What will cut a micro drill bit?

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:40 am

I'm sinking micro drill bits into the front of a Galactica to replicate antennas. Now I need to cut them off to length. a couple of pairs of nippers hasn't done the job. Will a Dremel cutoff disc do the job or what? I hate to do that cause I'd like to hang on to the remaining drill bit parts.

Andrew Gorman · Post by **Andrew Gorman** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:32 am

Are you just drilling in and cutting them off for antenna? If so. just use wire chucked into the drill- it will bore into styrene just fine, and is easy to cut. Paperclips, brass rod, whatever is the right size. For drill bits and music wire a Dremel carbide disk will work but watch out for creating too much heat.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:32 am

Drill bits are harder than just about anything you might use to cut wire with. They're designed to cut other metals, even the sort of metal your nippers are made of. Andrew has a good suggestion, the ablative silicon carbide disks that come with Dremel tools, (the ones that look like a black or dark brown fibrous material, not the miniature saw blades), will cut through high speed steel drill bits. Do not try to hold the drill in your hand, you'll get smart little twist-drill shaped blisters on your fingers. Tape the drill down to a chunk of wood, then cut through the tape and the drill, into the wood.

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:04 am

Thanks, The silicon carbide disks worked fine. Lessons learned:

Don't:
try to cut them off after installing them on the model
try to cut them off after installing ALL of them on the model

Do:
use tape so you don't lose them
be patient and drill the hole into the model deep enough to survive bumps, etc.

Optional:
just clamp the length you need between flat bladed pliers and break it off like you do anyway when you try to drill with them and get impatient and off center.

Scott Hasty · Post by **Scott Hasty** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:06 pm

Why cut them? Why not just sink them to the depth you want...?

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:25 pm

I'd like to have done that. It would mean drilling them in 2-3 inches. Some of the bits I'm using are so small they don't drill out lots of plastic quickly, and I found it's best to go slow with a pin vice vs. fast with a motor tool if you don't want to snap 5-6. I'm guessing it would take me 10 minutes per bit to get through the thickness of the plastic - times 10 or so bits. You got any ideas?

Yes, I could do that and I may some day. But not on another Moebius G. Next up is the Timeslip G and I suspect I'll be drilling all the way to the desired depth in the resin if I have the patience and the time between chores. This is my 'learning' Galactica.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:46 pm

The real question is, why are you using drill bits as antennas, instead of music wire?

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:04 pm

Hmmm. Well, I read the idea somewhere, probably here. Where would I find music wire? Why would it be better or easier than a hole I have to drill anyway? Does it come in several sizes? Can it be cut easier than microdrill bits? Is it cheaper?

Andrew Gorman · Post by **Andrew Gorman** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:15 pm

Yes, yes and yes. But for your application you don't really need music wire. What size drill are you using? Ordinary straight pins are about the same size as a #70 drill bit, can be cut with nippers, and when chucked into a Dremel will nicely bore their own hole. For some more variety, use paper clips, bug pins , brass or aluminum rod- whatever is relatively straight and cheap. Just about anything will bore its own hole in styrene if run fast enough. I've even bored holes and done rough cutting with a toothpick in a Dremel.

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:51 pm

I used 3-4 sizes. Ican't tell if the serial numbers correspond to a recognizable size. I ordered them from China. (Of course). Nothing I used is as big as a straight pin. Some are small as acupuncture needles...unfortunately. The length is off, but it's hard to focus on accuracy when you're bleeding.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Tue May 01, 2012 2:41 am

Music wire is basically just guitar strings. Using drill bits for antennas is not a bad idea, I've just never heard of anyone doing it that way. It's probably more expensive, as a package of ten bits probably costs as much as a mile of wire, but it's only a few bucks in either case.

PS: You want a Hello Kitty Band Aid? I've got some around here somewhere.

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Tue May 01, 2012 7:39 am

I'll have to check out the music wire thing. I didn't know you could chuck wire and toothpicks and drill holes with them. On the other hand, they weren't that expensive, I'm not sure what I'd use them for after another Galactica and the Pegasus, and I can use the bits for drilling holes.

Nah, I have plenty of Sponge Bob bandaids.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue May 01, 2012 10:55 am

Often called piano wire and available @ any hobby shop that does RC aircraft supplies.

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Tue May 01, 2012 1:09 pm

Thanks, Mod. I'll bet I've walked past it a hundred times and not looked at it cause it's in the RC stuff. Does it not bow/flex when you try to drill with it? Recommended rpms? 6000? I'll give it a look this weekend, but I still think the bits I used were smaller than piano wire We'll see.

Now I'm starting to wonder if I could chuck tubing in a motor tool and just drive it into a wood base.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue May 01, 2012 1:41 pm

I usually drill with appropriate sized wire gauge bit and glue the piano wire in with some CA.

A #80 bit (the smallest I know of) is 0.0135 in which is equivalent to 27 gauge wire.

DeltaVee · Post by **DeltaVee** » Tue May 01, 2012 2:06 pm

Excellent. Thanks.