0.5mm drill bits

[Kwant]

I keep breaking them, would I be better off using a pin vice thing to drill with rather than my flexshaft? Is it very difficult to use a pin vice to drill? Normally I have a very steady hand and make my bits last for ages, using burr saver every time but gah I lost the tip of one in a recent piece and when I went to the chemist to get alum they looked at me like I was nuts.

[lilia]

I stopped using 0.5 drillbits in the flexshaft as mine kept breaking off and were getting stuck inside the metal. I only use them with my pinvise now to hand-drill.

They don't sell alum in the chemists any more. I buy mine from eBay.

[mizgeorge]

I get my alum from either an online chemist or a middle eastern spice shop (usually cheaper). A couple of upmarket gents shaving shops also sell it in block form.

I hold my small drillbits with one of these http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/...text=drill+bit and definitely have less breakages this way. Otherwise, I use a pinvise too

[Dennis]

I don't really need very small holes, but even the 0.7 mm drills break from time to time when using my Proxxon mini bench drill, which is very steady. For smaller holes in metal you might do better with something on the lines of Cooksons 999 330 Archimedian hand drill.

At the weekly class I attend, I have also seen others succeed with the bow drill, Cooksons 999 331. As it has a reciprocating action meant for spear drills, which cut both ways and twist drills only cut clockwise, I am too prudish to take up that idea. Spear drills are difficult to find, but can be made from sewing neeles. Dennis.

[Goldsmith]

Have you thought of making your own drills. when I was an apprentice back in the 1960s I was taught to make my own drill bits. We made UK regalia mostly and one of the regular jobs was drilling hundreds of fine holes through silver star castings, such as KBEs,GBEs,KCBs,GCBs and on. We made our drills using needles, I was sent out to the tailor's supply shop to buy large packs of needles called 8 Sharps, then while holding the needle in some pin tongs I would use pliers to snap off half of the eye of the needle, then using an oilstone shape each side like a screwdriver before shaping the cutting edges. These needle made fine drills and saved a lot of money.
James

[ps_bond]

http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/tut...drillbits.html

Almost identical, just the cutting edges are different with the way I was shown.

[Kwant]

Thanks all certainly some food for thought.