Drill Bit Sizes

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Bighead

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Aug 24, 2006
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Sacramento, CA, USA.
Hey guys, I just bought a couple of kits and realized that I don't have the correct drill bits to fit them. Could anybody help me out and tell me the sizes so that I can go pick them up tomorrow? Thanks a ton.

Toothpick keychain kit
multitool pen kit
clicky ball point pen kit (a little larger that the 7mm bit)
and a mechanical clicky pencil (slimline kit as well)

Thanks a ton!
 
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This is going to depend on the maker of those kits. You would be better to go to the shop and ask them. But most slimlines are 7mm bit. Some click pens are 8mm or a 0bit.
 
If you think you might get into pen turning in a big way, your best bet is to buy a set of drill bits rather than just buying individual bits...much more economical in the long run. Coincidently, I just finished reviewing the catalogs of the major pen kit suppliers and tried to list all of the different sizes required for their projects. With the exception of specialty step bits and Forstner bits, I counted about 30 different bits to satisfy all of the currently available kits. Some of the bits were so close together in size they could almost certainly be successfully substituted. I guess one might get away with about 25 sizes. Many folks recommend getting the 115 bit set from Harbor Freight which sells for about $40. It has fractional bits up to half inch, 60 wire gauge bits and a full set of letter bits. You will still have to buy a couple of bits that are over half inch for the high end kits like the Emperor; but that type of kit will probably not be on your "todo" list for a while.
 
Also, buy a nice set of calipers if you don't have them. I always check the drill size conpared to the tube and often use a diffrent drill bit. Plus, you can use them to size the blanks to the hardware perfectly.
 
I was planning on doing some casing pens this weekend; got everything together this week, except I didn't have a 7mm drill bit! The few slimlines I had done were all pre-drilled and I never actually bought a 7mm bit. Nobody, absolutely nobody in my town sells mm drill bits!

bummed,
Rmartin
 
If you happen to have an aviation surplus store in your town check it for mm bits. I found one in my general area and I was shocked at the volume and sizes of bits they had. The icing on the cake was the prices![:D]
 
That's a good idea, I wonder, we have Army surplus, but no aviation. That Atlanta thing is tomorrow right? I'm leaning heavily on going. I bet I can find a 7mm drill bit in Atlanta.
 
Originally posted by Blind_Squirrel
Does it make the hole bigger, smaller, or the same size?
Click to expand...
mm divide by 25.4=decimal inches(7.0 divided by 25.4=.2755)
fraction to decimal=first # divided by second# (9 divided by 32=.2812)
hope this is useful.[:)]
 
Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />.....A 9/32" bit works well. It's actually my preferred size when I do any pen with a 7mm tube.
Click to expand...

According to my chart, the tube diameter of the slimline pen is about 0.268". The following bits are all possible selections for the slimline kit or any other that requires a 7mm bit:

Letter "I" = 0.2720"
7mm = 0.2756"
Letter "J" = 0.2770"
Letter "K" = 0.2810"
9/32" = 0.2812"
 
Is there a rule of thumb for how much larger than the tube the hole can be without being a problem? If I had a good tolerance to go by I could add that to the bit section of Penventory. That way it could help you cheat a little too. ;)
 
Heya gents. I'm detailing this more in another thread but since it's directly related to some of the questions in here I thought I'd add to the discussion.

I've added a tool to Penventory that helps you figure out which drill
bits are close to the one you need. You select your bit size, set your tolerances, and click a button. You'll get back a list of bits within the range you chose, their sizes, the variation from the size you need, and (if you're logged in to the system and have your bit collection stored) which of those bits you actually have.

You can get there just by going to http://www.penventory.com and clicking the Drillbit Cheating link near the bottom of the page. Try it out and send me some feedback!
 
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