What size drill bit do I need to clean out the holes,on a HO scale shell, where the handrails snap into the frame. I need to clean the holes out after I paint the shell. What about the drill bit size for the grab rails?
Gidday Antony, as the sizes of both grab irons and handrails can vary between manufacturers, you’ll have to provide more specific information, if you want a specific answer.
If it helps, here’s a link to a drill size chart…
http://www.carbidedepot.com/formulas-drillsize.htm
Cheers, the Bear.[:)]
get a cheep veinier from HF and a set of wire drill from MM.
When I was working on some P2K cars, I had some difficulty with grab irons. It was suggested to get a set of reamers. I did and found them invaluable in enlarging the holes. You do have to be careful not to make the holes too large, but with things that small the glue takes up slight over size holes. I would ream gently, try the part for fit, when right I would put a touch of glue on the hole and insert the iron. I found this better than putting the glue on the part, then a miss wouldn’t smear glue on the side of the car.
Good luck,
Richard
Hi, Anthony
This is a good excuse for you to get an inexpensive digital caliper and if your budget allows, a good quality drill bit gauge where you can test-fit the stanchion or rail and judge the size from there. (much easier to start smaller and work up)
http://www.micromark.com/micro-drill-bit-gauge,6618.html
The Micro-Mark shows sold out but there should be others in the 61-80 range.
Digital Calipers:
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-digital-caliper-47257.html
I don’t do Harbor Freight but the link is an example. Buy the best quality you can afford. They will be helpful for many modeling projects.
Good Luck, Ed
Drill a 1/16th" hole. Use some body filler, perhaps air-dry modeling clay, then insert the rail.
ROAR
I have owned that model, or its identical twin, for a number of years. It works perfectly. I have had zero problems with it, and its readings match those I obtain from my dial caliper.
I consider it a bargain.
CG
Dear Brother Elias:
With all due respect to your considerable modelling accomplishments, 1/16" is waaayyyyyy too big!! Filling the hole with body putty after the painting is done is totally counterproductive and quite unnecessary.
Since not all grab irons are the same size, the easiest way to choose a drill would be to hold the end of a grab up to the shanks on a few drills and see what is fairly close. If you have a set of calipers that’s great but not essential. It doesn’t matter if the drill is slightly oversize (emphasis on ‘slightly’ Lion[swg]) because the gap will be filled by the CA. Don’t even bother with #80 drills. They will break if you look at them funny.[swg][(-D]
Do you need to paint your grab irons a different colour than the body? If so, you will get better finished results by painting the grabs before installation. Most grabs have enough spare length that they can be stuck into a piece of foam. The paint has to be fully cured before installation, i.e. allowed to dry for several days. If you are using tweezers to install the grabs, wrap the tips in masking tape. Even then you will probably get a bit of paint damage but it is much easier to touch up the paint in the middle of the grab than trying to get the paint even where the grabs meet the body(if you paint them after installation). You might have to drill the holes a bit larger to allow for the paint.
Regards
Dave
Ahh… Let me adjust your scarcasm detector a little bit.
LION has seceral numbered bits and a whole bag of #80 bits. Got them from our power house. THEY got them from government surplus, probably after the Second World Mistake. They are wrapped in waxed paper. Not the kind your mother used to use, but rather the heavy sticky kind that the military used to wrap its weapons in. AFIK, the Russians still use it, or so one would think by reading Tom Clancy novels.
PS… Body Putty has held NYCT subway cars together for three decades. : )
ROAR
I just bought a “kit” of bits from #61 to 80 and would recommend that the OP (opening poster) do so too, unless he has access to Br. Lions war surplus supplies. Add on details have various size nubs so you need several size bits.
There is one set at Micromark and Amazon where the bits are in a case and you can remove only the one you want. Other storage options are prone to spillage and then you are trying to decide if this bit is larger than that one.
I recommend the digital calipers with a millimeter setting. I would also recommend having a set of nice millimeter drill bits since “non-scale” dimensions done in China are in millimeters. So things like holes, pins used for registration or assembly I find are commonly in millimeters for Athearn, Tangent and other models designed in China.
the Drill bit warehouse has a nice set of HSS wire drills for a reasonable price that comes in a metal fold out.
Sorry Lion, I didn’t detect the sarcasm. Actually, I thought you had gone nuts!
Dave
I’d like to suggest a different approach instead of buying numbered drill dits in a set. The problem with a set is that you only have one of each size. Tiny drill bits will eventually break no matter how careful you are with them. When the one you need breaks, you have a problem. Yes, you can just go to the next size up, that is until it breaks too.
My approach is to buy several of the same size bits in a range of sizes. You don’t need to buy every single size. You can skip a size or even two. I would suggest buying #79s instead of #80s and then work up from there. #79s are far less prone to breaking than #80s and the size difference of the hole is barely perceptable.
Another trick to prevent breakage is to chuck the drill bit so only enough of the bit is sticking out of the chuck to drill through your material. Drill bits break because they have been flexed. The minimal projection eliminates most of the flex.
While I’m at it, don’t buy the bits with the large shanks. They will break very easily if used by hand. They are designed for use in high tech drill presses.
Dave
I have probelms breaking bits, heck i just look at one and it breaks. Have tryed all the tricks. Have tryed several differnt brands. Even bought a set of drills that denists use, broke them all also.
fourt:
You have to let the bit do the work. You cannot put any pressure on it. The bit will cut into the material on its own. I find that I break bits when I think things are going well and I try to speed up the process by adding a little pressure. Pop goes the bit almost every time!
Note that some new bits can be duds from the start. If a bit is simply spinning on the surface it is not ground correctly. Toss it!
Dave
You need a center punch. LION uses a nail and a 2# hammer to mark the material. After all , center punches cost money.
ROAR
Lion makes a very good point (pardon the pun). I use a sewing needle glued into a wooden handle to mark the drill start point. The depression doesn’t have to be huge but it does help the bit ‘bite’ into the surface.
Dave
Humm might have to try the sewing needle trick. Now how does lion use the nail and hammer with only one tail? and two paws?
fourt:
This is what I use. Yes, it is primative! You can see that the handle has been put to many other uses.
It is also great for applying small amounts of CA or epoxy.
Dave