Hi guys,
I'm just starting modeling. I was looking for some advice on wich drill to get to drill the holes for lightiong fiber optics on some star wars model kits.
Any info will help such as: what kind of drill to use, bit size, fiber size. Wich led's are the best (brightest, last longer etc...)
I've just purchased a couple of ships (Falcon, star destroyer, tie fighter) I've done modeling before but never tried to light one up.
Thanks in advance.
I got this thing to do fiber optic drilling:
Amazon.com: Tamiya Electric Handy Drill Kit: Toys & Games
It works pretty well, it's smaller than a regular drill so it's easier to use, it works really well with the small bits. I think you have to get a smaller collet to hold the smaller drill bits though--maybe, I remember I bought one but I don't remember if I needed it.
Most people use what's known as a "Pin Vice" to hold the really small drill bits, and drill by hand using no mechanical means at all. The drill bits are so tiny that they are extremely fragile. It's not uncommon to go through a few dozen drill bits on a build.
I've never lit a model (yet), so I can't realy offer any practical advice of my own. However I can suggest searching YouTube for how-to videos to learn various techniques. Good luck
As far as electric drills go i use one of these from dremel,
Amazon.com: Dremel 1100-N/25 7.2-Volt Stylus Lithium-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool Kit with Docking Station: Home Improvement
Its cordless and comes with a recharging base and you can adjust the speed depending on the size of drill or operation you are doing from 0-10000 rpm.
I also like the way you hold the drill, more like a pen, very comfortable.
For realy small holes (0.016 is the smallest i've used so far) its better to use a pin vice, or one of these mini hand drills, as you have more control.
FindingKing - Spiral Hand Drill
Fibre size depends on the scale of the model i think, you don't want, for example, 3mm fibre for windows on a star destroyer.
As for bit size it depends again on the fibre you will be using but usually a fraction larger than the fibre size works best.
I don't know enough about led's to advize, i usually just use the brightest i can find.
Experiment untill you get the look you are after
Good luck and keep us informed on how you get on
The Nylon Gag
I have been using the drill just the same as Darthviper107 told you.
It's so handy to drill series of little hole. The key to make a hole without broke the thin drill bit is not stop rotating until you pull out the bit out of the hole.
The size of the drill bits I have are 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm and 1.5mm.
I use the fiber optic with the size of 0.25mm, 0.5mm and 1.5mm so far.
Here in Japan, I bought 200meter/0.5mm, 400meter/0.25mm reel for about $15.
So far, I have been using a ready made LEDs. Just like a LED for car accessory or Christmas lighting things. It's good enough for me.
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