Holes

[caroleallen]

I need 3mm holes in 1mm thick copper. I tried one of those powered hole punches from Palmer Metals but it doesn't work on any level - I can't line it up without having someone else to hold the piece for me and then it leaves a mark. I think the question is, is it safe to use a 3mm drill bit with a Dremel if I use a drill stand?

[ShinyLauren]

When I need bigger holes drilled in sheet, I usually start off with a 1mm drill bit then use round burrs in increments until I get the hole to the right size. Or am I misunderstanding what you're trying to do?

[medusa]

I drill up to 2.5mm holes in 1- 1.7mm thickness, which is a bit smaller than you want, but I start with punching an indent, then 1mm and 2mm drill in my foredom with lots of 3in1 oil as lube. I hold by hand on my peg and just drill through until I hit wood. I'd love a drill press but don't have the room for one ~sad face~

I don't think I'd risk going right in with a 3mm bit doing it this way.

[caroleallen]

Thanks for the advice. I've been using burrs too. Just wondered if there was a better way. I think my biggest drill bit is 2.3mm.

[CJ57]

I bought the proxxon bench drill about 18 months ago having done it all by hand for 30 years. I drill up to 5 mm on it after centre punching the metal. I just use OH 3mm drills straight through, he says if you use small drills and work up then there is a tendency for the drill to catch on the hole created by the smaller drill as you work up. I've never had any problems and have never used lube

[caroleallen]

Thanks Caroline. I'll look for some 3mm drill bits.

[CJ57]

If you can't clamp it I would hold it with a duster or glove Carole as sometimes it takes a bit of a grip. I think 1mm thick copper will be fine though

[geti-titanium]

If you can't clamp it I would hold it with a duster or glove Carole as sometimes it takes a bit of a grip. I think 1mm thick copper will be fine though

Get into the habit of NOT using rags or gloves when operating machinery with revolving spindles for safety reasons in case they get caught and rip your finger off.

Not very likely with low powered machines but it can still be painful if they get caught.

Even holding work with your fingers is a bad idea in case the drill snags and spins the work round. Clamp it down!

[CJ57]

Get into the habit of NOT using rags or gloves when operating machinery with revolving spindles for safety reasons in case they get caught and rip your finger off.

Not very likely with low powered machines but it can still be painful if they get caught.

Even holding work with your fingers is a bad idea in case the drill snags and spins the work round. Clamp it down!

I know Alan, fingers rapped! It's just not always possible to clamp it down though and a tight glove is better than a cut finger if the work spins. Well actually I just let it spin, let go of everything and turn the drill off :)

[caroleallen]

I too am guilty of not holding things in the proper way, mainly because most things designed for holding work usually leave a mark. OK, next question, what can I use to hold a piece when drilling which won't mark it?

[medusa]

…. he says if you use small drills and work up then there is a tendency for the drill to catch on the hole created by the smaller drill as you work up. I've never had any problems and have never used lube

I suppose that is true, but because I'm usually going through 1.7mm wire, going straight to large size seemed to result in drills snapping. Alan (hello!) is right about ripping fingers etc, but again, as I'm doing it by hand I seem to have little option at the moment. What I do do is use the step where the steel block meets the peg to hold the metal against it and so fat (touch wood) no accidents.

I guess a better solution would be to glue some thick leather to clamps? That might stop marking.

[Goldsmith]

I made myself a wooden clamp, which holds items without marking them, when I was an apprentice and after 50 years it still works well. It was made from hardwood blocks with leather inside and brass sash window lock screws to work the clamps. It's looking a bit battered now.

63966397639863996400

James

I just checked online and you can still buy these sash window screw locks; http://www.sashupgrades.co.uk/products/security-upgrades/sash-security/su-sash-screw-brass-2.html

[CJ57]

I suppose that is true, but because I'm usually going through 1.7mm wire, going straight to large size seemed to result in drills snapping. Alan (hello!) is right about ripping fingers etc, but again, as I'm doing it by hand I seem to have little option at the moment. What I do do is use the step where the steel block meets the peg to hold the metal against it and so fat (touch wood) no accidents.

