Problem with pinning models

[ImperialReaper]

Bretheren,

 

as the topic says I do have a problem drilling my metal models. At frist I found it really hard to make the parts stick togehter with glue - but then someone told me to "pin" those models together. THIS works really really good for me. The parts stick like i concreted them togehter.

 

Only problem I have (which is a real pain) that drilling the holes is pretty hard. I have watched several "how to" videos on youtube. Most of the guys used special drills for modelling which are opperated by hand. I myself have a electric drill from bosch, which my father gave to me when I moved out (a man obviously need his tools har har har). The problem is - I need like forever to drill a few millimeters deep. On the surface it works quite well, but soon after that the drill somehow does not go deeper - no matter how fast i let it spin or how hard i push - and it also often sticks, means the drill head itself does not rotate even if the drill does. Somehow this one millimeter of tinn manages to transmits more frictional force on the drillhead than the drill does transmit rotation force on it.

 

A friend of mine who is a fireman told me that flexible metals like thin can cause much more problems when cutting or drilling them than preally hard ones (my drill sound be able to drill through about 1cm of steel according to bosch). So are there probably some special drill head especially for flexible kinds of metal? Whcih drill heards are used in the GW drills?

 

Can anyone provide an advice - it would be much appreciated!

 

Regards

Tony

[Dark Dajin]

Those hand drills are much better on the tin models as they do not create as much friction...the heat makes the tin more malleable and makes it so the drill gets stuck.

 

"Slow and purposeful" :lol: is the way to go with metal models.

[Irabrai]

Definately better to get a hand drill. Its much safer and it gives you more control.

[ImperialReaper]

Thanks for the advice.

 

But are you shure it does not work well using a electric drill? I searched several boards this evening and found several people recommending a "dremel" which also is an electric drill.

I will definitely try the "slow and purposefull" method and maybe look for a special metall drill.

[Irabrai]

Thanks for the advice.

 

But are you shure it does not work well using a electric drill? I searched several boards this evening and found several people recommending a "dremel" which also is an electric drill.

I will definitely try the "slow and purposefull" method and maybe look for a special metall drill.

 

I've got a dremel. I'd recomend getting something to hold the model whatever before trying to drill with one, whereas i can hold the model in one hand and drill with the other with a hand drill. Admittedly, i havent tried to drill the holes with the dremel yet, but i'm happy with how i'm doing it atm.

 

By the way. I wouldnt suggest going and buying GW tools. They're pretty much exactly the same as you'd get else where just they charge you more for the brand.

[winterdyne]

You need a hand pin vice. Make don't matter.

 

The metal that minis are made out of has a pretty low melting point. Even a dremel can generate too much friction - this melts the metal and gunks up the cutting channels of the bit, which stops them working. You need slow speed, lots of torque, which is easiest to get by hand.

[Red Fury]

Get one of these:

http://www.thewarstore.com/product46081.html

 

And some of this:

http://www.thewarstore.com/product17967.html Don't use the pump though, just keep the regular cap and use a cotton swab.

 

$14 bucks and metal minis won't bother you ever again.

[EmbattledSoul]

galeforce 9 also makes a nice drill, i prefer it over the GW drill, which sometimes lets the bits slip (might just be mine, but ive tightened it down with a pair of pliers before, kept happening.)

[ShinyRhino]

I own GW's pin vise, and I prefer it because of the rubberized end cap and grip. However, I don't bother using GW drill bits. I use the ones from my actual Dremel, which I never use to drill pilot holes for pins. It's impossible to get a good, even hole with a Dremel because you lack the fine motor control needed, unless you put the mini in a clamp, and use the Dremel drill press thing, lol. That's a hell of an investment for pilot holes!

[EmbattledSoul]

own GW's pin vise, and I prefer it because of the rubberized end cap and grip.

 

i second that.

[ImperialReaper]

Despite all of your valued advices I was to stubborn to buy myself a new drill.

 

What I did instead was putting a littel finedrilling attachment on my drill so it would hold the 1mm drillbit propperly in place.

