Extra small drill bits

[ptk1126]

Has anyone had any luck using extra small drill bits  for drilling pilot holes in hard maple ??

On my current project (a copy of the Nathan Clause rifle in the Frazier Museum) all the inlays are
fastened with nails. There are about 80 nails in all, broken down into shanks of .05, .032, and .025.
This would entail using #55, #67 and #72 drill bits.

None of my small bits will make a dent in the hard maple.

I guess another option would be to use a larger bit and then glue in plugs before final nailing,
but I thought I would ask first, as that might be a lot of work.

Thanks
Paul

[Acer Saccharum]

None of my small bits will make a dent in the hard maple.

I think you need new bits. Small bits are really hard to sharpen by hand. Just get new ones. They will drill steel, and the hardest maple will cower before a sharp drill.

[rogerpjr]

First you need to be sure the bits are sharp.  Bits this small can't really be sharpened.  I normally just toss bits that get dull if they are smaller than 1/8".  You need to buy quality bits.  Usually the Chinese bits are sharp to start but dull quickly.  The other thing that helps is that they need to run at a fairly high speed in wood with little pressure on them.  Most cordless drills run too slow as well as drill presses.  I've never had a problem using either, but usually when I use bits this small I use my Foredom tool or a Dremel tool.  

Here are a couple links to good sources of the bits and many other useful hobby type items that I've purchased from many times:

http://www.widgetsupply.com/

http://www.micromark.com/

[Acer Saccharum]

Nails back out over time. Consider making your nails with grooved shanks: http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15.0

[P.W.Berkuta]

Not to come off like a wise a$$ but if you can't drill the maple stock with your drill bits how are you going to drill your inlays that are made of metal? You might need new drill bits. For small pilot holes in wood I use a very pointy scribe to start the hole then use a pin vise with the drill bit locked in the pin vise and rotated by hand.

[Acer Saccharum]

For small pilot holes in wood I use a very pointy scribe to start the hole then use a pin vise with the drill bit locked in the pin vise and rotated by hand.

Good advice about locating a hole for starting a drill. They tend to wander when you just start a drill.

Grind a flat on the side of a needle, and you'll be able to drill with that.

[davec2]

I use these in a dental hand piece for a lot of fine work.  I do sharpen even the smallest ones a few times, but it is not easy to do.  I have taken to throwing them away when dull and using a new drill.  It is never worth ruining a job to save a few dollars on drills.

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/LYNX-High-Speed-Steel-Twist-Drills-Set-of-19/349100?Pos=17

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Dentsply-Maillefer-Vanadium-Twist-Drills/342595?Pos=18

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Ahhh--hmmmm-- Please be sure your drill is not running in reverse  .............how would I know that can happen.............

I use a pin vice for those little ones or a small eggbeater hand powered drill...

Sorry Paul, can't tell you how many broken cash registers I fixed by asking the owner to please check and make sure it was plugged in.............

[okieboy]

 If you really wanted the very best tiny drill, you could get Guhring cobalt microdrills, List 301, page 98 of the MSC catalog. They range in size from .002"-.063", are more forgiving than carbide, but far tougher than regular HSS. I have bought thousands of these to run in very tough stainless steel. They are however expensive for the hobbyist, at $8-12 each. They do like a lot of speed and a steady feed, but if I really had problems drilling a hole I would know that I could count on them. Their 1/8" shank is great for a Dremel also.

[ptk1126]

Many thanks for all the advice.

Tim:  Although my dremel does not run in reverse, you did get me to look at it more closely.
         I discovered that the connection to the shaft has somehow come loose so that the
         motor runs and the shaft turns but the head does not. I'll take it apart tomorrow and
         try to fix it.

Acer: I had read your tip about grooved shanks before and plan to do so.

P.W.Berkuta: I have already made all the inlays except for the comb and wear plates and
                      drilled all the holes. I mark the holes on the stock and use a punch for a pilot
                      hole for the drill bit.

Others: I was using new bits but they are probably not the best, so I appreciate the sources.
             My set of small bits (60-72) I bought from Micro Mark but they are very fragile. This is
             not a knock on Micro Mark as I have bought a lot of stuff from them going way back to
             my days of building plank-on-frame sailing ship models.

All the best
Paul


 

[sweed]

After ya get th drill runnin th right direction with new bits, STOP right there, an procure some bees wax. Then drill a hole in th bees wax for ya start on th maple. Them little bits are notorious fer loadin up an just buildin a fire! Run th bit in a little, pull it out, in a little more, pull it out! Wax often! Not a gun builder, but a boat builder that has worked with many different exotic woods. Get er done!

[Angus]

Keep an eye on the drill bit geometry. At work I ran into some import drills that did not have cutting edge relief. This will ruin your day when drilling tool steel let alone a wandering hole in maple. Buy a good drill from a reputable name. Many times at work, if a drill under 1/8" gets dull, I pitch it and get a new one. My time is more valuable than messing around with a bit that may give me fits.
HSS should cut your wood, brass and steel. There is nothing on a longrifle that you can't drill with HSS. Cobalt is a little more $ but you don't have to spend it. Don't buy carbide for wood thinking "this will cure my problems." Carbide loves speed and feed, but also needs an absolute rigid setup in a machine. I've seen countless times where one of the guys in the shop tries to drill out a broken bolt in a drill press with carbide and busts it off. I warn them every time, but what do I know.

[FDR]

Dental burrs. Ask your dentist the next visit if he has any worn ones. Most are carbide and they run well in the Dremel.  I also use a little epxoy in the nail holes. Belt and suspenders approach.

[fm tim]

Try McMaster-Carr

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-drill-bits/=wxb1f1

[flehto]

Lately when buying small "hardware store" drill bits, which are made in China, I've found that some have  incorrect cutting edge relief....the heel hits first so the cutting edge doesn't grab. Also these "Made in china" drills have bent shanks that either have to be straightened or ground off. I do sharpen my small HSS drills, some of which have been used for 30 yrs.. Of course, I don't go smaller than 1/32".....Fred

[Mark Elliott]

I use iron, brass, and silver wire for pins.   I drill a hole for them through the inlay and into the wood .002" undersize.  I countersink the hole in the inlay with a hand countersink, tap a short piece of wire into the hole, clip off the excess as close as I can with some small diagonal cutters, and then pien the wire into the countersink with a 4oz ball pien hammer.   I buy those drill bits by the dozen.   They come in a little plastic box or paper envelope.   I use them with a collet (I have a bunch) in a cordless (Li-Ion) Dremel.   I also have a tiny Archimedes drill for the tiniest of the numbered drill bits.  I usually break the bits before I need to sharpen them.  They are kinda like jewelers saw blades,  I don't expect them to have a long life.