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Stable mini-drill bits for narrow brass strips

  • Thread starter Thread starter PT-2
  • Start date Start date
  • Watchers Watchers 14
TechTrek said:
Lots of great info here. I think I’ve ordered 5 or 6 different drill bits trying to find good ones for brass. I’ve sent several sets back as they had flat ends not pointed. Also for size 67 and smaller my smallest collet is to big to hold the shaft without slipping. I finally found ones with the 1/8 inch shaft, similar to what Donnie was showing. So much trouble just to drill a damn hole! :eek:
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Flat ended bits sound more like a milling tool than for drilling. Maybe they could mill their way through given more time and if a cutting edge(s) are present on the bottom end. ???? Rich
 
TechTrek said:
I think they’re supposed to be for mild steel. Useless for brass, travel all over, sent them back.
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After receiving a lot of good recommendations and techniques I adapted one clamping jig with space stopper pin and put my own evolution of that which a local machine shop owner, apprenticed in Austria with a degree in mechanical engineer and metallurgy, produce for me from my drawing and the chunk of hard brass that I took in. He said he would have to anneal it to settle it down before proceeding further and then recommended acquisition of bushings to better guide the drill. COVID and Wx delays set the production schedule back almost a month but he called this morning saying he had the bushings and we discussed his commencement of the new "toy" for this boy. The photos make it pretty well self explanatory.
The center guide groove is for my 1/64" x 1/16" brass strips for the shroud chain plates for my BN MS2130. Drilling with a #28 bit is through the first bushing and then a stopping pin feels out and drops into the hole in the second bushing with the spacing that I needed. With prior experimentation and frustrations I decided to bite the cost bullet and proDrilling JIg for small brass strips.jpgceed.

There are less expensive ways that many SoS members use but with my eyesight and other challenges I was not able to consistently receive the results that I wanted . . . at least for these parts of the schooner . . thinking "it doesn't cost, it pays".Drilling Jig Closeup.jpg
 
PT-2 said:
After receiving a lot of good recommendations and techniques I adapted one clamping jig with space stopper pin and put my own evolution of that which a local machine shop owner, apprenticed in Austria with a degree in mechanical engineer and metallurgy, produce for me from my drawing and the chunk of hard brass that I took in. He said he would have to anneal it to settle it down before proceeding further and then recommended acquisition of bushings to better guide the drill. COVID and Wx delays set the production schedule back almost a month but he called this morning saying he had the bushings and we discussed his commencement of the new "toy" for this boy. The photos make it pretty well self explanatory.
The center guide groove is for my 1/64" x 1/16" brass strips for the shroud chain plates for my BN MS2130. Drilling with a #28 bit is through the first bushing and then a stopping pin feels out and drops into the hole in the second bushing with the spacing that I needed. With prior experimentation and frustrations I decided to bite the cost bullet and proView attachment 214010ceed.

There are less expensive ways that many SoS members use but with my eyesight and other challenges I was not able to consistently receive the results that I wanted . . . at least for these parts of the schooner . . thinking "it doesn't cost, it pays".View attachment 214011
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Beautiful jig Rich great to hear you are on track.

Cheers,
Stephen.
 
Stevedownunder said:
Beautiful jig Rich great to hear you are on track.

Cheers,
Stephen.
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Your drawing and idea to move the stock and not the table gets the credit. I used it today to drill out all of the shroud plates and now need to do some filing and shaping to accept the deadeye strops on the rail top. I can now also drill and shape some items for the bowsprit area rigging. I will still need to deal with drilling holes for the various bands on the yards with single, double, triple, and quad rigging connections. I'll probably to do a much thinner sheet stock which I can cut, fold and drill than staying with the 1/64th for a lot of that. Thanks again for your idea. It is working very well with my small drill press and the jig on the table with the bushings using a regular #68 bitt.
Rich
 
PT-2 said:
Your drawing and idea to move the stock and not the table gets the credit. I used it today to drill out all of the shroud plates and now need to do some filing and shaping to accept the deadeye strops on the rail top. I can now also drill and shape some items for the bowsprit area rigging. I will still need to deal with drilling holes for the various bands on the yards with single, double, triple, and quad rigging connections. I'll probably to do a much thinner sheet stock which I can cut, fold and drill than staying with the 1/64th for a lot of that. Thanks again for your idea. It is working very well with my small drill press and the jig on the table with the bushings using a regular #68 bitt.
Rich
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My pleasure Rich.

I am very happy to hear I have helped.

Cheers,
Stephen.
 
Stevedownunder said:
My pleasure Rich.

I am very happy to hear I have helped.

Cheers,
Stephen.O
Stevedownunder said:
My pleasure Rich.

I am very happy to hear I have helped.

Cheers,
Stephen.
Click to expand...
I initially tried to drill freehand through the jig bit broke two bits not having sufficient feed control. When I put the jig onto my small drill press, moved from the cold garage into the warm den work area I have had no breakage of bits and as long as I secure the feed stock with the finger screws I get the perfect alignment that the bushings provide. It will work for some fittings and not others depending upon folding through drilling complexity in a case by case basis.Small brass drilling jig at work.jpgView attachment 214262
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Take a look at this You Tube video by Click Spring. in this video he shows how to modify standard drills to cut brass.
he is building a copy of the Antikythera mechanism using only ancient tools. one of the videos shows how to make paddle drills that are ideal for use on brass and wood.

 
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Some days ago I ordered from Fischer Goldschmiedebedarf so called "Spitzbohrer" "HM-SPEAR DRILL" of the company Meisinger
I guess these are following the same principles

3525h.jpg

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Jimsky said:
Great video, Jim. The problem, however, how to make such drill bits in 0.3, 0.4 diameters. This is the real challenge ;)
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I previously tried to work down standard drill bit points but at the small sizes was total unsuccessful in the #68 size range up and down in experimentation. I am very pleased with the jig and bushings that I had made which does not require special points. Rich
 
Jimsky said:
Great video, Jim. The problem, however, how to make such drill bits in 0.3, 0.4 diameters. This is the real challenge ;)
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I have reground 0.5mm drills using a extra fine diamond lapping stick, I admit that that I will break 1 out 3 that I grind. Uwek's paddle drill works well on plastics and wood. if you follow Click Spring's videos on making the Antikythera replica he uses nothing but paddle drills and the results are works of art.
 
Jim Nunn said:
I have reground 0.5mm drills using a extra fine diamond lapping stick, I admit that that I will break 1 out 3 that I grind. Uwek's paddle drill works well on plastics and wood. if you follow Click Spring's videos on making the Antikythera replica he uses nothing but paddle drills and the results are works of art.
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Interesting video and concept but much larger than the sizes for No. 68 downwards to at least No. 72 bits. Also the need for the forge. Thanks, Rich
 
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