Drill bits for Trend 'Snappy' & similar.

[Losos]

Some time ago I bought a set of drills in 0.1mm sizes, I thought they would be useful for metalwork (thread cutting etc.) but I have found they are also useful in woodwork. 0.1 mm below the normal pilot hole in softwood and 0.1 or 0.2 mm above the normal pilot hole in very hard woods.

I am trying to use 'quick connect' bit holders (Like the Trend 'Snappy' range) all the time, and have the Trend drill bit set but it is only in half millimetre sizes.

Does anyone know where I might buy a 0 to 6 mm drill bit set in 0.1 mm sizes with 'quick connect' shanks :?:

 

[Eric The Viking]

I think you're a bit optimistic there.

I have a few in 0.1mm increments - rejects from aircraft engineering actually. They're very good drills (SKF, Dormer, etc.), but I believe they're known as 'second series', in other words, not the common type.

I also have a few hex-ended drills, bought in the USA branded Black and Decker (their USA quality is better!). I've never seen second series drills with that fitting (I think the 1/4" hex shanks are swaged onto the drill bits), but you can get small chucks with hex shafts - sort of overgrown pin chucks.

Would one of those do instead?

E.

 

[Losos]

I think the 1/4" hex shanks are swaged onto the drill bits

Yes, one of my Trend drill bits broke at the point where the hex shank was swaged onto the bit.

You are probably right I'm not going to find a full set but that idea of the small chuck on a hex shaft might be the way to go, maybe just to fill in between point zero and point five.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[dickm]

Possibly the poor quality of the quick change "chucks" in my possession, but trying to drill holes to 0.5mm precision with them is a bit of a gamble, let alone 0.1mm .
Dormer certainly used to do normal engineering bits in 0.1mm increments, and the old number series bits were to that sort of increment, but only really useable in good quality Jacobs chucks, on a lathe/drilling machine.

 

[Losos]

the poor quality of the quick change "chucks" in my possession, but trying to drill holes to 0.5mm precision with them is a bit of a gamble, let alone 0.1mm

Yes, even the Trend Snappy do wander a tad, looks like I'll just fill in a few gaps with a drill bit in one of those miniture chucks on a hex shaft, they are not too expensive, if the results are not accurate then I won't have lost much.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I run them in my Proxxon drill. It has a proper chuck that's about 14mm OD altogether, and holds well down to 1/2mm. The chucks are replaceable in case they get worn.

It would be impossible in my Bosch Li-Ion 9.6V cordless, as that probably has 1/2mm of slop in the shaft!

I was using a 1mm bit yesterday to drill holes in old chair joints for injecting glue, but that was done with a wheel brace! I went up to 1.5mm this morning as it allowed air bubbles to escape better.

E.

 

[Losos]

It would be impossible in my Bosch Li-Ion 9.6V cordless, as that probably has 1/2mm of slop in the shaft!

Oh Eric, that Bosch drill was the next thing on my list to get, apart from the 'slop' in the shaft are you happy with it :?:

 

[Eric The Viking]

Yes, actually.

I bought the kit with the "Fein" style oscillating cutter tool ("GOP" in Bosch-speak). They both work really well.

The drill has a lot of torque for the size, but it's not really a precision tool. I like the slipping clutch for screws, as it avoids surface damage, but would prefer a slightly better gearing - not quite enough torque when driving screws and not quite enough RPM when drilling.

Axminster had the matching Bosch impact driver on offer (no battery) last Christmas, and I bought it. It's brilliant. I've just used it to sink about 800 4.5x50mm screws into chipboard for the attic boards (torx headed Paslode ones ). It kept going far better than the drill would have, and the Torx bits lasted ages, which surprised me (I only snapped one). The LED lights are surprisingly useful too.

So I've got three of the tools now, with three batteries. The impact driver is probably the most economical with power - probably 100 of those screws on a full charge (into old softwood). The cutter is very thirsty, but when sanding, if you start the job with three charged batteries, you can keep going until lunchtime (then you're waiting for the charger to catch up).

The only things I'm not so keen on are: the balance isn't the same as the older ones (but in compensation they're really small), and you can't stand them on the heel of the handle, so they take up more space when you put them down and they tend to fall off things. The L-box is complete rubbish though - an exercise in how to waste both plastic and space. I'm going to knock up a new case when I get a moment (i.e. probably never). A hot-air paint stripper sorted the insert so I can now get all three tools in together, but there isn't presently room for the charger as well - hence the need for a better case.

On balance I'm quite pleased. I don't have a need for more powerful cordless tools - mains SDS does me fine. These are as good as they need to be, but you might want to have a look at the Makita ones too - Axminster have an offer on at present. I've a friend who bought the black+white drill+driver combination and I think it's better made than the Bosch equivalent. I think all the 9.6 battery packs come off the same production line though, as they're electrically identical, with a different cover clipped on for each manufacturer (Bosch Makita Milwaukee, etc.). I haven't tried yet, but you could probably buy the cheapest packs you can find when the time comes, and swap the plastics over.

Happy Christmas,

E.

 

[Shrubby]

I've had similar fruitless searches for good small tooling on hex shanks. Some of the imperial sizes will fill in between metric. Just buy small engineering drills and hold them in a pin vice or hex chuck adapter
Mine come from a japanese company ANEX
The pin vice is Anex 99 - it has two double ended collets and wll grip from 0.1-3.2mm
The hex chuck is Anex 160 - it will hold from 1.5 - 6.5mm
Matt