Drilling Scales

[RobertFontaine]

It's just about time to pin my first set.

My order from microfasteners has arrived and my first set of scales are good enough for me to make my next set of mistakes.

How do you get your holes straight?

Thanks,
Bob

[Rusty Shackleford]

After lots of trial and error and a very unsteady hand holding the cordless...I went and confiscated my late father's table top drill press. Sorry, I know this doesn't really help.

-Pary

[Kenrup]

After lots of trial and error and a very unsteady hand holding the cordless...I went and confiscated my late father's table top drill press. Sorry, I know this doesn't really help.

-Pary

I recommend a drill press also. The Dremel workstation is fine for this too. I use a drill press vice to make sure my scales are absolutely perpendicular to the bit. This is one time I really measure twice and cut once. I use the same size bit as the pin I'm going to use. Too small and there is chance the wood will split, to big and you get slop in the pivot. If you goof, you can use CA and redrill. Now I wonder how I knew that?

[C utz]

As straight as I thought I could hold my drill (even WITH that nice bubble level in the stock), I would still off set the hole.

I went the way of the Dremel Drill press myself. It's great for little things like razor scales, and buffing blades.

C utz

[FiReSTaRT]

I got a drill press for that purpose. Before then, I was very careful with the vise (potected the scales with a rag and made sure I drilled straight) If you drill off-center, your blade won't close properly.

[JGS]

Can you guys point me in the right direction on buying a dremel?

Model; etc.?
Good on-line source to purchase?

Also like the drill stand....where to buy?

Thanks!

[jscott]

ya, i'd second what everyone said. this is quite possibly the most important part of the restoration even though it only takes 5seconds. the spacer pin isn't so difficult as if thats off just a bit there won't be a problem. it will still hold the end together. but that pivot pin needs to be straight or else the blade won't sit in your scales.

i don't own a drill press so i do mine with a drill. that being said i definitely check and double check and triple check that im holding the drill at the most level position that i can. it really is that important.

you can do it with a drill. give it a shot. i drill my hole with a 1/16th drill bit. now this is too small to fit brass rod. however doing this allows me to widen the hole with up/down movements of the drill. this is good becuase if i was off kilter a bit from straight on the initial cut i can fix it as im widening the hole. so far no problems. all my razors have closed beautifully.

psssst. when you pin that pivot pin make sure you do it with the blade closed and not open that helps also.

i use a run of the mill drill. nothing fancy any drill will work
as for a dremel. i have 2, my first was a black n decker cordless. its very light and nice however the battery runs out of juice long before im done using it. it sux to stop and start up later when you jsut want to finish. so i went to homedepot and bought the Dremel brand 400 XPR series. its their high end model. 69$ comes with bunch of attachments. pretty good so far. can't complain. oh, i also bought the "flex shaft attachment" that fits the 400 model. i am so very glad that i bought that. it makes it like working with a pencil instead of a 10lb big dremel. much easier to do precision stuff and well worth the 29$.

dremel: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100059481

flex shaft attachment:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100019434

~jared

ps. if you buy at homedepot, i would pay the 10$ extra for their inhouse service plan. it allows you to walk into the store for 1yr with the receipt and exchange your dremel for a brand new one for any problems. i actually burnt the motor out of my first dremel, it smoked for 15minutes literally. that was 5days after i bought it. i took it back and got a brand new one. no hastles no questions, just handed it to them and got a brand new box.

[Amyn]

I have a Dremmel that senses approach angle to the scales and automatically adjusts it approaches scales. BTW my dremmel can float and fly on my command
in all honesty the Dremmel Drill Press works best

[ronnie brown]

i also ues a speed square to agline my drill it helps me do a beter job

[Kenrup]

I have a Dremmel that senses approach angle to the scales and automatically adjusts it approaches scales. BTW my dremmel can float and fly on my command
in all honesty the Dremmel Drill Press works best

Yours too? I thought I had the only and I didn't want to say anything.