Just my , and I hope your pin vise adventure goes well.

Yes

Speaking of portholes, warships generally had "dead light" portholes below main deck level. These were solid painted hull color, either closed and light tight or open for ventilation.

Bill

In answer to your question, yes should be able to get one at HL.  I think they have one with a few bits included.

You can also use an Xacto knife handle if you have one that has four quarter jaws. Some only have two.

But a pin vise is a pretty useful thing because you can have it on hand with a drill bit in it ready to go. I think I have two or three.

Loof for one that has a couple of chuck inserts. You'll need one that closes to "zero', and one that closes down to around 0.06 ". The better sets of tiny drill sizes have a constant size of shank, usually around that size.

Bill

A pin vise holds a very small drill bit,I use it to drill out port holes and to clean out Fruil Tracks on tanks,among other things,pretty useful.

In another world a long time ago, I used them to drill out orifices on gas grills,burners,and ranges

Micromark has them

thanks all for the info!   Can one get a pin vise at Hobby Lobby?  This is the only hobby store near me

Oh No!

      Do Not Use a Dremel, You will make way bigger holes than you want! A pin Vise is like a little tool that has a chuck in it like a regular drill. They are evailable with double ends or a single chuck with a Ball or Flared top that swivels. You put the right size drill bit in there. Chuck it tight and gently twirl away.You can go all the way through or leave a little plastic behind and just wipe Black or Dark Grey acrylic in the holes and wipe the excess off. This of course is after you paint the hull.

     That way you can also paint the P.E. Ports at the same time as the hull, install afterwards and have a super neat job! Just always remember, the Dremel is a great tool.The bottom R.P.M. is just NOT slow enough to keep from melting the plastic! Unless, You have a single speed with a sewing Machine type foot control. Then you can go as slow as you want to! Just Don't step on the Gas to get done quicker!

    Just remember, all of us have gone through the cheap tool phase. Don't get mad get better! My Pin Vises came from a supplier to the carving Hobbyist That's where accuracy really counts especially at Juried shows!. There is a lot of quality tools out there. Don't just look at one site or brand!

A pin vise is best for that kind of drilling.  Dremels, even at their lowest speed, turn way too fast and can damage things.  As an alternative to a pin vise for drilling holes, you can try a micro drill bit set that has a handle on each of the bits, like this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Versatile-Tungsten-Japanese-Installation-Woodworking/dp/B01MS8MM1T/ref=sr_1_23_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=micro+drill+bit+set&qid=1609013512&sr=8-23-spons&psc=1&smid=ALTHIHXIR3KP4&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMU9NU09SMjZZNFQ0JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjg2NDIwMlZCTkhWTTVYSkhQTiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTkxMjE0MjNWMEowUEc2MlBLWiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=