Idiot needs help Drilling

A center punch is a pointy punch used for marking the starting point for holes to be drilled. At HO size a stout needle would make a good center punch. Maake aprick mark with it where you want to drill, then your drill won't wander.

Dale.

Michael Powell wrote:

If I might add to what Dale suggests (which IS "the" way to do it...), use of a drill press and a slower-speed drill motor might help too.

I use a pin vice with just enough drill sticking out to drill the hole, also new sharp drills are important.

-Hudson

Needle (you want a hard steel one, snap the head off with long nose pliers, if it just bends, it isn't a hard steel one! Make sure you've got eye protection on) or compass point in a pin vice. Locate the dimple with the point, give it a hard push & waggle it about a bit. The drill should then locate into the enlarged dimple just fine. Use a pin vice to hold the drill and just keep an eye on it as you twirl it through. Don't even think of using a motor tool for plastic bodied stuff.

Regards

Len.

I actually tried that, and it didn't work. Maybe the needle was not stout enough?

Dale Gloer wrote: : A center punch is a pointy punch used for marking the starting point for : holes to be drilled. At HO size a stout needle would make a good center : punch. Maake aprick mark with it where you want to drill, then your : drill won't wander. : : Dale. : : Michael Powell wrote: :> OK, first, thanks to the folks who helped me with the magnification issue. :> Turns out that wasn't the problem. :> :> back a couple of years ago, I decided to start detailing my models. Took :> a throw-away stock Athearn F7 and drilled holes in it. Perfect. So, I :> decided to start getting parts and detailing my good locos. Had some :> troubles and thought it was because I can't see. :> :> Well, I can see fine now, but what I am seeing is my .78 drill bit :> wandering all over the plastic... that is, when it isn't busy breaking. :> I've put holes all in a Stewart FT shell, and not a dang one of them winds :> up where they belong. :> :> Is there something I am supposed to do before I start drilling, aside from :> asking someone who isn't a moron to do it? On the Stewart, if you are not :> familiar with it, the places to drill are pretty well marked. I also :> thought they were dimpled, but I don't think so now. :> :> I guess if you don't understand the question, but are good with this kind :> of thing, explain how you do it. Be sure to "dumb it down." I am hoping :> this isn't another one of those "practice makes worse" things, like my :> experience with an airbrush was. :> :> Thanks. :> :

I am using a jewlers drill. Hand-powered. Pretty slow. ;-) Might be more than my big fumbly hands can handle, though, although I drilled that Athearn shell fine.

Steve Hoskins wrote: : If I might add to what Dale suggests (which IS "the" way to do it...), : use of a drill press and a slower-speed drill motor might help too. : : : : On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 22:46:24 GMT, Dale Gloer : wrote : : :>A center punch is a pointy punch used for marking the starting point for :>holes to be drilled. At HO size a stout needle would make a good center :>punch. Maake aprick mark with it where you want to drill, then your :>drill won't wander. :>

:>Dale. :>

:>Michael Powell wrote: :>> OK, first, thanks to the folks who helped me with the magnification issue. :>> Turns out that wasn't the problem. :>> :>> back a couple of years ago, I decided to start detailing my models. Took :>> a throw-away stock Athearn F7 and drilled holes in it. Perfect. So, I :>> decided to start getting parts and detailing my good locos. Had some :>> troubles and thought it was because I can't see. :>> :>> Well, I can see fine now, but what I am seeing is my .78 drill bit :>> wandering all over the plastic... that is, when it isn't busy breaking. :>> I've put holes all in a Stewart FT shell, and not a dang one of them winds :>> up where they belong. :>> :>> Is there something I am supposed to do before I start drilling, aside from :>> asking someone who isn't a moron to do it? On the Stewart, if you are not :>> familiar with it, the places to drill are pretty well marked. I also :>> thought they were dimpled, but I don't think so now. :>> :>> I guess if you don't understand the question, but are good with this kind :>> of thing, explain how you do it. Be sure to "dumb it down." I am hoping :>> this isn't another one of those "practice makes worse" things, like my :>> experience with an airbrush was. :>> :>> Thanks. :>> :

I've never needed a drill for a #78 drill. I put mine in my x-acto knife handle and finger drill it. No Dremel needed. It hasn't wandered yet. Try a new bit. Sounds to me like yours is very dull. Or broken.

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"

It's often a good idea to use a sharp needle (held in a pin vise) as a center punch to mark the hole locations ... this will 'pilot' the drill and help keep the hole where you want it.

Also, make sure the drill you are using has a proper 'grind' in the tip ... with the chisel point at least approx. centered on the end of the drill, and equal length cutting lips. This is often NOT the case on cheap drills that come from the manufacturer sharpened all lop-sided. such a drill will wander all over the place. Look at the drill point with a good magnifier (10X?) and see what it looks like.

Dan Mitchell ==========

Dan Mitchell ==========

Michael Powell wrote:

I use a small drafting divider to make my hole starters. Both tips are hardened points and work equally well. The divider is also useful for measuring pieces of wood and styrene to be duplicated. It can be used to scribe sheet styrene is a particular length, so it can be snapped off. It can also scribe circles in styrene to make pulleys, etc.

Bob Boudreau Canada

There is a technique to drilling with a pin vise and you need to get used to the way it is. Rolling that handle between the thumb and finger can be a bit tricky. You may wish to procure a minituare drill press to make things a lot easier when drilling. A gentle touch on the plastic at the first followed by the drilling of the hole should make a fine hole. Also, making a small hole with a pin will also assist in keeping the drill from wandering.

-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works evevery time it is tried!

To help, you can put a pad in the end of the pin vice so that you can more easily hold it vertical using your first finger, and rotate it between your thumb and second finger. I use a large brass upholstery nail which has a hemispherical head about half an inch across, which fits in the open end of single ended pin vices, or is held loosely in the jaws in a double ended pin vice.

Jim.

Very true. The trick is to roll the pin vise between your thumb and finger wile keeping it rotating along the SAME axis. It can't wobble or translate sideways or it will either cause the drill to wander, or break the drill.

I prefer the type of vise that has a small 'cap' that is free to rotate on the end of the pin vise. The one I use also has a spiral shank that can be made to rotate somewhat like a 'Yankee' style push drill by sliding a small toothed collar up and down the shank. I rarely use THAT feature, but like the way that particular pinvise sets in my hand. I hold and rotate the pinvise between my thumb and SECOND finger, applying downward pressure with my FIRST (index) finger. It takes practice.

I sometimes also hold and rotate the vise between my thumb and first finger, applying the downward pressure with the index finger of my OTHER hand. Just depends on circumstances, available space, etc.

I DETEST the large clumsy X-acto style pinvise with the huge hexagonal rotating cap and reversible collet. The idea is 'OK', but they're just too big and clumsy for most small drilling. they're fine for holding larger drills, say 1/16" or so, or small countersinks, etc.

Dan Mitchell ==========

Bob May wrote:

I was using a new bit (2 new ones, actually) because the previous one broke, and I have just recently gotten the new ones from Micro Mark.

JCunington wrote: :>I actually tried that, and it didn't work. Maybe the needle was not stout :>enough? : : I've never needed a drill for a #78 drill. I put mine in my x-acto knife handle : and finger drill it. No Dremel needed. It hasn't wandered yet. Try a new bit. : Sounds to me like yours is very dull. Or broken. : : : Jay : CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest" : :