I have some walthers discontinued 54’ & 65’ tankcar kits i plan to assemble soon. For the 54’ tankcar kits it says use #60 & 76 drills. which brand of pin vise will accept #60 & #76 drills? Walthers’ double ended pin vise #949-664 accepts drills #42 to #70.
Micro-Mark lists several pin vises, but a quick glance indicates you may need to buy two to cover the range of sizes you need.
An alternative was pointed out to me when I was working on some P2K tank cars, use reamers to enlarge the holes. I never got back to working on them after the suggestion was made, so can’t tell you how successful I was. Sure couldn’t have been much harder than trying to get those grabs in the holes that were there in the cars, out of the box. I really should work on one of those again.
Good luck,
Richard
Hi caboose63:
Something like this style with different sized chucks collets will handle the finer bits like the #76:
http://www.micromark.com/Pin-Vise-with-Wood-Swivel-Head
I have no experience with this particular model. I’m just using it as an example.
Dave
Caboose63,
You’ll find that this site will beat Micromarks prices and just about every tool supplier out there. Like Cowman suggested, You will probably need more than one Pin vise to handle a lot of drilling need’s. I personally use three different kinds, to hold the size I need without having to keep changing bits on one tool. One I only use for #80 TO #70 and the others for larger, had it since 1968…don’t even remember the name…there’s none on it. The link…look at the other offerings:
https://www.widgetsupply.com/product/SHG3-840.html
The pic is the one I use for small holes…I prefer a non-swivel head…I believe you have better control and I do a lot of small miniature Truck models, that require a lot of holes on some pieces.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
The key is the collet. Most have 4 prongs that squeeze together as you tighten the collar. They close down to a small round hole except for the one for the smallest bits which have a corner on each prong so it closes down to no hole at all. Unfortunately, the online pictures I have seen don’t show the collet ends.
If you can’t find an online rated down #80 bits, you may have to try a hobby store where you can look at the actual collets.
Good luck
Paul
How about something like a battery operated pin vise? I get so tire of rotating the pin vise to drill holes through ties as pilot holes for nails.
Rich
Here’s the one I use and it fills the bill for my needs since it uses sizes 52-80. What I love the most about this thing is the drill bits is in a tube that fits inside the handle and the fact it can’t roll off my work desk.
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Hobbico-HCAR0696-Pin-Vise-with-6-Bits-p/hco-hcar0696.htm
caboose,
If you want a great-quality, single-end version, I would highly recommend getting a Starrett 240A pin vise:
Its range is .010 thru .055" (#87 thru #54) and will cover all the wire gauge drill bit sizes (#61-#80) you’ll need for finer work - i.e. drilling holes for railing, stirrups, etc. And…no flipping collets to find the right-sized one for the drill bit that you need to use. [%-)]
Yes, you’ll pay a little more for Starrett ($22) than the less-expensive double-ended collet pin vises. However, it’s well-worth it’s weight in gold, will serve you well, and will hold drill bits extremely well - without the fear of the drill bit slipping in the collet.
That’s the problem I experienced with the cheaper-quality collet pin vises because I can’t hand-tighten them enough. With the Starrett pin vises…not even an issue. I also like the machined krurled handle for exceptional grip and control.
Tom
Rich,
For just drilling nails holes…I can see where that would be ok, but for grab iron holes, mirror holes on trucks for instance would be near impossible to drill say a #79 precision hole like in a door frame on a truck model. The drill would travel and more than likely break. When drilling holes in like what You are thinking or any holes that I need on the layout that are small, I use My flex-shaft Wizard with a changeable collet that goes from #60 to 1/8’‘…the key to using that, is to put the bit where You want the hole and then turn it on…no starter hole necessary, but it takes some practice. The Wizard has an adjustable speed on it, from 1000 rpm to 24,000 rpm. It was made by Black & Decker yrs. ago. As a matter of fact…My Dentist uses one after My suggestion. He was tired of replacing His high priced Dental one. LOL I like it a lot better than My Dremel and it’s a lot slimmer with speed control. Doesn’t Atlas track have pre-drilled nails holes on the bottom of their flex-track anymore? I use those when I laid track, but use ME 3/8’’ long track spikes to hold it down, ballast cement does the rest…piece a cake when Homasote is Your roadbed.
