Pin vice recommendations?

[CPDDET]

I've reached a point I'm my build where I'm going to need a pin vice and bits.

 

I see Micromark has several different styles so I'm looking for advice / suggestions.

 

Dave

[Richmond]

I use the Tamiya pin vise - their model 74112 is their best one as it takes 0.1mm to 3.1mm bits

 

https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/74112pinvise_d_r/index.htm

 

If you shop around you shouldn't have to pay more than $17 for it.

[Bill Tuttle]

I would watch E-Bay for a used  Starrett. I own a few of these and they very accurate. Probably run around the same price as the Tamiya Richmond has mentioned. Good luck I just hate the cheap ones being made now, as it seems none of them are centered 

[Moab]

I'll also vote for the Starrett. Beautifully made, accurate and lives up to the Starrett reputation...Moab

[Bob Cleek]

Ditto on the Starrett pin vise, although the ones I've seen on FleaBay lately sometimes cost almost as much as the new ones! 

 

As for bits, I'd recommend starting with a Rogers bit set (about $25,) which comes in an indexed stand with a plastic protective cover. (Without the cover, if you drop the stand, I guarantee you'll be unable to find at least three of the bits that spill out all over the floor!) Thereafter, I'd suggest you subscribe to the MicroMark and Model Expo email catalogs. They will pester you to death with "sales," but if you keep an eye open, they sometimes have really good clearance deals on drill bits that come in tubes of ten or twelve of the same size. When they come along, stock up on the sizes you use the most. You can then refill your drill index as you break bits... any you will. You will.

 

 

Edited July 17, 2019 by Bob Cleek

[mtaylor]

If you want great small bits for carving, etc.  Check with your dentist for his used burrs.  You can also find them on fleabay for not much money.  

[allanyed]

My dentist gave me a few used burrs and I found they were far too dull after grinding tooth enamel when the smoke started rising from the wood on which I tried them.   He then gave me a few new ones and they were much better, but the range of sizes was small so I bit the bullet and bought a variety of cutter and polishing burrs with different sizes and shapes.   I am now trying a combination of burr carving for the initial shaping work, and chisels and gouges for the detail work and texturing.    

Allan 

[allanyed]

Dave,

For bitts for wood, the set Bob shows are great.  But, if you are going to be drilling through brass or even steel, they will not hold up very long.  McMaster Carr has bits in wire gage sizes down to 96 if I remember correctly.  They are a "bit" pricy but will not dull for a long time. They have steel, carbide and other materials, but the prices do get ridiculous for the super high end bitts which are probably never needed with the materials we use in this hobby of ours.  You really do  need a very good pin vice to  hold the tiniest bitts securely. 

Allan

[Moab]

Y.T....I went on Lee Valley's website to spend some $$$ and the vice is out of stock. Incredibly it indicated it would be available December 4th....Moab

 

 

[toms10]

On 7/16/2019 at 9:16 PM, biltut said:

I would watch E-Bay for a used  Starrett. I own a few of these and they very accurate. Probably run around the same price as the Tamiya Richmond has mentioned. Good luck I just hate the cheap ones being made now, as it seems none of them are centered 

Definitely agree with used Starrett for E-Bay.  I work in the tool making industry and it is the "go to" brand for tools.  I have bought the cheap ones and you get exactly what you pay for.  I bought my existing pin vises as a used Starrett set from E-Bay and don't regret it for a second.

Tom

[wefalck]

Sure, old toolmaker's tools are the best, but I recently found quite good quality ones on ebay (disclaimer: I have no other relationship with the sellers then as a customer):

 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Good-Quality-Slim-Brass-Single-Ended-Pin-Vise-Tools-Hold-Drills-Pins-Wire-Vice/281157809979?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Quality-Wooden-Handle-Single-Ended-Pin-Vise-Tools-Hold-Drills-Pins-Wire-Vice/281339713517?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

Stay away from double-ended pin-vices and those with collets. It is good to have a whole collection of them, as it is handy to leave certain tools in them for quick use.

[CPDDET]

Decided to go with this set of Starrett pin vices. Thanks to all for sharing your advice and suggestions.

 

[Bob Cleek]

You can't ever go wrong with Starrett. You might go broke, but you'll never go wrong!

