Denny,

Based on your and Pierre's comments on the MiniMate, I plan to buy one soon. I usually buy my drill bits from Micro-Mark, who advertise them as "high speed steel." Are these good to use in the MiniMate? Any other suggestions for drill bits? Many thanks.

Jim Brewer
Glenwood MD

It is my experience that most drill failures are from mishandling, not poor drills, especially when you are drilling into plastic, wood, or resin. I pick mine up at a local hobby shop and have at least 3 of each in stock when I start a project. I've broken more by stupidly laying down the Dremel than anything else. #76-80 are my most used sizes.

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I usually buy my drill bits from Micro-Mark, who advertise them as "high
speed steel."

Are these good to use in the MiniMate? Any other suggestions for drill bits?
Many thanks.
Jim Brewer



All drill bits are relatively brittle, Jim. It's a function of the hardening
process.

From my experience high speed steel bits are more malleable (less brittle)

than carbon steel and again IMHO hold their sharpness better.



They are also far less brittle than carbide bits. Haven't used carbide for
long enough

to know how long they stay sharp for.



For your application, I'd use HSS (high speed steel) bits.

Cheers

Dave

And they always break off with just enough sticking out, that one cannot get
them out. Had a Cary shell that looked like it had a bunch of antennae
sticking out of it.
Chuck Hladik

High carbon tool steel can actually be harder than HSS. The downside is that it also more brittle, and easily loses that hardness when heated.
 
Carbide is harder than both and is also more brittle.
 
The biggest cause of drill and tap breakage in the small sizes modelers use is misalignment of the tool with the hole. Using a drill/tap guide, like the one Micro Mart sells as a conversion for the NWSL Sensipress, will greatly improve tool life, even in the soft materials we commonly use.  I work as a machinist, and while I rarely deal with these small sizes, I am well aware of the factors involed.
 
It may not matter that much how long a drill will last, but don't these small drills and taps ALWAYS break after the store is closed for the weekend?  Mine do!
 
Karl Peters.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dave,

Thanks.

Jim

I was a little skeptical of using the Dremel MiniMite as it has some substance to it. I thought it much to large to use on small bits as it is substantially larger and heavier than a pin vise.

Tonight I used a #79 bit to drill a hole in some brass and it worked fine. I used a carbide scriber to mark the center and then drilled with the Mini Mite. I was able to find the mark and quickly went through the brass. I had been struggling with drilling these small holes in the brass with a pin vise.

I still want a Brazelton drill press though. Tim, you want to sell yours?

Ned Carey

Ned mentioned:

I still want a Brazelton drill press though. Tim, you want to sell yours?

I'm not sure how much a Brazelton drill press costs in comparison but I've
been using a Cameron drill press for the past 30 years or more and it is
excellent for everything I use it for....resin, brass, styrene, wood, cast
metal, etc. I control it with an old Dremel Speed Control. I have used #97
drills in it without a problem, even with the standard Jacobs chuck:

http://www.cameronmicrodrillpress.com/

Jack Burgess
www.yosemitevalleyrr.com

I've

been using a Cameron drill press for the past 30 years or more and it is
excellent for everything I use it for.<
I got my Cameron soon after Jack got his. It's very good but I am guessing the current price will shock. I was at Don Fiehmann's house a couple of months ago and he called about a new motor as his had problems. He was quoted $150 for the motor so I hate to think what the drill press costs now.

Jon Miller
AT&SF
For me time has stopped in 1941
Digitrax, Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI user
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS

Jon wrote:

I got my Cameron soon after Jack got his. It's very good but I am
guessing the current price will shock. I was at Don Fiehmann's house a
couple of months ago and he called about a new motor as his had problems.
He was quoted $150 for the motor so I hate to think what the drill press
costs now.

I think that they are about $650 for the Model 164. That sounds expensive
but these drill presses are not designed for us but, as their website says,
"Our Customers include Electronics manufacturers, R & D Labs, aerospace and
avionics companies, jewelers, watch/clock makers, tool & die makers, EDM
operations and Biotech Device manufacturers -- any place, where small-hole
drilling or micro machining is a challenge, our machines meet and exceed
expectations."

In clinics I like to point out that modelers tend to not spend money on
tools but if the same person was into wood working, they wouldn't hesitate
to spend $400 on a good table saw, and $200 on a good chop saw. If they were
into cooking, a $300 mixer wouldn't be out of the question. (And don't argue
about the need to spend money on resin kits instead of tools...if you were
into wood working, $40 won't get much wood. <g>) Good tools make projects
more fun and the results more accurate. I suspect that, without a precision
drill press, I'd be building more styrene kits and fewer resin kits...

Jack Burgess
www.yosemitevalleyrr.com

From: Jack Burgess

I think that they are about $650 for the Model 164.

You metioned these about the time I bought my Sherline Mill. I figured for the small difference in price the Mill would be much more vesatile. . But the mill has turned out not to be a great solution for drilling.

Also there is no scale to the pictures nor size specification of the Cameron unit. I assumed it was larger. I see now that the table is 4"X4" so that gives me some sense of scale. I want one but it's not in the budget right now. I am saving my pennies to buy distressed real estate.

I like to point out that modelers tend to not spend money on

tools but if the same person was into wood working, they wouldn't hesitate
to spend $400 on a good table saw, and $200 on a good chop saw.

