Micro drills?

[qwerty2008]

I am planning on getting a pin vice/drill but was wondering which would be best if I only got one or two.

A spiral drill.

A chuck for my dremel.

A mandrel for my dremel.

Or a pin vice.

 

 

Lextin AKA qwerty2008

Edited April 24, 2013 by qwerty2008

[jarero]

I can see the usefulness of each of these however if I had to pick one hands down it would be the pin vise!

 

I assume you are just looking for a drill for general every day model building and not a specific task?

[qwerty2008]

I assume you are just looking for a drill for general every day model building and not a specific task?

Yes. but I will be using modified needles as drillbits until I get money to buy drillbits. One more question would the Dremel mandrel work as a pinvice?

Edited April 24, 2013 by qwerty2008

[twintrow]

 qwerty2008

 

You can buy micro bits from Model Expo for $1.79 for a pack of 10 bits, plus shipping of course.  I can't imagine buying needles much cheaper??

Tom

[qwerty2008]

I stopped by harbor freight today and bought some tiny drillbits 30 for 3 dollars the smallest ones are 0.5 mm. Thank you for the advice I will try to get a pinvice as soon as possible. I will check out model expo if I need more drillbits down the road, too late now that I already bought some.

[tkay11]

My only comment is that I have a problem with 4-head pin vises because the tiny bits tend to slip out of the vertical more than in those with three heads. But maybe that's a problem only for me!

 

Tony

[qwerty2008]

I rigged up a pinvice from a peace of dowel and a sewing thimble it worked very well but being home made it was far from perfect, I will definitely need too buy a real one. I thought that it would be hard to spin by hand but it was really easy and drilled a hole trough the wood very quickly.

[cristikc]

Hi

I use pin vice/drill and 4 head pin vice.

I think that if you use the good twisted drills, you can do a lot with these

I use the ones that are in the pictures and are all OK

Hope you chose the correct ones for you

 

Cristi

   

 

[Geoff Matson]

Micro Mark has a four pin vise set for $15.50 The set will hold drill bits and wire from 0 to 3/16". I have the set and am satisfied with it. It is pin vise set #81497

[James H]

If you need any drill bits, try THIS link.

[Adrieke]

very clever. i have a set but the cover is hard to open so they are all mixed up now i need to check each time to find the one i need

[qwerty2008]

I found a pinvice and twist drill set on ebay for a good price, I will get them if I can get my dad to use his PayPal account because I don't have PayPal yet.

[Martin W]

I have both a pin vise and the spiral drill, as well as the mandrel for a Dremel.  The problem that Tony points out can be annoying when you're working with tiny bits, like a #80, so I use the pin vise for one size bit and the spiral for another (usually smaller).  And I've chosen bits that I use a lot, so that I don't have to change them.  -- I also found, though, that it's important to have a good secure storage place for them, because when they fall with the bit in them, you break the bit.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Garward]

If you need any drill bits, try THIS link.

 

Thanks for the link, I tried, but it expensively and easily breaks.

[qwerty2008]

I realized that I already had a pinvise well sort of my 30 year old (was my dads) Xacto knife has a 4 head chuck and works pretty good. I will still get a pinvice and twist drill but will wait until we get the money from selling our other house.

Edited May 1, 2013 by qwerty2008

[dvm27]

You can't beat drill bit city for selection and price. They all dome on a 1/8" shank which works particularly well on rotary tools.

 

https://www.drillbitcity.com/Default.asp

[capnharv2]

I concur with Greg. I bought a couple sets of #70-#79 bits last month and I'm very happy with them.

 

Harvey

[DSiemens]

I use a pin vise similar to this one.  The only real difference is the handle is wood and not plastic.  I got it from a friend not sure where he got it.  

 

 

You can get this one here for $4.49

 

http://www.cmlsupply.com/pin-vise-hand-drill-bit-chuck-ball-head.html

 

What I like about these is you hold the ball in your palm and turn the vise.  It's more comfortable and help keep me more accurate.  You don't need the drill to spin fast if your just going through wood.  The bits are small and sharp and will sink into the wood pretty quickly just turning by hand.  

Edited May 1, 2013 by DSiemens

[qwerty2008]

I ordered a pinvise and a spiral drill off Ebay and they arrived today

 

Lextin.

[DSiemens]

That drill is cool.  Let us know how it works out.

[qwerty2008]

The spiral drill is a piece of junk but still usable it had burrs (I removed them at the destroying an Xacto blade in the process) in the chuck preventing the drillbits from going in straight also its bent where the chuck is attached to the handle. The pinvice on the other hand is excellent and works great holds the drillbits nice and straight the head swivels effortlessly. As I was writing this post the swivel head on the spiral drill popped off . I might buy another pinvice from that company but I will never buy another spiral drill from that company again.

 

Lextin.

Edited July 7, 2013 by qwerty2008

[WackoWolf]

Lextin,

 

   I agree with you about the spiral drill, I got one try it once and it is in a junk box. I also have to agree with Greg about drill city. I have bought a few sets from them and will buy more when needed.

[DavePete]

I have a pin vice and picked up one of the spiral drills form Amazon. I've had the pin vice 40 plus years and it works great. Squeaks when you turn it though..

 

The spiral drill works pretty well when I drill plastic, but would not want start a precision critical location hole with it. The chuck is not that accurate. Still it works fast if you need to drill a lot of holes.

 

Also have used with a T pin filed flat on opposite sides, stuck in a slot cut in the end.a dowel rod.  That actually did pretty well, best part of that arrangement is it is tapered so you can go very tiny on the hole size.

[pompey2]

I find a pin vice to be a must have.

When drilling on the bench most options work fine, I use a dremel mostly.

But for there are occasions when you need to drill a hole directly on the model.

When that model has furniture and rigging to aviod you really dont want a clumsy dremel plus wizzing collets.

So threading your hand in carefully and slowly using a pin vice seems to get the job done in the safest manner.

Nick

[normanh]

Carbide drills of thei size are not ideal in hand held drills - simply they break to easy, they are meant for machine use at high speed in applications like drilling PCB's - I know this as I spent almost 2 years in that industry years back.

[sonicmcdude]

I have a cheap spiral pin vise, and after a 20 holes, the part that you will have to push down to drill just got wider and now is just doesn't work. So if you are buying cheaper pin vise don't choose spiral, they made from a cheaper material off course. Just my two cents..

[johnegert]

Lextin,

    A good source for cheap drills and other funky-but-useful tools in the US that will not fry your Dad's credit card is Widget Supply. For awhile, I was going through #80's at an alarming rate, found Widget by accident, and now am a regular customer. But I like your innovative spirit, Young Blood!! A lot of fine models have been built by those willing to create their own tools from unlikely materials, so keep thinking as you're thinking. Don't be in any great hurry to be a slave to credit cards, either, like many of us old fools who've sold our souls to plastic!! Plenty of time to worry about THAT problem in your life.

    Oh, Man! Henceforth, call me "The Preacher"........

john