drill bits

Indeed Milairjunkie and here is one place to buy them in the U.S.- new, used, or resharpened and reasonable prices:

http://drillbitsunlimited.com/Default.aspx

They are carbide and, thus, very fragile but note you can get one as small as 0.0038" (under 4 thousandths not a typo). Drill bits do come smaller than #80. Also, check jewelers supply houses for tiny drill bits in HSS, A Cameron Drill Press is handy too if you have the $$$

There were quite a number of used ex production bits from PCB, aerospace & "critical" applications appearing on the European market (lots from BAE apparently) & they seemed to be very well regarded.

Apparently mega expensive, used once, withdrawn from service & resold  

Don Stauffer

Yep, Gary, I used to do that too until I bought a chuck especially for the small drills- it will clamp down even on an eighty!

Where could I find one like that Don?  I think it would be a good new tool to have.  Thanks, Gary.

Yep, Gary, I used to do that too until I bought a chuck especially for the small drills- it will clamp down even on an eighty!

Don Stauffer

I sometimes use such a chuck in my Dremel for bits in the low sixties range, but find I really break a lot of smaller bits when trying to use the dremel or my modeling drill press.  Once I get down to the high sixties or seventies I need to use a pin vise.  And I did find that not all pin vises will hold drills in the high seventies range.  In some ads they specify the minimum opening in mils, and one can convert that to drill gauge.

Don, I've used that chuck in my pin-vises too.  Works good in those too.

Gary

I sometimes use such a chuck in my Dremel for bits in the low sixties range, but find I really break a lot of smaller bits when trying to use the dremel or my modeling drill press.  Once I get down to the high sixties or seventies I need to use a pin vise.  And I did find that not all pin vises will hold drills in the high seventies range.  In some ads they specify the minimum opening in mils, and one can convert that to drill gauge.

Digital_Cowboy

Cadet Chuck,

     I agree, my biggest problem is that I cannot find a pin vise to fit my bits.

I've found this little chuck to be soooo handy for those very small drill bits:

http://www.micromark.com/Universal-3-Jaw-Chuck-for-Rotary-Tools-1and64-1and8-Inch-Capacity-1and8-Inch-Shank,6700.html

Cadet Chuck

I have found Dremel makes a good quality set of drill bits, but they may not be small enough for some applications.

My biggest problem seems to finding the right size pin vise for the little buggers.

Cadet Chuck,

     I agree, my biggest problem is that I cannot find a pin vise to fit my bits.

i"ve found High Speed Steel (HSS) to be better for model making as they are less brittle than solid carbide.   The advantages of carbide are not relevant to drilling in plastic, brass or aluminum, the most common materials used by most of us.

If you use a Dremel to do the drilling, I recommend highly that you invest in a bench-top drill press stand for the rotary tool.  As others noted when using a pin vise, you need to keep the drill as straight as possible to the axis of the hole.  If you're using a rotary tool, you add the factor of speed and make it that much more difficult to keep the drill aligned.  A drill press helps ensure that the bit is drilling straight into the work, without a wobble.

I recommend any drill bits made in Germany, seem to very rarely break

mitsdude

Ditto.

I find when I break a drill bit is when my mind wanders and I drill at an angle or tilt the bit as I'm drilling. I can usually tell when its coming but by that time its too late.

 

BTW, I love the Tamiya Handy Drill, especially when there are a bunch of holes to drill. Rarely use the pin vise anymore. It looks like a darn toy but its worth every penny of its $25-$30 price.

 

Do you centerpunch the hole location?  Centerpunching styrene doesn't take much effort. I keep a scriber among my tools, and just pushing the point into the plastic makes a small dimple that is usually adequate to keep the drill in place.