I’m so used to drilling tiny holes in Brass,White metal, cast metal, styrene U name it…it’s a piece of cake for Me now. I use nothing but Excel drill bits…found those to be the sharpest and strongest. Starting the hole, takes the time…once started it’s easy…let the bit do the cutting and don’t let more than a 1/4 inch of the bit show…especially when starting.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
EDIT: No way in heck, could You hold a battery operated drill to drill holes for the mirrors or the scratch-built brass, pipe rack on this metal truck casting with the round
Tom,I fully agree those Starrett 240A pin vise is all that and a bag of chips too-I used my brother in laws once- but,for me my little Hobbico vise gets the job done.For holes like for #50 and larger drill bits,hello cordless Dremel. I’ve been known to use my cordless with a #52 bit.
Ed,I like the Model Expo bits but,I simply love Dremels diamond bits.
Similar to the pin vise that Dave provided the link too is the General model 92. The model 92 is a bit cumbersome with the really small drill bits, but the swivel top is comfortable for extended drilling sessions and a nice multi-tasker in that it will also accept some small taps and reamers.
Regards, Peter
I have 2 cheap pin vises. Both have two, double ended collets, meaning you have 4 choices of size. The rear ends of both unscrew to hold the second collet and they also accidently unscrew while you are trying to drill the hole.
None of the collets can be satisfactorily tightened by hand; the bit either spins or disappears inside the collet. Out of the box, none of the pin vises could be used with all drill sizes with out wedging some of the collets open. There are 90 degree slits in each collet and some came those slits maximally compressed.
Meanwhile if a see a Starrett at Timonium tomorrow I will buy it.
[quote user=“zstripe”]
Caboose63,
You’ll find that this site will beat Micromarks prices and just about every tool supplier out there. Like Cowman suggested, You will probably need more than one Pin vise to handle a lot of drilling need’s. I personally use three different kinds, to hold the size I need without having to keep changing bits on one tool. One I only use for #80 TO #70 and the others for larger, had it since 1968…don’t even remember the name…there’s none on it. The link…look at the other offerings:
https://www.widgetsupply.com/product/SHG3-840.html
The pic is the one I use for small holes…I prefer a non-swivel head…I believe you have better control and I do a lot of small miniature Truck models, that require a lot of holes on some pieces.
Take Care!
Frank
Henry,
Use a pair of needle nose pliers, the one’s with the fine teeth and tighten the collet by holding the serrated part on the tool and use a wrench on the other end when You tighten and You won’t have that problem. I have to do that all the time when drilling into cast metal…no big deal, but it works every time. That’s one reason why I have more than one tool, with different size bits in them, rather than keep changing one, for different size holes in the same piece.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
I have had pin vises for some years. Last I knew I had five.
Sometimes, one for drill bit, one for tap, Couple nearby for different size bit, and another tap.
I keep one with a point on it for finding a place to mark before drilling.
What ever works. You can never have enough tools.
I use kerosene for drilling in metal. Saw this some years ago in the model railroader magazine.
Rich
I bought a set of four pin vises from a local tool supply store, and they accommodate bits from #80 to about #20.
I also got a small pin vise from Micro Mark which is too short to use comfortably by hand, as it’s intended for use with a battery-powered screwdriver, and for that use, it has a 1/4" hexhead on the non-business end. I don’t have such a screwdriver, but found that it snaps right into my full-size battery-powered impact driver. I use that combination, with a #79 bit, to drill holes for grabirons in brass or the hard resin used in some craftsman-type kits. I do make a centre-punch type mark using the point of a compass or dividers, but the key is to hold the work, not the tool. With the driver’s speed regulated by trigger pressure, it’s easy to get accurately-placed holes in the harder material.
For regular styrene plastic, I use a pin vise manually.
Wayne
Hi Tom:
Can you tell me where I can get a Starrett 240A for that price? I’m in Canada and the going price up here is well over $100.00 Cdn!
Thanks
Dave
Did you try Amazon, Dave?
Oh!, But then I looked at Amazon.ca
Wow, what a difference! Is there an import duty on machinist’s tools?
https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=starrett+pin+vice
Regards, Ed
Hi Ed:
Yes, I did look at Amazon, but I was looking at the Canadian site. As you discovered the Canadian prices are nuts! I don’t know why but that is pretty common here for most everything. The first one you linked to does ship to Canada so even with the current exchange rate it is still a bargain.
Dave
Whoa! - That’s a ridiculous mark up for just crossing the border, Ed & Dave! [:O]
Dave,
I bought my pin vise from a local machining supply store in OH. Here’s the link to their website. They do ship to CA so maybe you can lessen some of the duty tax if you purchase directly from them.
Are there machining supply stores in Bradford, Dave? Is that where you got your pricing from? Or, did you just check online vendors like Amazon?
Tom