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So I bought an Army Painter hand drill last week with the intention of finally drilling out all those gun barrels across the models I own. So far, I've got decent results. However, I have a couple of problems that I hope the good folk of Dakka could help me with.

Firstly, the bigger problem I have (ironically) is that I have much smaller hands than the average 18 year old male; while this is useful in some aspects of painting, when it comes to drilling it's a problem, as my fingers are not long enough the handle the drill properly while it's pressed against my hand, as in I can't get my fingers to reach the foremost grip of the drill. Is there a simple remedy to this that will make my life a little easier?

Secondly, a more simple question, how can I ensure that the holes I drill are not offset to one side of where the barrel should be? Is there a way I can make sure I'm going to drill the barrel out precisely through the middle before I start twisting?

Some weird questions honestly, so I appreciate any feedback in advance

G.A

Getting the hole centered and straight is an issue. I think the easiest way to get it lined up is to use your hobby knife to make a little pilot hole in the center, just stab and twist it around a bit. This should give the drill bit a place to rest as you get going.

While the back of the drill has the little spinny thing to use if you wanted to press firmly on it while twisting the drill, I don’t use it myself. Just hold the thing like a pencil and twist it.

A couple of suggestions:

1. Buy yourself a steel scribe. You can use that to make a small divot in the plastic before drilling. The divot is large enough to see where it's positioned and small enough to make a second or third attempt if the first is off-center.
2. You can wrap some duct tape around the barrel of your pin vise to help gain some purchase higher up on the barrel.
3. Buy a couple of pin vises. I have 4 of them, set up to go from small bit, 2 intermediate sizes, and finally the large bit that is the size of my magnet. This will eliminate the need to constantly change out bits and you will find it easier to drill holes if you can start small and work up to the final size.

Good luck

 Ifurita wrote:

1. Buy yourself a steel scribe. You can use that to make a small divot in the plastic before drilling. The divot is large enough to see where it's positioned and small enough to make a second or third attempt if the first is off-center.
2. You can wrap some duct tape around the barrel of your pin vise to help gain some purchase higher up on the barrel.
3. Buy a couple of pin vises. I have 4 of them, set up to go from small bit, 2 intermediate sizes, and finally the large bit that is the size of my magnet. This will eliminate the need to constantly change out bits and you will find it easier to drill holes if you can start small and work up to the final size.

My recommendations exactly. Point one is a much safer option than using a hobby knife.
Snitchy sends.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

 Ifurita wrote:
A couple of suggestions:

1. Buy yourself a steel scribe. You can use that to make a small divot in the plastic before drilling. The divot is large enough to see where it's positioned and small enough to make a second or third attempt if the first is off-center.
2. You can wrap some duct tape around the barrel of your pin vise to help gain some purchase higher up on the barrel.
3. Buy a couple of pin vises. I have 4 of them, set up to go from small bit, 2 intermediate sizes, and finally the large bit that is the size of my magnet. This will eliminate the need to constantly change out bits and you will find it easier to drill holes if you can start small and work up to the final size.

Good luck

 snitchythedog wrote:

My recommendations exactly. Point one is a much safer option than using a hobby knife.
Snitchy sends.

I am only looking for simpler solutions at the moment as I cannot afford any more hobby equipment right now; I will put it on my list for future purchases though

 Nevelon wrote:
Getting the hole centered and straight is an issue. I think the easiest way to get it lined up is to use your hobby knife to make a little pilot hole in the center, just stab and twist it around a bit. This should give the drill bit a place to rest as you get going.

While the back of the drill has the little spinny thing to use if you wanted to press firmly on it while twisting the drill, I don’t use it myself. Just hold the thing like a pencil and twist it.

That's very helpful - I'll give that a try and see how I go. Cheers!

Just one extra thing I'll add - if the barrel comes out not central to the bit I'm drilling, how can I remedy this?

G.A

Fill it with greenstuff and try again? Grab another bolter from the bits box? Honestly, mis-aligned gun barrels is why I rarely bother with it myself. Looks cool when done right, lame when you screw up.

Tubular plasticard can be used to replace the barrel.

What I do is that after I make a divot with my knife I start drilling but only for like half a second. This is to see where the drill is going to go without "committing" to that cut. If I see the hole is not centered I carve out the hole to recenter it. Then I drill slightly again to see if that fixed the issue. If it did then full speed ahead! If not, when, more carving. But be careful! If you carve too much you'll ruin the barrel.

Also, don't be too hard on yourself if it's not 100% centered. You'll drive yourself crazy trying to get perfect barrels. I know I did.