 

[wefalck]

The Starret ones are toolmaker pin-vices, meant to hold reamers or files and such things. Eclipse for instance would be European product of comparable quality.

 

The pin-vices or needle-holders I showed originate in biology and horology respectively, I believe. I like the slender brass ones for working in tight spaces, such as rigging. You are less likely to get hooked with the tightening screw. Also, the pencil-size diameter makes for comfortable handling.

 

For bigger jobs I also have toolmaker-style ones.

Edited September 28, 2019 by wefalck

[Jaager]

The one that I find most comfortable to use is a General Tools 92 Swivel Head Pin Vise

However,  it is an old version and I am fairly sure it was before China became the fabricator, so I do not know if the same tolerances obtain..

Compared to these others, it is like a kid from Dog Patch showing up at a exclusive boarding school dance, but it works for me.

 

[wefalck]

General Tools 92 Swivel Head doesn't mean anything to us over here - what about a picture ?

[bruce d]

https://www.opentip.com/search.php?cPath=12575&products_id=3601985&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItdDPq5fz5AIVWeDtCh3-kwNUEAQYASABEgI_YfD_BwE

 

 

[wefalck]

Have one like this as well and it is very good, but I wish I bought the type with spring-return, so that it can be used with one hand only.

[reklein]

I would also recommend downloading a copy of a conversion table of numbered bits to thousandths and keep it near your workbench.

[Jaager]

From the link that Bruce D provided - its is obvious that the Suits have altered the design - sacrificing quality for profit,  like that is anything but the rule.

The old swivel is significantly larger and I bet the collets are less precise, not that the originals were up to anything but wood as a target.

[wefalck]

Prompted by the discussion here, I did something that I had in mind to do for already a while: I created a page on my Web-site for hand-held work-holding tools from my tool collection. For this I took a couple of pictures:

 

 1 - Archimedes drill for watchmakers.
 2 - Slender modern pin-vice with hollow fluted brass body.
 3 - Slender antique pin-vice with hollow fluted brass body.
 4 - Shop-made pin-vice with walnut body and head made from an insert drill-chuck; these drill-chucks are unfit for their intended purpose as they usually do not run true.
 5 - Eclipse toolmaker's pin-vice with knurled steel body; these come in different sizes.
 6 - French-style pin-vice; these are closed with the sliding ring and have usually brass inserts in the two jaws that can be adapted to special needs;
 7 - Dito, here the jaws are replaced in hard-wood for delicate parts.
 8 - Antique laboratory pin-vice with fluted wooden handle.
 9 - Modern pin-vice with fluted wooden handle; these come in different sizes and capacities.
10 - Antique toolmaker's pin-vice for very delicate work in confined spaces.
 

 1 - Toolmaker's hand-held vice that is closed with a sliding ring.
 2 - Hand-vice with parallel serrated jaws moved by a screw.
 3 - Antique american style hand-vice; the jaws are closed by screwing in the conical body; the handle and body have been replaced.
 4 - Hand-held collet-holder; this uses horological lathe collets; the advantage is that work can be transferred between the holder and the lathe when it has the nominal collet diameter.
 5 - Castrovejo surgical non-locking needle-holder; they come in various sizes, this one is for eye-surgery.
 6 - Antique surgical locking needle-holder; these come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.
 

 

[wefalck]

When it is about freehand-drilling this is a largely academic discussion. Even the worst pin-vice is much better than the error introduced by your shaking and wobbly hand.

 

What you call 'pin-chuck' also runs by the name of 'insert drill-chuck' and as I said above, there are pretty bad ones around as well, that are not fit for the purpose, namely to be used in stationary drilling machines, when you want to use drills smaller than the range of chuck on the machine.

 

A good quality drill chuck has always three jaws, while cheap chucks, collets and most pin-vices are slotted cross-wise, giving them four jaws. On pin-vices concentricity is largely inconsequential, as they are hand-held.

[GrandpaPhil]

This is mine:

 

I’ve been using it for over a year now and had no problems with it.

 

I’ll give you a better opinion after I use it to drill the 200 holes for the gunport lid rigging on my Victory.

 

 The anchors belong to my Prince de Neufchatel.