I also used a drop of ethyl alcohol which I had to cool the drill while drilling. Now I am drilling just fine with my cordless drill :)

[winterdyne]

What, like a big cordless drill? My inevitable-accident sense is tingling.

[Tanhausen]

I'm sure he means:

 

"I have everything on its bench clamp and I wear googles and gloves and I only use the dremmel-like small adaptor"

 

You just misread... I hope!

 

PD. When learning how to magnetize my terminators, I DID use a normal power drill. I had the terminator clamp to a table, but still... a lot of green stuff was needed xD

[ImperialReaper]

What, like a big cordless drill? My inevitable-accident sense is tingling.

 

As far as "big" goes for a crodless drill.

 

Is that something like a spider sense? Anyway I am on my way to becoming an engineer and grew up with a father who is a construction worker. I know how to handle my tools.

 

But thanks for your concern B) At a size of barely 1mm for the pin - my models are also not realy endangered.

 

BTW: He is using a crodless drill too

 

[Tanhausen]

I couldn't help but imagining Dilbert xDD

 

(Situation: ImperialReaper going into Emergency)

 

"But wait, I'm good with tools, I'm an engineer, my dad says ....awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww please be careful when removing drill bits and DON'T you dare throw the pweter away, its 2ed!"

 

Now seriously:

 

I've used a dremmel to cut through THIN steel fence (which I used for my temrinator bases... the diametre was AT MOST 1 mm) and it BROKE 2 circular saw bits (which had been fastened properly).

[ImperialReaper]

I couldn't help but imagining Dilbert xDD

 

(Situation: ImperialReaper going into Emergency)

 

"But wait, I'm good with tools, I'm an engineer, my dad says ....awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww please be careful when removing drill bits and DON'T you dare throw the pweter away, its 2ed!"

 

Now seriously:

 

I've used a dremmel to cut through THIN steel fence (which I used for my temrinator bases... the diametre was AT MOST 1 mm) and it BROKE 2 circular saw bits (which had been fastened properly).

 

Well thats dones not sound like dremel does make some quaility products. Did you maybe not use the right saw bits? Those for steel are quite different from those for tin or aluminium, same goes for drills.

 

But the scene you imagined reminds me more of Tim the Toolman Taylor - every mans idol who grew up in the 90s :)

[Tanhausen]

I guess Tim is a UK thing... :)

 

Watched the video... his drill goes VERY slow but still... kids, point working drills away from your hands!

[ShinyRhino]

Well, I do use my full-sized Ryobi drill when I'm insterting magnets into my Dreadnaught arms, be they metal or plastic. Actually works better in REVERSE for plastic, and I place the drill firmly on the table while holding the Dread arm in my other hand, using a towel to grip it so the pewter details don't hurt my hand.

[Brother_Ovis]

I don't really know if it is the case, but from my armoring experience - when drilling in metal you want very low RPMs and moderate force applied, otherwise the drill will just burn and whizz in place and get stuck. Most of the hand-held power drills, even with adjustable RPMs, don't get low enough for serious metal-drilling.

 

Holding the drilled piece fast is also important, so the drill operates only along the hole axis with no side to side movement, which easily get it stuck.

[Saphos]

Well, using drillbits that are for drilling metal helps. Low RPMs are a second and what works for me is to put water on the parts I am working on to help cooling as the friction produces a lot of heat quickly. There are some partes where you indeed better use a handdrill. Bigger parts work fine with the dremel, smaller more delicate parts you use the handdrill.

[Br0ther Rafen]

I find the GW pin vice to be fine, the only thing thing that I change is I use lots of bits from different brands for a selection of diameters. I haven't used electric drills before on models, but I have found it difficult to control on boards of balsa wood when I used the dremmel. Something tells me that dremel+model=Greenstuff EVERYWHERE :angry:

My 2 cents

[shatter]

Aye, clearly the model was becoming welded or 'set' to the drill-bit. Nice work on the coolant (and speed management.)

 

Could have just used a hand or 'finger' drill though. It's way easier. Takes me about ten seconds to drill a 5mm hole from picking the drill up to putting it down.