I was planning to light all the buildings on my layout but one of my stations( a Hornby Maithwaith Station/Platform pack) has solid poly resin platforms. can i drill through this? It was a pretty expensive station pack and i am afraid of the platform shattering.Im guessing i should also use masonry drill bits, is this right?
thanks for any advice
Sean
I think you can use standard steel twist drill bits without a problem. The main issue is speed control. As long as it’s slow and steady, without too much pressure, I don’t think you’ll hurt anything.
I second what Jim says, I would try with a hand held drill bit at first. You maybe can get through with a bit held between your fingers. Get the right size first time. Enlarging a hole can cause vibrations and catching. I have not had any problems, but I really take it slow.
That stuff is pretty hard on drill bits causing them to lose sharpness quickly. I’d go with a carbide or diamond drill. Sometimes your dentist will give you his old stuff although as a group of people they have a reputation for being cheap.
Masonry bits are very dull for use on resin or plastic. As stated a regular twist drill will work fine, keep your drill at medium speed and don’t push too hard - let the bit do the work.[:)]
excellent! thanks for the help.
It’s not much different than drilling through Delrin or any other engineering plastic. As some have told you, a sharp twist drill bit and a slow speed should do the trick. If the resin is somewhat stubborn, start with a smaller bit and upsize to the hole required.