Hi everyone. I would like to know if I should buy a pin vise. If yes, what model would you suggest?
Thanks for your help!
Stéphan
YES!!!My arsenal.
All of the above will go down to a #80 drill bit.
This is the only source I know of for the micro chuck.https://www.micromark.com/Precision-Micro-Drill-Chuck-for-Cordless-Screwdriver
I found another source.
https://www.amazon.com/Keyless-Capacity-Cordless-Screwdrivers-45-01401/dp/B08TB6J7Z1/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=mini+drill+chuck&qid=1612204431&sr=8-19 If you have a slow RPM drill with a ¼" hex chuck it works great. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I second the YES!
There are a number of different styles, and we have a couple of threads here already on the forum that mention different 'makes and models'. The better ones are made with very precise arrangements to 'grip' the tool or part inserted, and the best ones use what is called a 'collet', a concentric arrangement of spring fingers that when compressed clamps the tool precisely along its length. These are generally better than the type with an insert that looks and works like a small three-jaw chuck with an end cap that tightens it, but precise collets sometimes have a very restricted range of 'usefulness' and the cost of a full set to handle a range of drill and tap sizes can be astounding.
Either of these types will probably last you a lifetime and give you something to pass to the next generation of modelers. They can be expensive, but it's worth it to spend the money once and have something that's right 'forever'. (Of course it also has to be said that 'any' pin vise is likely better than having none...)
Sometimes you'll find a double-ended vise valuable, for example if drilling and tapping multiple holes at a time. At other times you may value having a good rotating hand or palm rest at the non-business end, to help aligning and rotating the tool at the same time. The 'best' answer is probably to have both, with the first type you buy being the most likely to suit the immediate need.
I also advise that you get, or make when you can, a set of tube drilling and tapping guides that can align whatever is in the pin vise with the thing you're working on. A common frustration is that the very small bits and taps break very easily if twisted or misaligned: if you have a 'second' hand keeping them lined up as they turn, the disaster rate goes waaaaaaay down, and the ease of starting a hole or thread goes up in similar measure. There are kits on eBay and other sources that feature the clearance and tap drills, tap, and tubes for some of the popular sizes of model-railroad screw if you want a 'one-stop solution'.
When you get one, take some time to polish the threads in the end, and carefully remove any burrs or toolmarks on the parts of the vise that hold the tool, even if the vise is a relatively inexpensive type. Then use a tiny amount of good grease or antiseize in the cap and threads.
RR_Mel ...If you have a slow RPM drill with a ¼" hex chuck it works great.
Mel, I have one of those small Micro-Mark chucks, and use it in my Dewalt battery-powered impact driver.
Because the impact driver is heavier than most of the stuff into which I'd be drilling holes, I support the driver in the drawer of my work desk, then "feed" the item to be drilled onto the drillbit. The low speed available from the driver is ideal for drilling into plastic, much as it would be in a pin vise, but with a lot less effort, and no worries about making the hole too big due to melting of the plastic by high speeds.
I also have a number of pin vises which will accommodate drill bits from #80 up to a #6...although I'd guess that the one which can accommodate a #6 drill bit wouldn't be considered a pin-vise.
Wayne
Yes!!! I have three to suit a variety of bit sizes.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Yes, you need a pin vise. Why? Not everything is worthy of an electric drill. I have ruined pieces/parts because an electric drill was too much overkill for the job and the small part. A pin vise allows better control and precise holes. Another thing with electric drills, not all chucks/collets go down to the small micro sizes we need for drilling. A pin vise with a smaller collett will give you the grip you need for those small diameter bits for precise drilling.
I have several sizes, and the best ones I purchased at a train show, $5 each. I'm sure micromark has a selection.
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Yes. You should have one.
The style is a personal choice. You will need to find what is comfortable in your hand for use.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
WayneI have a slick mini drill that my grandson gave me for Christmas many years ago that works super good on my hobby bench.It is dual speed, 600RPM hi and 200RPM low. As you can see in the picture the trigger has forward and reverse. Perfect for my hobby. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Yes, I'd buy one to have for small spaces. For larger ones or need better work, I suggest using a power drill. Both have the places.
