How to drill holes in Bowser steam loco shell

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Any ideas on how to drill holes in Bowser metal boilers? My pin vise just laughs at me. Thanks Andy

2

Hi Andy,

What size hole? How old is the bit?

Tom

3

Bowser shells are not that hard. Make sure you’re using a good bit and not those dollar store junk. Sometimes you may have to to drill a pilot hole first. A small center punch to dimple where you want the hole then start it with your pin vise. Once the hole is started, you can switch to a Dremel tool. Slow speed and peck drill technique works really good. Just don’t break the bit in the hole. A good bit will break. A cheap bit will bend some before it breaks.

Pete.

4

No. 65. will make sure I use new bit. Thanks. Andy

5

Am using No. 65 bit for handrails. Thanks for your tip. Andy

6

In addition to a new bit, try dipping the bit in a little oil before drilling. This can help it to cut through better and reduce wear on the bit.

7

Hi Andy,

If you can’t get a hole started, I’m pretty sure that the drill bit is no good even if it is brand new. Micro drill bits are very much an example of ‘you get what you pay for’. A high percentage of the cheaper bits are not ground properly so they simply spin and wander across the surface. If you are using a center punch to mark the hole and the drill still will not bite properly then the bit is junk for sure. Some folks can sharpen their micro bits. I’m not one of them.[:$]

I buy my Chicago-Latrobe brand micro bits from Grainger. Here is one example:

https://www.grainger.com/product/CHICAGO-LATROBE-Jobber-Length-Drill-Bit-74-10P022

In the USA you can buy most of the bits individually but in Canada you have to buy them in 10s or 12s.

I don’t recommend buying drill bit sets where you have one of every size. Micro bits tend to break. If you only have one bit of the desired size and you break it, then you might be out of luck. Having said that, we are not working on Nasa rockets. Using a bit that is one or two sizes larger isn’t a big deal. CA is a wonderful gap filler!

Given that you can fudge the bit size somewhat, I don’t suggest that you buy multiples of every drill size. That would cost a fortune! I skip two or three sizes and I have never had a problem. I would start with a #79 (#80s break too easily) and then go to #77, #74, #70, #65 and #60. If you need an exact size that is not in your selection buy it when you need it.

Regarding breaking bits, there are two types of micro bits. One type has a fixed sized shank and then tapers sharply to the actual bit. The other style has shanks that are the same size as the bit itself. I strongly recommend that you stay

8

What Darth said![bow]

Cheers!!

Dave

9

Great advice given so far. My two cents worth: wear safety glasses (drill bits can break and cause damage, including expensive ones); and take your time.

A pin vise will do the job for handrails. But if you need to drill deeper, to install a wire for a headlight for example, you might want to use a small electric drill, at low speed. You can start with a pin vise, and once you have a reach a certain depth, the electric drill can finish the job.

Simon

10

I advise that you cheat. What you want is a jig with a spindle, or a model drill press with an appropriate collet chuck (or zero- or close-closing jaws to grip the bit correctly and concentrically). Make up fixtures or cradles to hold the model precisely under the bit, and use the press handle to control the feed.

This also facilitates making a little modeling-clay dam around the ‘area of work’ once you have punched or dimpled the hole and lined things up. You can then pool a little good cutting oil in there and both preserve the life of your bit cutting edges and help control any dust or turnings. (This is also the method used to drill holes in glass with a piece of copper tubing and a mixture of grit and oil in the ‘reservoir’ inside the dam…)

Much of the boring repetitive work of drilling for handrails and grabirons can be avoided using a press-type tool and soft flexible workholders, even if you prefer to do the rotation by hand for better feel.

And yes, ALWAYS wear safety glasses or a face shield. I sometimes use both at the same time. (But not for Kadee springs, which would otherwise be the poster child for unanticipated corneal high-speed traumatogens … I learned to do them inside a Baggie.)

11

I converted a low speed power screwdriver for use with drill bits. IIRC, I can thank Ed for the idea. It works very slowly but I only break bits with it when I push too hard:

Cheers!!

Dave

1 Like
12

After my discussion about the quality of drill bits I had a look at my stock pile and realized that I was getting low on some #s. Today a nice little envelope arrived with three sizes of bits so now I have a reasonable selection of bits again. The need for more bits made me realize that I break more than I thought I did![D)][|(]

Cheers!!

Dave

13

Thank you. I watch your posts on YT and enjoy them

14

Thanks. Will use your suggestions.

15

Hi Andy,

Just a suggestion to make it more clear who & which post/poster you are responding to…

  • Click the reply button to the post you want to respond to
  • On your reply page, click the “Add Quote to your Post” button above the text field
  • Write your reply AFTER the 2nd bracketed quote (i.e. "
    [/quote]
    ")
  • Press the “Submit Your Reply” button when your done

Viola! The quote appears at the top of the page in an enclosed box (like it is above) and everyone knows which post/poster you have responded to.

FWIW,

Tom