Grab irons, wire or etched?

[bbussey]

If you cut a strand of stainless steel wire of the desired diameter at an angle and put it in a Dremel - it will go through any resin or plastic also, cost a fraction of what drill bits cost, and is far more durable as well.

[flight2000]

Ok Ed, where did you find #94 (what appears to be tungsten/carbide) drills?  And I hope that they don't cost $20 a piece!
I only found #85s.

Note to everybody: once you start using those tungsten/carbide (TC) drills, you'll *NEVER* want to come back to using regular high speed steel drills!  The TC drill bits are very fragile, but they drill like hell (through practically anything)!

Peteski,

I've been using the resharpened ones for awhile.  I get them through Drill Bit City.  Brand new, they run $85 for a 5 pack (#91-95).  Resharpened aren't so bad for the 10 pack of a single size.

http://drillcity.stores.yahoo.net/10pacresmics.html

Brian

[PJPickard]

If you don't know about watchmakers pivot drills, take a look here:

http://www.esslinger.com/0-004-inch-to-0-050-inch-mascot-flat-pivot-drills-sold-individually.aspx

They are much more durable and cut very well, cheaper too.  Note they don't have spirals so you need to go slow and clear the chips, esp in metals.

If you want to try making them on your own take a look here:
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Drills-Quickly-Easily-Accurately/dp/B001AAZN74

I have not ordered the book, but have others by the same author and I would bet that this is good

[Sokramiketes]

Ok Ed, where did you find #94 (what appears to be tungsten/carbide) drills?  And I hope that they don't cost $20 a piece!
I only found #85s.

Note to everybody: once you start using those tungsten/carbide (TC) drills, you'll *NEVER* want to come back to using regular high speed steel drills!  The TC drill bits are very fragile, but they drill like hell (through practically anything)!

I found the exact opposite.  While you can hand drill with Tungsten/Carbide, they are much less forgiving when twisted off center...Snap.  The HSS drill bits can bend a bit without snapping.  Since I'm too lazy to use a drill press for grab irons in plastic shells, I prefer the flexible HSS.

For holes smaller than #80, I use a piece of music wire snipped to give it a cutting surface.  On softer plastic shells, you can even just sharpen a piece of music wire and push it into the shell.   

[bbussey]

... For holes smaller than #80, I use a piece of music wire snipped to give it a cutting surface.  On softer plastic shells, you can even just sharpen a piece of music wire and push it into the shell.   

We think alike.  I see no need for using expensive fragile micro-bits when steel wire does the job far more economically.

[DKS]

We think alike.  I see no need for using expensive fragile micro-bits when steel wire does the job far more economically.

The advantage those expensive microbits offer is more precision. I've tried the cut music wire trick, but the homemade bits often wander around and make irregular holes, unless you invest considerable effort into making the bit. My preference is to have something on hand that, when used with care, will make a hole of the precise size I want, where I want it, without having to futz around. I have a set of sub-80s on hand down through #95.

[Chris333]

I recently found a pack of 50 tungsten #80 bits on ebay for $11.00.  For that price I'll break them all day    (I'm down 4 already)

[Zox]

I've tried the cut music wire trick, but the homemade bits often wander around and make irregular holes, unless you invest considerable effort into making the bit.

Just a random thought--perhaps using a steel sewing pin as a (literal) pin punch, to create a divot in the plastic before drilling, would help with the wandering issue?

It would also be interesting to see if heating a pointed bit of wire and melting through the plastic, rather than drilling, might produce useful results.

(I'd try it myself, but I don't have any projects that need ultra-tiny holes at the moment, and enough other hobby things on the fire that research for its own sake isn't practical right now.)

[peteski]

Peteski,

I've been using the resharpened ones for awhile.  I get them through Drill Bit City.  Brand new, they run $85 for a 5 pack (#91-95).  Resharpened aren't so bad for the 10 pack of a single size.

http://drillcity.stores.yahoo.net/10pacresmics.html

Brian

Thanks Brian!
I also use resharpened TC bits and I'm pretty well stocked, but only down to #85.

[DKS]

Just a random thought--perhaps using a steel sewing pin as a (literal) pin punch, to create a divot in the plastic before drilling, would help with the wandering issue?

It would also be interesting to see if heating a pointed bit of wire and melting through the plastic, rather than drilling, might produce useful results.

(I'd try it myself, but I don't have any projects that need ultra-tiny holes at the moment, and enough other hobby things on the fire that research for its own sake isn't practical right now.)

It's not so much getting a homemade bit centered correctly, it's the fact that it usually rotates off-center, like an eccentric; once it starts getting into the plastic, it can then start to wander off-course. Melting would deform the surface of the plastic, resulting in a "cratered" opening. I applaud those who can make precise holes with homemade tools; it's not my preferred option. The only homemade tools I'm prone to make are super-fine cutting tools for lathe work, which I've not yet found commercially available.

[ednadolski]

Ok Ed, where did you find #94 (what appears to be tungsten/carbide) drills?  And I hope that they don't cost $20 a piece!

Yep, those are the TCs from Drill Bit City.  New they work out to about $10 apiece, which definitely is motivation for developing a light touch.  For me one of the tricks was learning to back it out exactly the same way it  went in.   I recently inquired about some #94 resharps but unfortunately they were out of stock with no ETA on more.

Those pivot drills look interesting, I'll have to give that a try.

If you etch them out of .125mm stainless steel and make them .188mm wide, you won't be able to tell they are flat.

I wonder how well that would work for cut levers?   Those get pretty tedious to bend out of wire.


Ed

[DKS]

I wonder how well that would work for cut levers?   Those get pretty tedious to bend out of wire.

http://www.blmamodels.com/cgi-bin/webstore/shop.cgi?ud=BwEAAQ4BAQECBxQUEBEcHAUFAQ8AAwcGCQkTEQAA&t=main.red.htm&storeid=1&cols=1&categories=02002-00014&&c=detail.red.htm&t=main.red.htm&itemid=62

[ednadolski]

Right, but I thought those were somewhat wider?   I would think that etching SS down to those sizes would be pretty fragile, almost like tinfoil?

Ed

[bbussey]

Stainless steel is pretty tough no matter how thin.  As an example, the ladders, end rails and grabs on the KV Caboose will be ~ .007" thick, and the vandal screens will be ~ .002" thick.

[Chris333]

What is a good source for stainless bits?