fine drill bits

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

im lookin for fine drill bits for installing details on my engines what are the main bit sizes that are used would a #61- #80 be a good variety of bits?

2

BNSF,

A wire drill set with sizes #61-#80 will serve you just fine. You should be able to find at set at either Micro-Mark or any online or local machining supply store in your area.

Because the smallest sizes tend to be very delicate and can break easily if you aren’t careful, you may want to consider buy duplicates of sizes #76-#80. A #78, in particular, is used for drilling out grabs and stirrups on HO boxcars.

I would also encourage you to invest in a good pin vise for hand drilling. You’ll be less likely to break bits if you hand drill.

Hope that helps…

Tom

3

I just ordered some of these,

http://www.micromark.com/FINGER-DRILLS-74-80-SET-OF-4,7285.html

from MicroMark, haven’t arrived yet, but they look handy. I’ll let you know when they get here.

Another Tom

4

Those Finger Drills from Micro-Mark sound like a great idea IF you could replace the bit and re-use the handle, but the price is a little steep compared to a set of bits and separate pin vice. Break the bit and you have to just throw the handle away? Not very economical.

5

I get them from my local hobby shop. I also have the below set from ebay. They have a 1/8 inch shank for the pin vise but the bits are carbide. They will snap at the slightest bend though. You need a steady hand. For certain drill projects, they work fine. The bits were used in PC board drilling operations and re-sharpened.

Rich

6

thanks guys this helped alot.

7

Yes, I thought the same thing. But I’ve been using the same #80 drill bit for quite a while now and haven’t broken it. It looks like the handle is aluminum, much lighter than a steel pin vise, so hopefully not so easy to break. Plus I never seem to be able to get the smallest drill bits tight in my pin vise. Those bits with the 1/8" shank look like a good idea too.

Tom

8

Here is another source:

http://www.drillbitcity.com/catalogue/product_detail.asp?Tg=210-25RRWS

9

Harbor Freight sometimes has those carbide drill bit sets much cheaper than any mail order source.

10

Walthers has Gyros bits sold by size, usually 2 per package

http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=&manu=gyros&item=&keywords=drill&words=restrict&instock=Q&split=180&Submit=Search