I have seen the high speed, resharpened bits on eBay and wondered if anyone out there has experience with them. More specifically, will they get through brass. I posted pics of the patient/victim below. Thanks
Any particular reason why you think you may need these drill bits? Brass is very soft and can often be drilled by hand using a pin vice. High speed is not needed or probably desired, taking the chance of the drill bit wandering away from the holes.
Bob Boudreau
Start by hand-punching a small hole with an awl, if possible. Another option, which is a bit more violent and only should be used on harder, inflexible surfaces, is to use a punch or a nail with a hammer. This will give you a starting point so the drill won’t wander off on its own.
Next, drill a very small pilot hole. Again, this is a lot easier to control, and when you get to the larger bit, things will go more easily. Finally, use the full-sized bit. If the metal is very hard or you are making a very large hole, you might want to step up through several bit sizes to get there.
Even better, find a friend with a drill press. That gets rid of the wandering problem and gives you a nice hole perpendicular to the surface, much better than using a hand drill.
I just need to drill some holes for grabs and bag catchers. I have had some trouble getting 79/80 bits through with a pin vise, even with wax. These sides are supposed to be pre cored, but obviously that didn’t happen. I have had quite a bit of experience with the sides, but everything I have had to deal with has been drilled already.
Hardened bits should have no trouble at all going through thin brass sheet. Do you happen to have access to a small drill press like the one from Micro-Mark? It would enable you to make sure you get the holes in exactly the right location and the force directly down the axis of the tiny bit. Good Luck.
Mark C.
I was thinking about purchasing a Dremel press anyway. Are they just as good as the Micro-Mark???
I’ve got a Micro-Mark press. It’s great. I have not seen the Dremel press, but I suspect it would be adequate for what you need to do.
Mark C.