Again, just dipping into the discussions, as I've been out of town for a while.While I was stationed in Japan one of the tools I bought was really just a largish can motor with a chuck for smaller bits and leads from the motor with alligator clamps to attach either to active rails or power terminals.Its been quite a while since I've had occasion to use it--in fact, most of my tool collection has not been fullydeployed for several years--since I normally use a Dremel tool with the optional Jacobs chuck.Hand pinvises for anything except styrene or starting a hole in brass are just too much work.
Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > > --- In [email protected], Bob Werre <bob@...> wrote: > > the 26101 push drill--might this be an alternative to Bud's > > powered mini drill. I think the bigger version was called a "Yankee drill". > > > > I have purchased some clamps > > that actually leave a mark in the wood surface and I have some xacto > > brand clamps that barely hold anything. Anyone using these particular > > style of clamps? > > > > Hi Bob, For very small drill bits I think a push drill might not be a good > idea as it would make it impossible to vary the downward force.I use a > cordless drill for the bits larger than about #60 and a pin vise for the > smaller bits. I've found the best way to use the pin vise is to guide it > loosely with the fingers of one hand while spinning with the fingers of the > other hand.The hand doing the guiding rests on the work to hold it in > place.This method works well in plastic or wood, if drilling metal with the > smallest bits I use a small drill press. > I haven't tried those clamps but I found some nice cheap little Chinese > plastic clamps for modeling at a local tool shop. They are sliding style with > a pistol type handle and trigger to tighten them and have plastic jaw > cushions.They come in many sizes from about 2 inch to big enough to clamp > rafters in place when working on my roof. I like them better than C clamps as > they can be used one handed quite easily. ...DaveBranum
