Eganwp

My Feedback: (1)

Quick question,

I'm at a loss right now for a solution on how the heck you're supposed to drill 1/16" holes for the servo mounting screws in the elevators of a 30%+ plane??? The servos are obviously mounted inside each elevator half, 1 rib in. Thus, the hole is only 1"x2" to pass a drill through, but even with a 1/16" bit all the way out in the drill's chuck, there's no way in heck it's going to reach the first rib to actually drill the holes.

I went to Home Depot and the guy whose been an expert in tools for over 20 years said there's actually no solution to do this. They obviously don't make bits that long in 1/16" and he said no one has made a hand drill for over 10 years.

How the heck are all you guys drilling your "deep" servo screw holes where the drill chuck wont fit through the opening???

Thanks to anyone who can help. Maybe there's something at the LHS I haven't seen?

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

I just use a pen drill. It's a little bigger than an Exacto knife.

sweetpea01

My Feedback: (10)

Yep. Also Tower sells a centering drill bit that is like 6inch long. I've used these for that purpose on other planes.

Airbike

My Feedback: (6)

Just take a piece of music wire, slightly smaller than the hole, for 1/16 dia, try a piece of .040, heck even a 1/16 wire will work. Just sharpen the end a little with a file to get a shovel point, ie: "V" pointed.

I've also flattened the end of the wire first, then sharpened it. It doesn't take much to go thru lite ply.

The wire will be flexible enough to acomodate slight misalignments, just don't use high speed, go slow and you'll have no problems.

Bass1

Yeah , pin vise (drill pen) or the centering drll bit is what I use (Dead center hole locater) http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...=RF&search3=Go

Hammbone

My Feedback: (309)

I have 12" long drill bits.

Jim

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

That's just bragging!

phantomdriver

Aircraft tool suppliers sell 6" & 12" 1/16 & 1/8 drill bits. Try ATS or Chief Aircraft.

Hammbone

My Feedback: (309)

I can't believe you told everyone that your pen drill is just a little bigger than an Exacto knife!

Jim

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

It gets the job done very well though!

Hammbone

My Feedback: (309)

That's good. As long as it gets the job done well.............

Jim

Eganwp

My Feedback: (1)

Haha, thanks for the responses guys. I'll see if I can find a pen drill around somewhere and if not I guess I'll just order some longer bits that "apparently don't exist" lol.

Is it just me, or is winter just flying by for you guys as well? I haven't even finished my 30% and it's an ARF, not to mention I have the plans and building board all ready to go for my Ultra Sport 60 build that's been there for a month and it's already Christmas! Yikes!

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

Yep...

two options

Pin Vise..
Your LHS should have them



or
this
http://www.greatplanes.com/accys/gpmr8130.html

YOGA FLY

use a rat tail thin round file held in dremel or hand drill and just make starter holes and drive that screw in .

P47Tbolt

My Feedback: (20)

Here is what I use


http://power-tools.hardwarestore.com...nt-637142.aspx

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

I've got one of those things for my new Dremel 400 and the problem is that the handle is too big to go between the rib cutouts on the horizontal stabs on most models. It's even too big to fit between those ribs on a 2.6 Comp-Arf Extra so I don't think it'll work for the OP's project...

On another note, you can usually get longer bits from good tool supply outlets and even occasionally Harbor Freight. I stumbled across a set of three 36" long bits there a while back and those have proved useful on more than one occasion. In fact, while I don't make it a habit of buying Harbor Freight tools, I've found that a lot of the stuff is fine for modeling.