drilling holes in paper - source of metal tube?

[John Cartmell]

It gets quite expensive for anything of good enough quality.

[nightjar]

Email me your snail mail address at [e-mail] and I'll send you a bit of 4swg hypodermic needle tube.

Colin Bignell

[Chris Bacon]

Oh, that's nice! How hard is the stuff, AAMOI? I didn't know you could get it so big!

[jkn]

Hi all Thanks for the many replies to my question. Nigel, the reason the OP hasn't replied yet is that I've been, like, doing stuff. I ain't on the interweb all day... ;-o

I'll summarise a few things raised in the various replies:

- it is a paper _drill_ I'm after, not a punch. I want to make holes in up to 100 sheets at a time. As people have found there are such things as paper drills that printing shops etc. use. I don't want to go the hole hog to buy one of these, but to experiment with cheap alternatives

- IMO drilling with an ordinary drill, even with a jig, is not neat enough.

- as it happens my requirement is for holes near the edge of the paper, but as you see other people want to make holes anywhere

- I was looking at the ebay auction for paper drill bits and may splash out for a set of these sometime. Useful to know that they need ot be kept sharp; there are also sharpeners sold but I am trying this out on the cheap!

- The 'strip down a telescopic aerial' idea is a good one! Thanks, 'NT'.

- my local B&Q doesn't do iron tube in sizes smaller than about 1/2". Thanks for the link to Chronos, 'MBQ'. I'll have a look there

- A firm called 'McGill'' sells a hand-twist version like this:

,

and they even do multiple-punch versions. If I could find a source of these in the UK I'd get one of these.

- Colin, thanks for the hyperdermic suggestion. I have emailed you separately.

- I have also wondered about using a cork borer, but these are also difficult to source, at least singly...

- there's also something called a 'Japanese Screw Punch', which might do. These seem to revolve a circular bit as you press down. Used for punching holes in leather etc. More investigation called for ...

Thanks for the suggestions. I'l let y'all know how I get on.

Cheers Jon N

[Andy Dingley]

Mine is brake pipe / petrol pipe, sharpened on the inside with a countersink bit.

You need a very rigid drill stand for this to work. Any wobble and it just turns into a fluffy mess of chewed paper which you can't make headway through.

[Rob Morley]

The Japanese screw punch wouldn't go through many leaves because the cutters taper on the outside. I have in the past (but don't ask me when or where) used a screw punch like this

___________ | | |___________| | | | |

[The Natural Philosopher]

If you want a hard steel borer try Brian Gaskin who makes the 'softbore' tools..originally designed for balsa, but work well on paper and poly foam too.

"For more information and orders, give Brian a call on 01322 865701 (phone / fax), or write to: Brian Gaskin, 157A Main Road, Sutton-at-Hone, Kent DA4 9HW."

[nightjar]

It is hard drawn 304 stainless steel. It is good on stiffness, but repeated use as a bone cutter does cause the teeth to blunt and or bend quite quickly. That is the largest size we use. Around that size and above, we get better results from deep drilling 416 stainless steel rod and hardening it, but 100m long is about the practical limit drilling with minimal wastage at

6mm OD / 5mm ID.

Colin Bignell

[Owain]

You can get very big needles from body piercing places.

Got to admit I shudder slightly when I see the notice "apprentice piercings free".

Owain

[Will Dean]

It's got to be better than 'seven for the price of one', though...

Will

[Guy King]

The message from Owain contains these words:

Better than "Ears pierced while you wait"

[owdman]

Wad punch?

[Dave]

My question is; when will I encounter a needle that big in the hands of a trainee nurse :-)

Dave

[Owain]

If you really want that I'm sure there are places in London that offer it as an "extra"

Owain

[nightjar]

You usually need to be a horse to have needles that big used on you.

Colin Bignell

[Owain]

nightjar >My question is; when will I encounter a needle that big in the hands of a

Let's hope I never need my willy anaesthetised then.

Owain