As usual I turn to the Forum for help! I looked through the recent threads under tools to see if this topic had been covered recently and I didn’t see much recent. So, What do folks use for very tiny drills? I did read one thread that remarked how the Drenmel tools can be just a bit too powerful and too fast for some applications. I agree. I’d like to find something that can slowly, smoothly drill very small holes, say the diameter of a pin. Any thoughts or suggestions?
What you want is a pin vise! You can find them at most hobby stores, or you might have to go online.
I post this link solely as educational use. I do not promote Micro Mark over any other online store and I encourage people to shop from their LHS whenever possible.
Micromark used to sell (maybe still do) a very neat little widgit that was a pin vise with a spiral shank and sliding sleave on the shank. Moving the sleeve spins the drill bit.
Ask your dentist if he has any old root canal files he can give you (have him sterilize them, first). They are wonderful tools… very robust (virtually unbreakable), very sharp, and can be used to drill, or even file, metal, wood, plastic, etc. in tiny, hard to reach areas where a file will not fit. The array of sizes is impressive (these are truly, “micro” tools).
Pin Vise. I will have to look into that. Thanks very much. And old root canal files. Well…I haven’t been down that road before, but given the occasion to talk to a dentist, I will ask. Hopefully it is not the souvenir version, but if that were the case, it would be appropo to put it to a much more pleasant application!
In most towns and cities you can find shops that cater to welders, go there and look for the “Tip Drill Set”, this will include the pin vise handle and a selection of tiny little bits for much less than you would pay for it (exact same thing) at a hobby shop.
Again; Great advice on the forum. Finding a welders shop in Gillette will be no problem. This is a heavy duty equipment mining town. In fact, I may ask the welders in the shop out at work on this. Tip drill set.
Swanny is right they have them, just be sure you get the drill version. They also carry a tip cleaner that is more like a file bit than a twist drill bit…[8D]