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sensitive drill attachments...

Waumbek

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Location
Charlottesville, Virginia
I need to drill several hundred small holes for number one and three screws. My drill press doesn't have much feel with these size bits although it does have the speed. I don't want to buy a sensitive drill, but I've noticed that both Royal and Albrecht market "sensitive drill attachments." These are basically telescoping shafts attached to a drill chuck with a freewheeling knurled disk that allow you to manually move the drill chuck down to the work when clamped in a drillpress/milling machine etc.

Are these any good? I'm drilling mostly brass and some steel.

Many thanks, Charles Morrill
 
I think several hundred holes would be uncomfortable with a sensitive chuck. I have a Royal. They work and have decent feel but they're not meant for that kind of volume. The knurled ring isn't as nice as a feed lever. Or, despite the cheezy construction, a Dremel drill press actually works pretty well. Rather than the head moving, the little 4-inch table moves up and down. It spins fast and it isn't tiring to use. I've done thousands of small holes (like number 70 or 80 carbide) in PC boards with a Dremel with minimal drill breakage.
 
Charles, as many will tell you high speeds are require to drill small holes - I say high speeds are nice to be able drill small holes quickly, but whats required (to avoid breaking them) is sensitivity!

instead of sensitivity in the drill itself, the other was is to make a sensitive table. obviously this won't work if you're drilling large items, but is super hand for very small holes, in the higher number series (btw, what is a number 1 and 3 screw?).

make with minimal friction, use a shoulder bolt for the pivot and adjust counter weight to suit work

sensitivedrilltable.jpg


sensitivedrilltableii.jpg
 
I have an Albrecht and think its great, made like everything they do. Whether drilling several hundred holes is too tiring depends on the material thickness. If it is 1/4" thick or something like that, it would be. A simple solution would be to rig a lever attached to the ring, reducing the force required and making it easier to break through without snagging the drill. Many years ago, I made a circuit board drill that was just a piece of aluminum angle hinged at one end with a sewing machine motor mounted at the hinge to minimize the effect of its weight and 15" or so along the angle I mounted two 1/8" ID ball bearings with a pulley that took up the space between them. I used carbide circuit board drills with 1/8" shanks and ran them in the bearings with the pulley locked on with a set screw. I used round jewler's lathe belt to drive it. The handle was further out on the angle. The thing swung in a slight arc, but it didn't bother anything. I may still have it around. If so, I could send you a picture. You couldn't do it much cheaper.

Bill
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. One thing I should say is that the several hundred holes don't need to be drilled at once as this is a model engineering project. I just want to solve the problem of accurately drilling small holes.

McGyver, I've seen your small table before, very nice. I've also thought about building a universal pillar tool like the one you have. I ran into yours on the web as part of a search to try and solve my problem. Real nice job.

The thing is, I own a really nice older Sears drill press. Don't laugh too hard, this is a professional model that's pretty well made and has a series of speeds up to something like 7,000 rpm. It's quite smooth and has a very small v-belt of about a quarter inch width that steps up and down two nicely machined aluminum pullies - something of a find.

The Royal/Albrecht gizmo seems like an interesting option, especially if I build a small control arm for it - great idea 9100. Thanks.
 
I have several of the attachments, with both Albrecht 1/16" and Jacobs No. 0 chucks. But I don't think I have used them enough to say how well one would work for that many holes. I have a 1940's Sigourney sensitive drill press that I have done at least a thousand holes with, which is why the attachments just sit in a drawer.

I don't think Albrecht made those attachments. Some of mine have a company name in California and others have no name. I don't recall seeing Royal's name on one.

Larry
 
There is a guy over on the Chaski forum that makes a small table like that. I suspect he makes a very good table, he seems like a talented guy, and works as a machinist (or maybe he's retired now).

I think he calls the thing a "hummingbird"..... you might go look there.
 
I dont see a problem with high numbers of holes. I drill thousands of .018 holes in Alum. with them, on an old Wells Index mill that has like maybe 2400 rpm. max. Not near enough, but works fine. I get 2-3 hundred holes per bit, avg about .125 deep holes.
I have an Albrecht. and a Jacobs. The Alb. is better, hands down. The Jacobs has some runout that is murder on little drills.
 
McGyver, I've seen your small table before, very nice. I've also thought about building a universal pillar tool like the one you have. I ran into yours on the web as part of a search to try and solve my problem. Real nice job..

thanks - it would be bad form of me not to clarify; the table is not my design, can't remember the author but came from an old HSM issue or one of the Projects in Metals books. guess I gotta make some new stuff; the repertoire is getting old :D ....but it is an simple home shop way to get sensitivity and works well

I usually mount a 18k dumore speeder in my big drill press (turn the breaker so you don't by rote hit the DP's green button :eek: ) with the sensitive table and have succeeded with up to a #87 iirc (the smallest i had on hand, other guys have done more impressive stuff). However, while 7k will be more than enough imo, another must have is concentricity...while it doesn't matter in larger drills, these tiny ones that don't extent too far from the chuck will break if the bit is flexing against a lot of eccentricity. this is where having a nice little spindle like the dumore or a unimat comes in handy.

The other table mentioned looks well made but it isn't counter balanced....so I've wondered how sensitive it is.

I didn't understand exacty what a "1 and 3 screw" is -what size hole are you drilling?
 
Oh sorry, I'm drilling holes for tapping 1-72 and 3-48 screws in brass. I forget the drill numbers, will have to go out in the shop and look tomorrow. The project ( a 3/4 inch to the foot scale live steam locomotive) will also require some smaller holes as well.

Cheers, Charles Morrill
 
Sensitive Drill Press

Charles,

Some time ago Peter S posted several pictures of my little hand operated sensitive drill ( Mystery Miniature Ultimate Eggbeater Drill Press)

The table raises either by hand or auto ratchet mechanism. Even the depth can be preset. There is what I believe to be a date stamped in the base 1898.

It is one of the slickest little gems I have found on ebay.

Rick
 
Presumably the entire table moves?

thanks and yes, the table is fixed to a polished vertical steel column that slides in a reamed hole in the aluminum frame. when the handle (piece with brass counter weight) is moved, it pivots on a shoulder bolt - the end has a small steel roller that acts on the bottom of the table's steel column. The design (not mine) benefits from having minimal area subject to friction and a counter balanced weight...better not to use any oil as it creates drag and put a high polish on the few moving parts. :cheers: (beer guys at request of my kid looking over my shoulder)
 
Little bit pricey at around 2 bills, but nice for repetitive drilling. I have one that I plan to remove from the light factory base and put on the base from a HF micromill, along with a longer shaft for more table to chuck height. I use both the rohm precison chuck and the collet feature.

http://www.minicrafttools.com/38128.html is one source.
 

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Here's another idea. I haven't built one yet, but am getting the part together.

http://www.instructables.com/id/$30-High-Speed-PCB-Drill-Press
 
I need to drill several hundred small holes for number one and three screws. My drill press doesn't have much feel with these size bits although it does have the speed. I don't want to buy a sensitive drill, but I've noticed that both Royal and Albrecht market "sensitive drill attachments." These are basically telescoping shafts attached to a drill chuck with a freewheeling knurled disk that allow you to manually move the drill chuck down to the work when clamped in a drillpress/milling machine etc.

Are these any good? I'm drilling mostly brass and some steel.

Many thanks, Charles Morrill


This is how I drill small holes. The drill shown is .020. It is mounted in a sensitive drill attachment similar to those you mentioned but is designed by Sherline for the sherline mill. I have no problems with breakage using this setup.

....

Bill
 








 
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