Very good analogy

Ned "I love tools" Carey

You metioned these about the time I bought my Sherline Mill. I
figured for
the small difference in price the Mill would be much more vesatile. . But
the mill has turned out not to be a great solution for drilling.

True....you really need to be able to "feel" the drill bit as you feed
it....

Jack Burgess
www.yosemitevalleyrr.com

We have a Cameron drill press in the "Model Railroader" workshop and it's a great machine.
However, as I've mentioned here before, at home I use a Microlux drill press from Micro Mark,
and it is more than adequate for anything you're likely to do with resin, plastic, or even brass
freight cars. With 1/8"-shank carbide drill bits, which Jack Burgess inspired me to try at
Naperville last fall, it can handle the very smallest numbered bits. Currently a Microlux drill
press with a built-in speed control and depth finder is only about $200 from Micro Mark.

so long,

Andy

--- In STMFC@..., "Jack Burgess" <jack@...> wrote:

<snip>

True....you really need to be able to "feel" the drill bit as you feed
it....

Jack Burgess
www.yosemitevalleyrr.com

The best way to feel the drill bit working is to use a sensitive feed
attachment. I use one with a Craftsman table-top drill press. Instead
of moving the press spindle down into the work, you push the feed
spindle down using the knurled knob on the attachment. I got mine from
McMaster-Carr. (See p2384 of their online catalog) They offer an
Albrecht for $248 or a Jacobs for $71. I went with the Jacobs and it
works fine. I find the biggest problem using tiny bits is their
tendency to walk, so it's important to dimple/punch the point of entry.

Tony Higgins

I will second the opinions favoring the MicroLux drill press. I have found it to be one of most reliable and useful tools in my benchtop armamentarium, and although one has to be very selective, I use up to #80 drills successfully; #76 drills routinely.

I have had a Brazelton drill press for many years, and there are some tasks for which I still favor that tiny precision machine (primarily some work with brass locomotives). However, years might go by between perceived need. The Brazelton does not handle well some of the relatively blunt-tipped tiny drills that seem to seep out of the LHS woodwork, while the MicroLux can at times just force the drills to do their job.

Personally, when purchasing steel drills, I only purchase drills made in the US, Germany, Switzerland or Japan- no where else. The cost on the front end more than makes up for the pervasive absence of quality control seemingly rampant from those made elsewhere.

My battery powered Dremel is not a MiteyMite, but the version of the full sized Dremel Tool. I do not know the current products, but at the time of purchase I passed up the MiteyMite because of poor speed control. I have found the full sized tool to be excellent. The speed control is the best I have yet experienced with Dremel; the battery charge gives you a long working life; and it is extremely well balanced so that I can hold it steadily in my hand (like a pen) when drilling multiple tiny holes. It is my right hand when I take up my usual summer front porch freight car building frenzy.

Denny

I've had very good luck with a Dremel drill press attachment and their small chuck accessory. This might be luck, but the chuck was made in Germany, so might be less luck than normal. It's more sensitive than a normal drill press but I don't know how it differs from the little table mentioned by Tom. Another far more boring but workable alternative is a pin vise, but only if you have lots of free time ;)

Jim Eckman

On the subject of the MiniMate, seems like people like that one. But what is your opinion on using the Dremel #220-01 WorkStation/drill press with attached Dremel? Would this not be a good alternative?

See: <http://www.dremel.com/en-us/AttachmentsAndAccessories/Pages/AttachmentsDetail.aspx?pid=220-01>

Thanks

Claude

Claude,
One of the big appeals to me for the Mini-Mite is the mobility and
flexibility I can have with smaller tool. I can drill odd angles as
quickly as square holes. I also like the fact that it dosn't occupy
much bench space. That 2 square feet can shrink pretty quickly.
Pierre Oliver

--- In STMFC@..., "Quesnelle, Claude" <brossard77@...>
wrote:

On the subject of the MiniMate, seems like people like that one.

But what is your opinion on using the Dremel #220-01 WorkStation/drill
press with attached Dremel? Would this not be a good alternative?

See: <http://www.dremel.com/en-

us/AttachmentsAndAccessories/Pages/AttachmentsDetail.aspx?pid=220-01>

Thanks

Claude

Pierre, could you please expand upon your technique
for drilling square holes?

Thanks

Rod

pierreoliver2003 wrote:

Claude,
One of the big appeals to me for the Mini-Mite is the mobility and flexibility I can have with smaller tool. I can drill odd angles as quickly as square holes. I also like the fact that it dosn't occupy

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

much bench space. That 2 square feet can shrink pretty quickly.
Pierre Oliver

Caught me.
Failure of language. Or called out by the language police.
Holes square to the face of the work.
Happy now?
Pierre Oliver

--- In STMFC@..., Rod Miller <rod@...> wrote:

Pierre, could you please expand upon your technique
for drilling square holes?

Thanks

Rod

pierreoliver2003 wrote:

Claude,
One of the big appeals to me for the Mini-Mite is the mobility

and

flexibility I can have with smaller tool. I can drill odd angles

as

quickly as square holes. I also like the fact that it dosn't

occupy

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

much bench space. That 2 square feet can shrink pretty quickly.
Pierre Oliver