I've collected several over the years. I use them all, as each has it's own job. I like those mini drill chucks, I have those, as well, for use in battery operated screw drivers.
Mike.
My You Tube
If I can justify the purchase of a tool, I do it. A pin vise is a tool that you never appreciate until you get one. And, they won't set you back a fortune, either.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
NO
Well....no one else has said so. If you don't like it cancel me.
I have two cheap ones and I have used pliers to try to keep the drill bit from slipping or sliding back into the collet. I have not always been successful.
Do you need one or are you a compulsive tool collector like the rest of us?
If you want to install you own grab irons and railings, you need something. Drilling a #78 hole with a big clunky hand held battery powered drill is easy, only if you have the steadiness of an retinal surgeon.
I own two sizes of Starret pin vises, bought off Ebay and they satisfy all my needs.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
In journalism, there's Betteridge's Law of Headlines: any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered with the word no.
Now, when it comes to tools, this works the opposite. If you decide to start a thread asking if you need a tool, the answer is yes.
I also have a number of pin vises, including a push-drill type. Like most newbies, I started with a cheap one. As I got more experience, I started buying better pin vises. The best ones I've used are made by Starrett (made in USA), but then they are not cheap.
There was a previous discussion on this topic, a few recommended Starett Pin vises. I hunted a 2 piece set down on Ebay, and I was quite pleased with them. I've seen them for reasonable prices there, for the quality you're getting. The set I got allows gripping from 1/16 down to #80
Cheapo pin vises can have a problem gripping the bit. As was mentioned above, even tightening with pliers can still not cut it. Dan
Yes on pin vises. Indeed, in one or another of his Kalmbach books on freight car modeling, Jeff Wilson suggests having a dedicated pin vise, a double ended type, with the 2-56 tap in one end and the 2-56 bit in the other.
Dave Nelson
I agree with those who have voted "yes" on pin vices. They are very helpful tools. MisterBeasley is right: You will appreciate a pin vice after you get one.
DEW
Everyone else has already stated this, but absolutely yes, you need one! I got mine for real cheap off of Amazon. While you can get a cheap one (not saying you should), you definitely either need decent drill bits, or buy a bunch of cheap ones, because drill bits at this size will break.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Yes...and purchase Starrett brand. They are well-worth the cost and hold even tiny drill bits (e.g. #80) firmly. You won't regret purchasing one.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Heres one more YES to pin vises. Actually, its a YES to most any small tools if you plan to work on scale models. As an additive plus, small tools are actually handy around the house too. So your doing yourself a favor by investing in something like this.
PMR
Absolutely. I'd get a selection too. Your most used drill-bits can stay in those pin-vises and those will be ready to go for various tasks. See what's available at your local hobby shop, or even online. I have one of those mini 1/4" chucks and as soon as I get a small drill I'll be using it for drilling holes in styrene models.
Alvie
Harrisonyou definitely either need decent drill bits, or buy a bunch of cheap ones, because drill bits at this size will break.
LifeLike Canada came out with some fairly decent models of CPR's Dominion/Fowler 36' single-sheathed boxcars, which had freestanding grabirons. The cars were beyond my budget at that time, but one of the newly-released roadnames were lettered improperly. LifeLike Canada offered free replacement body shells for anyone who returned the incorrect bodies to the place of purchase.
The hobbyshop that I frequented in those days sold the returned shells, as-is, for five bucks apiece...which was much more in my price range.I managed to pick-up seven carbodies, but when I got them home and gave them a closer going-over, I decided that the grabirons, done in engineering plastic, not only didn't match the colour of the cars, but were also overly thick. I was kicking myself for not noticing before buying, but a couple days later, I decided to replace them with metal ones, as I had lots of Tichy grabirons on-hand.However, the grabirons on the cars were wider than the Tichy grabs, so I made a suitable jig to bend new ones, using Tichy's .012" phosphor-bronze wire. Not counting the runningboard grabs on the laterals (I already had a jig for mass producing those...well... actually only four-at-a-time), each car required 36 grabirons.The plastic grabs included bolt detail, which were the push-in fasteners which held the grabirons in place, so I used a chisel-type blade in an X-Acto handle to snick-off the too-thick grabirons, leaving the bolt heads in place.Then, all I had to do was drill 72 holes in each of the seven cars, then install my custom-bent grabirons.I did the drilling using a slightly oversize #79 drill bit (I had long ago learned that I could apparently break #80 drill bits merely by looking at them, so usually avoided even attempting to use them).
