Looking for a hand operated drill bit holder

[whisky-dave]

Used to see this on sale but can't find any suitable for holding standard twist drills from about 1mm to 4mm, 5mm if possible.

Mostly for use as a 'spot face cutter' for stripboard but would be handy for drilling and enlarging holes in thin ply wood and acrylic plastics up to 3mm thick, as most are pretty crap the vero ones are £12 each and just with a 3.5mm bit.

Maybe I'm using the wrong search terms as we have one it has a clutch type mechanism like a proper drill bit holder but designed be used by hand and has a bar attached like vices do for ease of use.

Need around 50 of them depending on price.

[Tricky Dicky]

Sounds like you need what?s called a pin vice, it will certainly hold small drills whether it will go up to 3.5 is another matter. Modellers use small drill holders based on the Archimedes model, may be a trawl round some model making websites might come up with something.

Richard

[Dave Plowman (News]

I've got a proper spot cutter for strip board. Very robust - and seems to have stayed sharp for ages. I'd guess the cutter profile more suited to this job than an ordinary drill too.

I've got a hand pin drill - but that won't take a big enough bit for spot cutting. Think the maximum size about 1.5mm.

[Martin Brown]

Try "hand chuck". This might do. I prefer the Vero tool myself.

I have a nice ancient Stanley one from the old days when they still made some quite decent tools.

If it is for a practical class then some sort of knurled thick wall tube with a grub screw to hold the drill in position might be a better bet.

[Theo]

Those typically have three straight blades at 120 degrees, while drill bits have two (curved) blades. A spot cutter cuts material more vigorously than a drill bit of equivalent size, at least at hand speeds.

Theo

[Dave Plowman (News]

Indeed. And I'd say less likely to break than a twist drill. Pretty well everlasting so should be good for Dave's work. Assuming they don't get lost.

[whisky-dave]

We do too but the decent ones are expensive. £12 .

Thought we'd found a bargin with these £1.50, to £1 each but they are total crap can't cut stripboard it just slides doesn;t even attempt to cut.

That's interesting and a possibility and a few others.

Not sure a grub screw would do the job, so far the best option seems to be buy one of those cheap screwdrivers that have the small hex bits in the handle and then buy some hex drill bits. These things need to be used by students at home and these items will be kept by them, and we'll need to replace the broken or lost parts for 3 years of their course.

I'll have to write an instruction sheet and H&S /risk assesment too, such as do not stick in your ears or any other orifice etc... without being rude, racist, sexist, offensive...

[whisky-dave]

Yes of course the proper tool is better but also more expensive we used to get them for about £4 each have about 30 in the lab , but for some reason maybe Brexit or covid prices are £12 to £17 although is one does a reasonable job.

Both students and academics have liked the idea of having their practical labs & projects doable from home especailly during covid and we are planing for next year. Most of our vero cutters from the lab have been posted off and won't be returning. So will need replacing we've spent quite a bit this year to support students and we are hoping they are happy with that support, awaiting the national student survey reports. going forward this might also be a better way for students as working from home is far cheaper for some than having to pay £130 or more per week for accommodation on top of their fees. We might be able to attract more students with this option too, which I think is the idea.

There's also a push to get studetns doing more practical work than just being keyboard monkeys .

[Tricky Dicky]

A replacement wooden file handle with a drill bit epoxied in does the job. They come in a variety of sizes and the smaller one for 200mm files are just right holewise.

Richard