Micro Drill Bits

found a supplier of good properly ground true HSS micro drills at last! i am a happy bunny indeed now i can kiss goodbye to the malformed bent pieces of soft metal that come in the plastic selection boxes.

being in the uk i have to get mine on fleabay from japan of china or the shipping is to expensive.

FYI, that's set "S1A" 5 sizes, 10 each... 50 bits for $35

I now I am coming in late opn this.   Drill Bits Unlimited.

The "thick" one is #80

I'm a big fan of the Excel brand drill stand.  I'm just about due for a new one...they cost a little under $30.  And yeah for drilling with micro-bits only a pin-vise has worked for me.

Don Stauffer

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I also have a cheap modelers drillpress (got it on sale from Model Expo for forty bucks).  Speed control is terrible but if you fiddle you can get it pretty slow. I have used it successfully with drills again in the low sixties.  Thing is, because it eliminates side forces, you can use it at higher speeds, such is drilling through softer metals.

Don,

If you want the ultimate in a micro drill press check Cameron here:

http://www.cameronmicrodrillpress.com/presses.html.

You'll notice they don't list prices (need to get a quote) but eBay offers are in the $400-$500 bracket. I have one (traded a 5C collet chuck and collets for the Cameron with a friend of mine). It is a really nice and precision machine. If the work piece is firmly fixed you can drill quite small holes - hand holding the workpiece results in boken drills whether carbide or HSS. As you said, consider the small drill bits expendible.

Misty

Don - my dremel is heavy unwieldy and too fast :-( i have a low speed tool but its rubbish. what model dremel is yours.

I have two, an AC and a battery (the AC model is handy for those jobs such as hogging out a recess in a piece of wood).  The AC model is a 395.  According to the label the minimum speed as 5000, but it seems lower.

The DC (battery) model is a 780.  The minimum speed on that is really slow- I'd say 10 to 15 rpm, but it is bigger and heavier than the AC model, so it is even more difficult to hold it perfectly straight with no bending force on a small bit. I would not use it on a #70 drill or smaller, but I have used it on drills in the low sixties.

I also have a cheap modelers drillpress (got it on sale from Model Expo for forty bucks).  Speed control is terrible but if you fiddle you can get it pretty slow. I have used it successfully with drills again in the low sixties.  Thing is, because it eliminates side forces, you can use it at higher speeds, such is drilling through softer metals.

MIsty

Cant find any steel ones other than the usual ones we all know and hate. I think you'll have to go the cheap and break route of expensive but last route

Phil

cheers Phill, any links to good quality High speed steel micro drills? i have tried the microbox ones and other sets of "hss" drills that in my opinion are neither HSS or even properly formed drills.

Don - my dremel is heavy unwieldy and too fast :-( i have a low speed tool but its rubbish. what model dremel is yours.

The speed control on Dremels varies considerably from model to model.  My latest, both the AC and the battery one, can tick over so that they are hardly moving.  However, that is not the trouble with using those tiny bits in a dremel.  The problem is that the Dremel tools are so big and heavy it is almost impossible to use them without putting some side force or bending on the bit.  Those tiny bits cannot take ANY side force or bending, or they will break.  That is why I always use them in a good pin vise.

MIsty

I live in the UK too and picked up a set like the link below. Shipping was a lot but its a great set, sharp as hell so needs very little pressure to get them to cut and I use them by hand

[View:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-3-Micro-Carbide-Drill-Bits-Bit-PCB-Jewelry-CNC-/331155229460?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d1a63cb14#ht_345wt_1350:600:0]

Its like everything in life, you get what you pay for and I always think if you pay more you take more care with something too

Phil

ill look for an engraver like that on ebay, unfortunately i am in the uk so ill have to find a uk supplier for the drills. i would like a good set of hss micro drills though as  i tried the carbide ones in a power tool and any shake or movement and the drill shears immediately , my shaky old hands cant hold it steady enough. it is so laborious drilling lots of holes in a pin vice

as for the recommended rpm, its academic when the drill is like a blunt needle trying to melt its way through   the plastic   . you would think id be able to find a good set being an engineer but they all seem rubbish.                                                                                           

Misty,

Glad to see the recommended cutting speed for micro drilling posted - the SFPM using tiny drills ends up with a lot higher RPM than most people think. Anyway, when you say 'drill' do you mean drill bits or the 'drill' that holds the drill bits. Just something for thinking about are my recommendations for you. I use, and really like the Wecheer rotary tool shown in this link:

http://www.beyondpolish.com/wecheer-248-micro-engraver-high-torque-drill.html?gclid=CImx28rVn70CFYN0OgodhTcApQ

And, when I want something better than the inexpensive drill sets and want very sharp, accurate micro drills i get mine from here:

http://drillbitsunlimited.com/Default.aspx

Yeah, carbide and very fragile but very sharp and work well in a pin vise for our use. FWIW

Using conservative values in standard formula, a 0.5 mm drill needs 17000rpm. Not really achievable or neccesary. It would melt plastic anyway unles you flood it with coolant. We have hig speed air spindles at work but i cant get them in my car. Even my dremel is too fast on its slowest speed. So speed is a moot point especially at home drilling plastic. I do have a lower speed power tool but i mainly just use finger speed and a pin vice.

do you know a good make of micro drill? i would love a really good set, like i said all the ones i tried a re rubbish. i bought a set through work and they sucked too...

Yes, I agree about the carbide drills made for drilling pc boards.  I gave up on them and use the regular drills.  Like any drill they do go dull but you can drill a lot of holes in styrene before they go dull.  Drilling holes in brass PE is something else- a dimple from a very sharp center punch helps there.

Remember, the linear cutting speed at the edge of the drill goes down as the radius, so you have to twirl those very small drills quite fast to get any cutting done.

I remember seeing a miniature power drill powered by a single AA cell. It was a beautiful thing, not much bigger in diameter than the cell, with a basic small chuck, maybe about twice as long as the battery.  However, when I went to order one, I found it was no longer being made. It does show that it is possible to make something that small. I sure would like to see Dremel or some other tool company make something like that.  High speed and a lot of power are NOT necessary.  Just maybe 500 rpm or so, and minimal torque.

I buy them in 10 packs from UMM-USA for ~$5 per 10.

http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=21_161&products_id=2973

If you want small drill bits, go to www.mscdirect.com and click on "hole making".  They've got numbered drill bits from #1 thru #97 and decimal drill bits down to .0059".  Biggest problem is that the #97 bits are in the $16.00+ each bracket and the .0059 are $8 + each bracket (be still my beating heart!!!)

Consider very small drills as supplies rather than long lasting tools.  Even with the best pinvise you WILL occasionally break them.  That is why Micro Mark and other places sell those packages of several drills of the same size.  Indispensable tools for advanced modeling, but they DO break all to frequently.  Model Expo is another place for reasonably priced small drills.

Tamiya makes some nice fine drill bits, starting with .2mm. Try Ebay or SprueBrothers.com

You're welcome - and good luck with the rigging. I just got the Revell Stearman and have been procrastinating ove the rigging too.

Thank you.  That is exactly what I was looking for.

John

Micro-Mark does carry them but if you'd like them for a bit less $$ check this link:

http://www.pjtool.com/20pcmicrodrillbitset.aspx

Edit: or if you're looking for metric drills check here:

http://www.micro-tools.com/store/P-82615MD/Drill-Set--Mini-Sizes03-035-04-045-05-055-15-Pc.aspx

Try Micro-Mark. They have sets and individual bits (in six packs) from #61 through 80. Also a good selection of pin vises in various styles.  I've always found the quality of their products and their service to be excellent, as is their website.

Tom