Thread: 1/16" wood drill

Another 'where to' question: I'm looking for 1/16" drill bits to use on wooden scales. Ideas where these can be bought in the benelux area ? The closest I got in wood drills is 2mm ...

Due to the size of the 1/16 bit it is very hard to put a 'wood bit' point on them. I am using bits made for steel and they are working just fine as long as they are sharp. Crank the RPMs up and peck at the hole to clear the wood chips out of the drill flutes. Try it on some scrap wood first to get the feel. Use a light touch on the drill press.

There are bits especially made for wood? Hehehe I didn't know, I've been using drill bits for steel as well. They work great for scales but I noticed when drilling 1.5cm thick wood the small drill bits don't always reach the bottom. Will have to look for the special drill bits next time I'm in a metalshop.

The conversion to metric is a little shaky there around 1/16, it is really about 1.55 mm you are just over a 5/64 inch with the 2mm bit.... Ideally the 1.60 or 1.70 mm bits would be perfect for you... they are avaiable, so are 1.80 and 1.90... any of those sizes would work too


http://www.ehobbytools.com/contents/en-us/d8.html

But you can also just get the 1/16 and the 5/64 just as easy and way cheaper..

The brass/silversteel rods you can buy here start at 1.5mm and 2.0mm which work fine with the 1.5mm and 2.0mm drill bits.

You would need a special size drill bit if you bought 1/16 rods from overseas.

Dremel sells a seven piece precision drills set, from 0,8/1,2/1,6 etc upwards. You can find them on their European web site where you'll also find a dealer locator tool. Proxxon probably has similar micro drills.

Cheap alternative: ask your dentist for some used drill bits. Not the best for wood (they clog up rapidly) but they'll do the job, come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you can usually have them for free.

On a different note entirely: if you're not in a hurry and it's just a few holes you need, or if you lack the right power tools, have you considered using a precision file rather than a drill? You could probably use them in a Dremel if you shorten them and align them carefully in a small collet, but they are obviously best used free hand to gradually enlarge an awl hole. Handy to adjust metric holes to imperial rods and vice versa too.

Swiss Grobet has very good ones, also in 1,5 mm. I got mine via a luthier, but I'm sure you could get them in well stocked wood workers stores as well. They are available from German mail order firm Dick too.