 General Annoyance wrote:
Firstly, the bigger problem I have (ironically) is that I have much smaller hands than the average 18 year old male; while this is useful in some aspects of painting, when it comes to drilling it's a problem, as my fingers are not long enough the handle the drill properly while it's pressed against my hand, as in I can't get my fingers to reach the foremost grip of the drill. Is there a simple remedy to this that will make my life a little easier?

If your drill is like mine, you aren't supposed to use the foremost grip for drilling, the foremost grip is for tightening the collet, if you turn it in the direction required for drilling you actually loosen it off.

My drill has 3 grips, the one closest to the drill is for tightening the collet, the one closest to the other side is for loosening off the back which is where you store the other collet, then the middle one is the one used for drilling.

"If your drill is like mine, you aren't supposed to use the foremost grip for drilling, the foremost grip is for tightening the collet, if you turn it in the direction required for drilling you actually loosen it off."

So that's why my bits keep falling out! I have the opposite problem from the OP (really long hands).

I drill the barrels a tiny bit undersized too, then you can just put your hobby knife in at the end and spin it for the final enlargement. If you're off-center, only carve the side that needs it.

If you're just drilling out gun barrels you don't need the whole drill. Just hold the bit in your fingertips, you'll get a lot more precision because you're holding it right next to the surface you're drilling instead of on the far end of a long pole. The only time you need the drill is if you're drilling deep holes, like for pinning through large vehicle parts. In that case you need power over precision and having the extra leverage (and much more comfortable grip) makes a lot of sense. But it's overkill for a tiny shallow hole on a gun barrel.

For those of you struggling to get your fingers to the correct part of your drill to grip and turn it easily, make yourself a grippy handle in the place that you need it and suits your finger length by wrapping a rubber band around the handle. You could use one of those rubber pen grips some people slide over biros to make writing easier but rubber bands tend to be cheaper (free)

The proper tool to make a divot to center the barrel is a hobby awl -- a tool with a sharp point. However, a thumb tack will work just fine, too

What I usually do to locate a center is I take a micron pen and draw a horizontal and vertical line, to form a + . That's the center.

Then I use an awl to mark it, and start with a very small bit to drill a pilot hole. Depending on how well centered that is, I then use a larger drill, and nudge it a little towards the direction where the material is too big, if it's slightly offset (though this happens very rarely now).

If I really botch it, I drill another, bigger hole and offset that (just hold the drill slightly angled, or press against one side lightly, for the first couple of revolutions.

I use a 0.5mm bit. if its off centre i can correct as I widen with a 0.8mm bit. I think I finish with a 1mm bit for a bolter, though it's been a while.

Each step up the position can be corrected slightly.

Score a dot as a target point first though, using a tiny bit, or a knife.
If you drill it off-centre, go back at it at an angle.
Use a smaller bit than you think you need, and you can expand it later, or just widen the end once you have it centred properly.

Thanks for all the responses everyone, it's been very helpful think I'm all set now on what I need to do

G.A

Buy a Tamiya Hobby Drill.

A fun model kit and the best...tool...evar!



It really is.

I think turning the bit by hand in a pin vice is a better idea than using a power tool. harder to keep it central and not drill too deep with a power tool.

Yeah, not a problem with the handy drill.

Slow speed and decent torque, ideal for metals or indeed plastic.

I got a Dremel to drill with, cos I'm lazy.
But, it has too much torque, and tears the model out of my hand.
It also melts the model around the hole, as it drills so fast.

Pin vices all the way for me, with 2-3 needed for most jobs. I have a couple of GW ones, as the screw-pump type I got was wonky.

 notprop wrote:
Yeah, not a problem with the handy drill.

Slow speed and decent torque, ideal for metals or indeed plastic.

That's why that, and dremel's are useful tools for procedures such as this.

To centre the hole I star of and just make a small divot with the tip of the drill... say I have a 1mm drill then I let it just go as deep as .5mm...

If I am a bit off centre I continue drilling as an angle about 30 or 45 degrees in the desired direction for adjustment... the small starter hole gives me something stable to press the drill bit against and when I have the hole centred I re-angle it to drill straight in.

Works like a dream and is even easier with the Tamiya Handy Drill

For a seed hole, you can also use a thumbtack.

Would a 005 Micron Pen or Gel Pen work instead of drilling?

EDIT: Yep, meant using the pen not as a seed hole.

Pens do not work all that well, apart as a pre-pilot marker.
The drill might slip off a pen mark, but less likely when pressed in with a tack or something pointy.

Unless you are not drilling at all, and using the pen to make the appearance of a hole instead.

ced1106 wrote:
Would a 005 Micron Pen or Gel Pen work instead of drilling?

No. A black dot, no matter how precisely applied, is not going to have the same 3d appearance of a drilled hole. It's still going to obviously be a painted-on dot on a gun barrel that hasn't been drilled out properly.