Pin vice question

[bigfatforty]

What hand held pin vise (or other drill devise) do you use for very small diameter bits in the #84 to # 70 range? I' would like to find one with a collet that is capable of a true 0' and can keep small diameter bits centered properly. My garden variety vices don't seem to be able to do either. Low cost and precision may be mutually exclusive terms, but I'm looking for the best compromise.

 

 

Thanks for your input.

 

 

Edited October 23, 2015 by bigfatforty

[Ace-Garageguy]

My old X-acto double-ended pin vise has been doing the job perfectly for about 20 years. It's out of stock in a lot of places, but I found one recently for about $12. Sometimes it takes a light tightening with a wrench to keep the smaller bits held firmly. Down to #84 (about .011") is no problem.

I have an old swivel-top Zona that works fine too. 

Just FYI...vise is a thing that holds other things. Vice is something bad for you like drugs or alcohol, also sometimes used to mean criminal activity trading in pleasure..."the vice squad".

Edited October 23, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[bigfatforty]

Thanks, Bill.  I have problems with my vise and my vices too.

[Foxer]

 have an old double ended pin vise with a gold handle that takes every tint drill bit I've tried in it. I think it was from Micro Mark but it doesn't come up on their online site. The big thing to check when getting on e is what size drill bits it takes. Most have this information listed, but if not, skip it.

[RAT-T]

I HAVE AN OLD SET FROM L.S. STARRETT THAT ARE PERFECT

[Tom Geiger]

Here's my solution. Forget about trying to hold the tiny bits securely. I just cut a small length of scale heater hose, and glued the bits into it. Works perfectly and it makes the bits a bit larger and red so they don't get lost so easy.

 

[Dave Ambrose]

General tools makes a good pin vise. The collets are reversible, and there is a second collet stored in the vise body. It works for drills from 1/8" down to #80. The head of the vise turns, which makes drilling much easier. I found mine at a local hardware store for about $10.

Edited October 23, 2015 by Dave Ambrose

[crowe-t]

On 10/23/2015 at 12:56 PM, RAT-T said:

I HAVE AN OLD SET FROM L.S. STARRETT THAT ARE PERFECT

Are the Starrett pin vices much better than the other cheaper ones that are sold?

[Ace-Garageguy]

9 minutes ago, crowe-t said:

Are the Starrett pin vices much better than the other cheaper ones that are sold?

Pretty much anything Starrett is top-of-the-line, but there are tons of perfectly adequate pin vises out there.

The problem with the really cheap ones, often Chinese, is soft metal in the threads and chuck jaws, or sloppy machining, leading to early failure or an inability to grasp drill bits hard enough to resist twisting as you drill.

Stay with a known brand like X-Acto, you're fine.

Edited June 2, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

Even the X-Acto ones loosen up when you switch back and forth between sizes.  If you have a couple of "favorite" smaller sizes (like for ignition wiring, or wire to pin parts together) you should consider having pin vises dedicated to those sizes.  Even a cheap one will do, provided it is concentric (sometimes a big "if") and used with only one size drill. 

[crowe-t]

I just ordered this Starrett 4 piece pin vice set.  It holds drill bits up to 5 mm in diameter.  None of the cheap pin vices I have will hold a drill bit larger than 3 mm.

https://www.globaltestsupply.com/product/starrett-s240z-4-piece-pin-vise-set

[Muncie]

3 hours ago, Mark said:

Even the X-Acto ones loosen up when you switch back and forth between sizes.  If you have a couple of "favorite" smaller sizes (like for ignition wiring, or wire to pin parts together) you should consider having pin vises dedicated to those sizes.  Even a cheap one will do, provided it is concentric (sometimes a big "if") and used with only one size drill. 

Absolutely agree - life got so much easier when I started using separate dedicated pin vises for the drills that I used most often. When I want to drill, I don't have to fumble around changing bits.

[R. Thorne]

I like the dspaie pin vise set that uses the circuit board style bits with large shanks.  

[Chariots of Fire]

I have a double ended pin vise that I use for most all bits except for the smallest (#80) and it only works up to 1/16" for the larger bits.  So I have a pin vise I bought for my wife years ago when she was doing some miniature furniture.  It has two collets that are double ended.  It takes from a 5/64" bit down to #80.  I bought a similar one from a model show dealer a few years back that was pretty much a knock off but it was junk.  Doesn't hold the bits firmly to the point that I almost have to use pliers to tighten up around the collet.  Whatever you get, get a good one!

[JET.]

This Tamiya one is my favourite 

https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/tools/fine-pin-vise-2/

[Steve H]

I recently bought 2 new pin vises. Tamiya and Mr Hobby. In my opinion a high quality tool is worth the money spent. Both the Tamiya and Mr. Hobby are well made and have a much better feel than my older ones which I believe were X-acto?  I also highly recommend purchasing drill bits with a standard shank size. I now almost never have to change collets in my pin vise. AK Interactive , Mr. Hobby, and I’m sure a few others make bits with a standard shank. I also personally like drill bits in mm rather than a number, with 1mm being close to 1” in 1/25 scale it makes choosing a bit easy. Just my 2 cents…

[Bainford]

I have several pin vises, including one similar to the photo. I bought this style specifically for use in scratchbuilding. The hex design of the collet nuts facilitates making round tube or rod into hex tube (to make nuts) or hex rod. Chuck a piece of tube or rod in the pin vise, then clamp the pin vise horizontally into a bench vise, with vise jaws gripping the pin vise by the hex flats. File a flat on the top surface of your rod/tube material, then release the bench vise, turn the pin vise by one set of flats, and re-clamp in the bench vise. File another flat across the top surface of the rod/tube, release the bench vise, and repeat until all six sides of the rod/tube have been flattened.

For those who like to have several pin vises around, picking up one of this type may be useful. Mine has become the 'go to' pin vise on my bench (Note: Mine is not the brand pictured. The one I have looks exactly like the one sold by MicroMark).

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Bainford said:

I have several pin vises, including one similar to the photo. I bought this style specifically for use in scratchbuilding...etc.

Me too.

My good version of that one is at least 20 years old. The barrel and nuts are cleanly machined from brass, chrome plated. The threads are good, with very smooth action. The reversible collets are spring steel.

For the really small bits, it's necessary to grasp the ribs on the barrel with a pair of miniature channel-locks, and tighten the collet nut with a small wrench.

As I said, 20+ years and going strong.

I bought a knockoff about 6 months back in a hardware store in Az. for what should have been enough money to ensure quality. The package was sealed, so I had to trust it.

When I got it home, I found the barrel was chromed, cast pot-metal, the nuts were aluminum, and the collets were brass. The threads were stiff and grainy feeling, and tightening the collet nut enough to grip the smallest bit in the index resulted in stripped threads first time I tried it.

 

[Dave G.]

My latest pin vise is a Zona, very nice, accurate. I lost my original X Acto pin vise in a move back in the 1960's or it's been misplaced since perhaps. The replacement has been ok though it always slipped more than my original. But this Zona is the best at least that I have owned. $9.98, I bought it maybe 4 years ago so inflation may have increased that some..