Unibit trouble

[dacaumodo]

I bought a unibit. Man, what an improvement over individual drill bits.

Anyway, I've got a slight problem with mine. It goes by increments of 2 mm, from 4 to 20. But my DC input jack socket is like 12.5 mm. I had to drill up to the 14 mm notch on the bit, which let the jack socket float through the hole. I solved it by using a washer I had lying around.

Do you guys have the same problem, and other methods to deal with it?

Thanks
G

[markm]

You could drill it to 12mm and file the extra .5mm out with a hand file.

[Hiwatt25]

Or better yet, buy yourself a tapered reamer.  They can come in very handy and make nice round holes.

[dacaumodo]

Thanks guys. A reamer's a manual tool right? I've got to find the French name for it.

[dacaumodo]

The French name for reamer seems to be "fraise", which also means "strawberry". Fancy drilling a hole in aluminium with a strawberry! It's also the name used for the dentist's drill. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Makes me think I'm somewhat late. 2 years or so.

Guillaume

[gez]

If it's anything like mine there's a transitional bit between each definite stage, so drill to the next smallest size then give it a few slow turns before you get that 'clunk', test your jack for a fit and give it another turn or two if it doesn't.

[dacaumodo]

If it's anything like mine there's a transitional bit between each definite stage, so drill to the next smallest size then give it a few slow turns before you get that 'clunk', test your jack for a fit and give it another turn or two if it doesn't.

Do you do this with the bit still fixed on the electrci drill, or do you unscrew the bit to do it by hand? Because that's what I tried to do (drill halfway between two stages) but the "clunk" came too soon....Maybe I drilled at too high a speed.

[MartyMart]

My Unibit only goes up to 12mm, so for DC sockets I drill through and then carefully twist the drill
around for a few seconds in the hole to widen the hole by 0.5mm.
Seems to work fine, needs the occasional file out.

MM.

[gez]

....Maybe I drilled at too high a speed.

Yeah, that sounds like the problem.  My drill is vari-speed and if you pull the trigger with only slight pressure it crawls along.

If your drill doesn't do this try a quick burst but don't push down, that should widen the hole without going to the next size up.

[R.G.]

Drill it to 12mm on the Unibit, then enlarge it to the correct size (0.500 inches) by running in a half-inch bit. This is a cheap solution, and in only taking out 1/2mm, very easy on the drill.

Get yourself a 0.50" drill bit.

[dacaumodo]

My Unibit only goes up to 12mm, so for DC sockets I drill through and then carefully twist the drill
around for a few seconds in the hole to widen the hole by 0.5mm.
Seems to work fine, needs the occasional file out.

MM.

That's something else I must try. Thanks.

[dacaumodo]

....Maybe I drilled at too high a speed.

Yeah, that sounds like the problem.  My drill is vari-speed and if you pull the trigger with only slight pressure it crawls along.

If your drill doesn't do this try a quick burst but don't push down, that should widen the hole without going to the next size up.

No, mine is vari-speed too, I just didn't think of decreasing the drilling speed. Seems like I deserved what happened...

[dacaumodo]

Drill it to 12mm on the Unibit, then enlarge it to the correct size (0.500 inches) by running in a half-inch bit. This is a cheap solution, and in only taking out 1/2mm, very easy on the drill.

Get yourself a 0.50" drill bit.

I can try this, though I'd have to order from the US since over here we don't have anything measured in inches (I think my local hardware store, which is huge, only stocks individual bits for metal up to 12 mm. Wider than this I don't know what you do. File, most likely)

Thanks for your help, folks.

[petemoore]

  When my regular bits are justa bit to big/small.
  I take the one that's almost 'there and...drill at an angle and turn the box...creating a "V' shape to the sides of the hole, since the point of the V cuts faster/easier than the full thickness of metal, it is easier to then push the slightly too narrow bit around the sides to cut the hole a touch bigger, and end up with a closer to round hole than If I'd just pushed the bit around at 90 degrees to widen the hole.
  "Off Axis Bit to Substrate Spin" technique...for those who don't want to take the time and trouble to get the exact size bit...just want a fairly round hole, about the right size.

[dacaumodo]

Good idea too, but you've got to be precise with this kind of technique I guess. thanks!

[Gilles C]

I use this



Gilles

[lowstar]

looks like a handy thing when you go hunt down some orcs. 

did it belong to aragorn ?

or did you find it in the barrow-mounds with tom bombadil ?

cheers,
lowstar

[Snuffy]

I've got a question about Uni-Bits....

When drilling, if the incriments of the drill go up by 1/16 of an inch.... Is it possible to drill through things at correct widths that are thicker than 1/16 inch?
I don't get it...  

[dacaumodo]

It's tthe width of your hole, not the "height" of the stage, that increases by 1/16th of an inch at each stage. In other words, each stage allows you to drill a hole 1/16th of an inch wider than the previous stage. As for the height of the stages, it's the same all along the bit, and it's far enough to drill through a Hammond box, at least in my experience. I hope it's clearer, though I'm not too sure!

[dacaumodo]

I use this



Gilles

Cool, I'll use this photo and go to the shop. It does look medieval though.