I guess a better solution would be to glue some thick leather to clamps? That might stop marking.
I've found I break far fewer drills now that I have the proxxon and it's much more precise. When I said hold it in a cloth or gloves, I wasn't really meaning big flapping bits of cloth though but I generally just press down like grim death and if it goes I let go:)

[CJ57]

That looks a good thing to have James but what do you do when it's sheet that you're drilling through and it can't be clamped between anything? I have a block of wood on my drill base for drilling into but apart from putting pressure on the sheet I haven't found another way of doing it

[caroleallen]

I was just about to say the same thing Caroline. I normally use a bit of foam rubber to hold things down but I know it's naughty and I have done myself a bit of damage a couple of times in the past when things started to swivel.

[ShinyLauren]

I always use my fingers to hold down sheet to drill as well - I can't think of a better way. I just try and take it slowly with gentle pressure on the foot pedal and always let go/remove foot from pedal immediately if it starts to swivel.

James, your wood block looks ingenious for holding other things for drilling though.

[ps_bond]

I often stick things to a scrap of plywood with setter's cement then drill.

[Goldsmith]

My wooden clamp blocks are just part of my vast tool collection, I have made up many tools and gripping items to hold things steady while drilling to protect my fingers and hands, as I have got older my finger grip is weakening so I use many types of clamps to make life easier.
I have various sizes of engineer's parallel clamps for gripping sheet and such like when working on it, they are great and with a bit of tape round the gripping heads they don't mark sheet. see; http://www.clarketooling.co.uk/tools/Engineering_Hand_Tools_-_Clamps___Stands.html
For larger jobs, my engineer's pillar drill has a large flat vice for gripping jobs.

James

[caroleallen]

Thanks all.

[Wendy Moriarty]

I drill on my bench peg and have the metal against the raised metal edge of it, so if it's a square piece it can't spin round because of the metal of the vice, mine is a screw on bench peg, hope that makes sense, & doesn't help with circles

[Patstone]

I made a clamp like James's from the last time he posted it and its brilliant.

[Dennis]

Failing that, the Proxxon bench vice works quite well. It is smooth and can have masking tape added. Also it has grooves to hold tube. Dennis.

http://www.proxxon-direct.com/cgi-bin/sh000369.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eproxxon%2dd irect%2ecom%2fcgi%2dbin%2fss000369%2epl%3fREFPAGE% 3dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww%2eproxxon%2ddirect%2ecom% 252Facatalog%252FTabletop_Tools___Accessories_Meta lworking%2ehtml%26page%3dsearch%26SS%3dVice%26sear ch%2ex%3d38%26search%2ey%3d7%26PR%3d%2d1%26TB%3dA&WD=drill%20bench%20vice&PN=machine_vice_ms4%2ehtml%23a28132#a28132

[CJ57]

The problem I have with the proxxon bench vice is you can stop it from moving back to front because it slots onto the cross bar but it moves really freely from side to side because there is no way of locking it in place completely.

[Petal]

The problem I have with the proxxon bench vice is you can stop it from moving back to front because it slots onto the cross bar but it moves really freely from side to side because there is no way of locking it in place completely.

I have the same problem too Caroline.

I also drill holes in teeny tiny circles of copper and silver and still haven't found a good way of drilling the holes in the centre of my discs. Atm, I've drilled a sort of indent in some wood and put some tweezers on the edge of the piece to stop it moving about, but its not ideal.

Thanks for posting this Carole, I've picked up some useful tips there.

[CJ57]

The problem with drilling a piece of sheet with a bench drill is what do you clamp it to. If you are using a piece of wood which is more stable than the vice for sheet, you wouldn't be able to get clamps in for the drill base. I'm afraid it will have to remain my tight heavy swedes glove and hold on tight until I find a better method :(