Craft Drill or DIY vaiety

[ps_bond]

PCB drills are used for drilling circuit boards - circuit boards are usually a glass-fibre/epoxy composite which is hell on sharp tools, hence the use of carbide bits. They're used primarily in CNC machinery which will accurately drill all the holes in a board without any side pressure, which gets around the breakage issue. I think Axminster probably sell the resharpened bits.

The 3/32" shank "issue" is just that the standard diameter used by pendant motors is invariably that - it's only an issue if you are using collets or a quick-release handpiece.

[medusa]

Hi Liz,
There are those Archimedean drills, which work with string and a flywheel. As they have a reciprocating action they are really meant for use with spear shaped drills. Even so, people do use them with the smaller twist drills, although they only cut clockwise and blunten anticlockwise.

Alternatives are small hobby drills, ether turned by hand, or electric ones preferably with speed control. But if you have a large bench drill and it runs smoothly, you could adapt it by inserting Cooksons pin vice 999 AKK, cut through the middle. It has two double-ended collets to accomodate most small sizes.

Should you ever feel the need for a small bench drill, I can recommend the smallest Proxxon with the optional three jaw chuck fitted. I have had mine in regular use for sixteen years and have not even replaced the belt yet.

By the way, how was Norway? Kind regards, Dennis.

I don't have a bench drill, I just have the lever thing to fit a drill into. I can't afford a dedicated one like the proxxon just yet, but that's a good idea about using the little pin vice. I shall have another fiddle around. So far I've just clamped work and used a drill in my foredom, which is OK, but not great.

Norway was lovely but horribly expensive. I blew my hundred quid budget getting from the airport to the hotel and having a fairly basic meal and half a glass of wine. My presentation went well though, and I had a look around David Andersen. Amazing to see so many of the old designs from the 50s still selling. I had a hope of finding some old damaged norwegian enamelled jewellery at bargain prices I could buy to repair (I rather like the stuff and have a smallish collection), but no joy.

I saw this jeweller's work which was the only stuff I really liked, especially this cuff...

http://shop.bjorgjewellery.com/Defau...ProductID=6503

but I'm not convinced it will stand the test of time for the high price. made me re-evaluate what I do a little as well.

[little rabbit]

Thank you, Peter, for the explanation. :-) Margaret

[little rabbit]

thank you, Dennis, I followed the link and bought one of those magnifier. It arrived this morning, never thought I needed them, but boy, now I can see. xxx

[little rabbit]

What about something like these carbide drills... or these are cheaper if you can wait for them from abroad...

The carbi drill bits arrived this morning, They are drilling like a drea.....m! Thank you, Joe. Thank you, thank you, thank you to you all. This is the forum with the best people. xxx

[Patstone]

Hi Dennis, thanks for the advice, I have pushed the boat out and just taken delivery of the Foredom motor from Cousins, and the flexshaft, I bought the quick release handset which I think will be very useful and two drills from them. All I need now is the skill to use them. I know I keep asking you questions but in some of the YouTube videos, people seem to be using very tiny gas nozzles, I have a Bullfinch torch which uses a butane bottle with the jewellers recommended nozzle, but find that sometimes with my monocular vision (I only have one eye) that things are a bit closer to the heat than I expect and while I am concentrating on soldering one bit the other bit melts, is there a particular one I have to ask for as I need to be able to solder jump rings and a more concentrated flame would be useful. Thank you in advance, and I am really sorry to keep harassing you, but the class that I went to was really a very basic one and Exeter College isnt planning to do a more advanced one.

[little rabbit]

What about something like these carbide drills... or these are cheaper if you can wait for them from abroad...

calling Joe, Dennis and Peter,

I can't thank you people enough, here are the pieces made possible only with your help.
In fact I finished the pieces weeks ago, but I had to wait for my daughter to finish her AS exams, borrow her camera, show me how to upload them, bla bla bla, ... in fact, it has taken me good part of today just to upload to flickr, organize, tag, description, ..... bla bla bla
I am exhausted.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/momojew...7626849959421/

the drill bits was for the little holes necessary for anchoring the prongs, before 2nd firing. You see, you made the collection possible.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! and THANK YOU AGAIN!


:-)

[Dennis]

Well I'm Staggered. When did you have time to eat, or even breathe? Come on then, start on another lot. Well done, Dennis.

[little rabbit]

Thank you, Dennis for your encouragement. It means so much to me, coming from an experienced Jeweler like yourself.
I am not afraid to make another lot, but I am dreading to have to look for places to sell them.

:-/

margaret