I’m building mostly sailing ships and 1/72 WWI planes, so I need to drill hundreds of tiny holes for rigging. However, tiny drill bits are easily broken; at least, they are easily broken by me; I’ve broken all my bits below 0.3 mm. And now I can’t find any drill bits below 0.3 for a price less than $1-$2 per bit, which is, in my opinion, plain insanity. I can’t afford this.
I’ve found some merchants, selling in bulk, for a price of 10-20 0.2 mm drill bits for $1, but they don’t sell less than 1000 bits per one purchase, and I simply don’t need them in such quantity. Half a hundred of drill bits will be enough for couple of years.
I’ve tried craftsmen’s shops, jewellers’ shops, modeling shops - to no avail. The smallest drill bits are either 0.3+ mm or #80 in US measurements (way to go, by the way. Wire in gauges, drill bits in # and inches… Why can’t they at least add millimeters? I can’t convert 5/64" in my mind into Si on the fly.)
Can someone point me towards any shops, which sell 0.2 mm or less (that would be something like #90 in US numbers.) for a price, which is less than “$9 per 2”. And even less than $1 per one bit? Surely someone else needed small drill bits…
Check your local hardware store (not box stores like Home Depot or Lowes). You may have to ask the clerk, because many times they are kept in a small parts drawers locked away inside a larger display case. They are sold individually and in sets. Also check the welding supply area as well or weldings supply house. The tip cleaner for gas torches includes small bits like this setup on the right.
I ordered a pin vise not that long ago that included a whole load of those little drill bits from Micro-Mark. The drill bits just store inside the handle when you’re not using them, and I’ve used and abused it, and haven’t had any breakage problems yet. Don’t know how this relates to your price range, but this is it, and I LOVE it:
Thanks for replies, guys, I’ve checked all the recommended sources, but, unfortunately, ALL of them sell drill bits no smaller than #80, which is 0.34mm. I need 0.2mm or less, 0.25 at the most.
Apparently, I’m unlikely to find such small bits. Oh, well. I’ll think of something.
I have one myself; I haven’t had a chance to use the bits much yet, but they certainly seem to be fine. I like this sort of packaging for bits. For years I’ve been struggling with nice, well-made bit indexes, which have only one hole for each size bit. If (like any sane person) you buy several #80 bits at the same time, where do you put the extras?
I have no experience with Model Expo’s overseas shipping arrangements, but I’ve done business with the company for many years and have no complaints about its mail-order service here in the U.S.
Beware: there’s considerable variation in the quality of drill bits. The ones I’ve bought over the last forty years or so have varied tremendously in initial sharpness and ability to retain it. I’ve had some that have turned dull almost immediately; others have stayed sharp for months until I’ve broken them. (I know of no way to guarantee such small bits against breakage.) There seems to be no correlation between price and quality. Nor can I offer any reliable advice on which brands are made of better steel than others. (I suspect some of the “manufacturers” are selling bits from different sources under the same label at different times.)
jtilley - thanks, that link to modelexpo drill bit set was great; even though the smallest is still #80, the sheer number of bits and the packaging for just $40 is a bargain, and no mistake. Unfortunately, they don’t ship internationally, unless you make an order for $150+, and the minimum price of shipment is $40 for air post, and right now I can’t afford this. But I’ll keep it in mind for when I’ll need a major restock… Or when I’ll decide to buy another Amati model of an ancient ship.
I think there’s a conversion problem here. A #80 drill bit is .0135 inches in diameter. That works out to 0.34290 mm. I think you’ll find that a set of bits numbered 60 to 80 will handle any situation you encounter in ship or aircraft modeling. In about fifty years of modeling I’ve never found a real need for a drill bit smaller than #80.
European or Asian manufacturers, working with the metric system, may make something a little smaller. I think you’ll find, though, that the difference between a .2 mm hole and a #80 hole is negligible - especially if you use some sort of adhesive to hold the line in place.
Many years ago I did go on a search for drill bits smaller than #80. (I know such things do exist in high-tech industry; I’ve heard stories of machines that can turn a #80 bit into a tube.) I did find a set in a jewelry supply store. There were about a dozen bits in the set; the two smallest sizes were indeed a little smaller than #80. They were formed with big “steps” in their diameters - i.e., the shank of the bit was a lot fatter than the tip. They had “spade-type” tips, rather than the conventional twist-drill shape. They were quite expensive and extremely brittle - just about useless for model building.
I’m disappointed to learn that ModelExpo doesn’t make more of an effort to serve overseas customers. It’s pretty clear that the company is buying those bits - and the boxes in which they’re packed - from somewhere (probably China). I suspect some European mail order dealer is selling the same merchandise - but I have no idea who that dealer might be.
Many thanks to MikeV for bringing this source to our attention! Those prices are indeed pretty high (if understandably so). And I suspect I’d break a #97 bit within a few minutes. I think I’ll continue to get by with #80 and up. But it’s good to know smaller twist drills are available.
Did someone mention eBay? Search on micro drill bits or carbide drill bits. A set of 50 usually runs between $20-$30 including shipping (within U.S.). These were typically used in electronic circuit board manufacturing and are used or re-sharpened - but no problem for plastic models. They have 1/8" shanks which makes it easy to grasp without fussing with pin vises - though the reach is not as good as vises. Current listings:
150183883567 includes 5 each of #82 and #80 bits.
290116208018 includes 25 of #80 bits.
Sometimes you’ll find a listing that allows you to pick the bits you want.
I have a couple of extremely tiny finger twist drill bits, 0.0098" (0.25 mm) and 0.0078" (0.198 mm), which I am fairly certain I purchased at Micro-Mark some time ago. I am not sure if they still carry them. The nice thing about them is, that they taper to a point only at the tip–the rest of the shaft, about 1 inch long, is about a millimeter in diameter, so it is not extremely fragile.
#81 to #97 bits are used to drill holes in fule injectors.
Search drill bit manufactures rather than retail outlets.
Try making your own bits. Flat spade ones should work for plastic. If they break they are tempered to hard. I use a toaster oven. The hoter the oven the softer the metal. Metal needs to be carbon steel not soft iron to be hardened. Harden by heating red and cooling fast in water or oil. Takes lots of practice. After hardening clean bit and watch for color when heating. Somewhere between brown and blue will work. It all depends on cabon content. Most holes in old boats were not drilled they were burned through with red hot iron rods. But then they were large holes. Don’t know if it will work on something as small as you are working on. Keeping the wire hot will be the problem.
Try this page, they have them down to .05mm. I’ve never bought from them though, and the prices aren’t cheap. The smaller the sizes are over $100, wow!