While the drilling operation was rather tedious and somewhat trying on my pin-vise-twirling-fingers, I made pretty decent progress, and after a few hours (over several days) of drilling, had made 500 holes without breaking the bit with which I had started.However, maybe I was excited by the fact that I was almost done, and I manage to break the drill bit on hole #501, and its replacement on #502, and another replacement on #503. The bit which finally finished hole #504 did manage to live on for quite some time on other projects. I later picked-up 6 more of those boxcars at various train shows or somewhat damaged ones off the "used" table at a couple of nearby hobbyshops (all now long-gone), and also scratchbuilt four more.
Even good quality small bits can be easily broken, and the smaller they are, the more they cost. The tool supply store, where I buy mine, sell bits from #70 to #80 only in packs of 10, at roughly $4.00 apiece...a quick lesson to learn about being careful how you work.
Here's one of the re-worked cars...
...and one of the scratchbuilds...
Most definitely especially if you are using anything smaller than an #60. The set I have is a ATE Pro USA. The set has #61 to #80 bits with a pin vise with double ended adaptors with various size holes to fit various bits.
Ok I will follow your advices and buy a pin vise ;)
I just found this one. What do you think? Too cheap?
https://www.amazon.ca/FineGood-0-6-3mm-Rotary-Jewelry-Plastic/dp/B07KLRX6HQ/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Pin+vise&qid=1612484730&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRjg2MUgzUTFEV04wJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTk2NjI1MzAxM1JGS1I5UVlMQyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjA2NjI4QlFHOFgzOVlIUDg4JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
According to the link it fits drill bit sizes 0.6-3.0mm (or 0.024-0.118"). That is equivalent to #73-#32 drill bits. That's a nice range but won't be of any use if you are wanting to install grab iron or stirrups in HO-scale. You need a pin vise that will go down to 0.0135" (#80) for that type of work.
In fact, I will be using N scale.
Not sure why you'd buy just ONE pin vise, unless you plan on building something with just one size of hole in it.
Think instead of buying multiple pin vises. Yes, get some excellent ones that will hold bits down to 80. But since you'll only be using a few that size at once and mostly bigger bits, even the cheaper pin vises that can't hold the smallest bits come in quite handy for holding larger bits just fine.
This way, you can set up to drill most holes when you start a build. Where many small bits get broken or lost is when installing and removing them in your pin vises. This is avoided by doing it once per kit rather than in changing bits in and out constantly while using just a single pin vise.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehman Not sure why you'd buy just ONE pin vise, unless you plan on building something with just one size of hole in it. Think instead of buying multiple pin vises.
Think instead of buying multiple pin vises.
In fact, I am not on an unlimited budget. I am getting back to work tomorrow after four months off.
But the link I added in my last post was showed different sizes. I thought it was a perfect deal.
Yes very useful
xploringrailroads mlehman Not sure why you'd buy just ONE pin vise, unless you plan on building something with just one size of hole in it. Think instead of buying multiple pin vises. In fact, I am not on an unlimited budget. I am getting back to work tomorrow after four months off. But the link I added in my last post was showed different sizes. I thought it was a perfect deal.
I know what you mean about that. I retired in order to quit being unemployed. Glad to hear you're looking forward to better times.
That's one reason why I recommended some cheap pin vises. You do want at least one good one that will go down to 0-80 or whatever that little one is. Looks like you have a good deal on a package that should accomplish that.
Micromark isn't the cheapest, but they have a pretty good deal on a set of pin vises that I've used.
Search for Item #81497. It's a set of four of them. The smallest will hold a 78 IIRC but is befuddled by an 80 bit. But they're fine for bigger stuff and add to you tool box versatility at relatively little cost. They're generic looking enough you can likely find them even cheaper elsewhere.