Nathan thanks for the tip on the pin set, I think of all the tips I've see, for the money value and usefulness this is the best. I use them almost everyday. I can't believe how easy and sharp they are. Thanks, Terry

Some pin vises come in sets, four covering from high 50s down to 80.  I keep on bit in the appropriate  range  loaded into vise, only changing drills if I really need an exact size.  I keep the set of four handy on my pegboard backboard of the bench.

I have found Dremel makes a good quality set of drill bits, but they may not be small enough for some applications.

My biggest problem seems to finding the right size pin vise for the little buggers.

twist the drill bit forward and backword instead of trying to keep going in the clockwise direction. Its when you reposition your fingers is when it will flex and break. I havnt broken an 80 bit in a long time drillig this way.

Bill

Purely for the sake of discussion and debate, might I suggest buying drill bits from a jewelers' supply company? The micro-drill bits we use on the bench at work are almost identical to those I have purchased for hobby us in the past, but they have considerably more strength. The tempering process allows the bits to cut through harder precious metals (10K gold and platinum) without breakage and they tend to stay sharper over the course of time. I've used the same set I purchased just for building models for 17 years and have managed to break only a single #80 bit.

As an additional note, it would be unfair if I did not mention that bench jewelers also lube the bits by first passing them through a bit of wax which has been developed for just that purpose. I don't think it's really necessary for pin vices, but it really helps when the bit is chucked up in a rotary tool like a Dremel or a flex-shaft. It cuts down on the friction to stave off the heat which dulls the bit and gives a bit of lubrication to speed up the drilling process. The amount of residue left behind is really quite minimal and it's easily cleaned off of plastic.

For one source, try http://www.riogrande.com/Search/Drill-bits

Ditto.

I find when I break a drill bit is when my mind wanders and I drill at an angle or tilt the bit as I'm drilling. I can usually tell when its coming but by that time its too late.

 

BTW, I love the Tamiya Handy Drill, especially when there are a bunch of holes to drill. Rarely use the pin vise anymore. It looks like a darn toy but its worth every penny of its $25-$30 price.

 

thanks for all the info

I learn to keep the working end of the bits as short as possible in the vise to keep the flexing and wobble minimum.  I have a habit of using to much pressure.  

Marcus

There are two issues here- strength and brittleness.  Unfortunately, when using a pinvise, either a lack of strength or too brittle will end up frequently breaking the drill.  I consider those small drills as supplies, and keep track of who has good prices vs quality, as I know I will have to replace them frequently.  Some online sources sell several drills of the same size in a package- these seem to be fairly decent drills, and I have noted a few sizes I use a lot.  So I buy packages of those drills.

I also find for most plastic modeling, I do not need to use the exact size.  Often one or even two sizes larger works okay, so I don't replace that drill until the next larger ones are gone too.

I also find the quality and features of the pin vise are important too.

I also use the needles as gun barrels, which was my originally  intened use for them,  until I discovered that they would screw onto the pin vise.

I bought the Harbor Freight ones about a year ago and have had no probs with them, especially the price.   yes, I broke a few but my set has about 4 in each size.

TIP from your Uncle Jay ;   I frequently use hypodermic needles as drill bits and mini scrapers chucked up in a General Tools pin vise.  The plastic receiver on the end of the hypo needle screws right on to the pin vise threads after the chuck has been removed.  You can get hypo needles by the dozen on Ebay pretty cheap,  practically in any size drill bits come in , and they're EZ to sharpen on a fine stone when you need to.   Maybe that's why my drill bits have lasted so long  LOL.

For sure, Nathan's suggestion is great!

I know Tamiya made a few of those drill bits with the stronger insert end, but you only get one for the price of the whole set linked above.

regards,

Jack

Nathan -

I saw those at Harbor Freight the other day and was debating on getting them. Looks like I'm gonna get myself those soon. Now I need to get another 20% coupon.... LOL!

You want these:  m.ebay.com/.../311003814317

I bought a set and they ship real fast given they come from Hong Kong. Great quality and no need for a pin vise. I like the color Bands for quick id.