pilot holes

[rljohn56]

here is my next project for my niece, thanks, Sue May, for the pattern.  my question is about pilot holes in general. the smallest drill bit i have is 1/16 which for some of these cuts is pretty big.  i know i can kinda of work around the hole itself, but i'm never sure where to start,  i.e. start of a run, middle, etc.  i have ordered smaller bits, but there has to come a time when your bit hole will be smaller than the blade can go thru.  Lines like the deer legs i know i can use a blade with a wide enough kerf so that it shows thru when i put the backing on.  again i appreciate any and all input.  This is my first real challenge at cutting because it is detailed(at least for me it is).  thanks, again, gang!!!  Ray

[Fab4]

Hi Ray:

What you are asking here, I think becomes a personal preference

You do what you are comfortable with

Usually, when starting a project you start in the center and work outwards

Hope this kind of clears things up

Fab4

[Blaughn]

My pilot drills start at a #65 and up.  The number 60 is the one I use most.

 

I usually place my holes next to the line but I am a rookie.  There are more experienced scrollers who encourage placement away from the line (when possible) and then cutting to the line with a sharp turn.  This is to give a cleaner finish when completing the cut.

 

Bruce

[RangerJay]

I usually place my pilot hole towards a corner - but far enough away from the line to be able to cut a teardrop into the corner then work from there - this allows me to avoid creating the "bump" where two cuts meet..  In detailed patterns if you reach the point where you find yourself wanting to using a drill bit smaller than what is needed for the blade you are using then you will have no choice but to use a smaller blade or a larger bit.  I think you will find that this is not as big a deal as you think - in most detailed patterns with a lot of fine cutting as long as you are using the smallest hole you can with a reasonable blade you will be just fine - even if you are crowding the line.

 

 

Jay

[Scrolling Steve]

depends on the pattern, but like Jay said,if I am using a 3/0 spiral blade on a portrait I could use a bit as small as a #70. but as long as i can get away with it i will use a#63 or even a #60 for the ease of feeding the blade!.......It is just easier to use the largest bit the pattern will allow.

[MTCowpoke22]

When I have a narrow line to cut, like your deer legs, I try to find a spot along the line where I can blend the hole into the cut out without it being noticeable. Sometimes this works, and sometimes not so much. It's one of those things you learn by trial and error. So far I drill everything with a 1/16" bit. I don't think my drill press will take anything smaller, and as you said, it can be hard to get a blade through smaller hole. I've been told that great craftsmen are not those who build great things, but those who hide all their mistakes while building great things.

[heppnerguy]

Small bits as possible along with smaller blades, in conjunction with the other hints all work together to handle these situations. I use a number 1 to a 3/0 spiral blade or if you are not comfortable with spirals, try 2/0 flat blades. This combination makes this type of pattern a pretty easy cut. Paul, Scrappile, told me he files the en of these blades to a point to help his blades go through the small drilled holes easier

 

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[Denny Knappen]

I am not sure, but the attached file is the actual pattern and can be downloaded.  This should be removed.

[Clayton717]

I am not sure, but the attached file is the actual pattern and can be downloaded.  This should be removed.

The pattern has been removed.

[vykus]

I use a pin vice and micro drill bits and make the holes by hand, using a drill would just break the bits. It's difficult to get it in straight on thicker boards but on 1/8 or 1/4 BB it's easy to keep it straight so there is no angle that could pull the blade in another direction when you start your cut. This the only way I have found to insert a blade on the smallest line without having a noticeable hole, which would drive me nuts. I have no problem getting a #3 UR into these holes but more often I am using a 2/0.  

[CharleyL]

I use the smallest drill bit that I can for the blade that I'm using, but large enough that the blade can easily be pushed through. Dremel sells a set of small drill bits and I usually have 2 or 3 of these sets or partial sets around. Since I have been frequently using my Dremel tool in a Dremel Plunge Base for drilling pilot holes in my patterns I have been leaving the Dremel set up this way with whatever bit that I'm using left in it. In the up position, the plunge adapter protects the bit quite well. The best place to buy drill bits of these sizes is usually from an industrial supplier like Grainger or WT Tool, but I don't have one close so I usually just buy a new Dremel set from Home Depot or Lowes when I need them. Not cheap, but easier to get.

 

When I use my Dremel to plunge cut the holes I use a scrap piece of rigid foam or plywood under my projec,t so the bits don't cut into my bench or table. The tiny holesmade in it don't do much damage to this scrap, so it will not need replacing for many years, even if you cut into it every day.

 

I usually just try to place the holes somewhere near the end or turn of a cut line in the pattern waste area, and then cut from there to the line end or corner and then cut out on the lines from there.. If the hole is against  the cut line, it's difficult to cut the line and get it straight without a kind of divot left in the line where the blade began cutting which always seems to leave a part of the hole behind,. I would rather have to cut from the hole to the line end in the waste area and then turn and cut on the lines from there. 

 

I think the OP may have failed to post the pattern, since it hasn't been there since his post.

 

Charley

Edited January 11, 2017 by CharleyL

[rljohn56]

thanks for removing the pattern i posted.  i'm still new to all this and didn't know about what patterns i could post or not.  a lesson learned.  thanks again 

[Rolf]

Like Jay I always try to start and finis in a corner. I eliminates the "bump". The smallest blade I normally use is the Olson 2/0R a #70 drill is perfect. Since I stack cut all of my work I use a high speed drill press. 

http://www.micromark.com/microlux-3-speed-mini-drill-press,7797.html There are many alternative solutions, but these small bits like to spin fast and need to be controlled , hand drilling was not an option for me.

[amazingkevin]

When I have a narrow line to cut, like your deer legs, I try to find a spot along the line where I can blend the hole into the cut out without it being noticeable. Sometimes this works, and sometimes not so much. It's one of those things you learn by trial and error. So far I drill everything with a 1/16" bit. I don't think my drill press will take anything smaller, and as you said, it can be hard to get a blade through smaller hole. I've been told that great craftsmen are not those who build great things, but those who hide all their mistakes while building great things.

It's not how well you do your job ... but how well you hide your mistakes! lol

[amazingkevin]

here is my next project for my niece, thanks, Sue May, for the pattern.  my question is about pilot holes in general. the smallest drill bit i have is 1/16 which for some of these cuts is pretty big.  i know i can kinda of work around the hole itself, but i'm never sure where to start,  i.e. start of a run, middle, etc.  i have ordered smaller bits, but there has to come a time when your bit hole will be smaller than the blade can go thru.  Lines like the deer legs i know i can use a blade with a wide enough kerf so that it shows thru when i put the backing on.  again i appreciate any and all input.  This is my first real challenge at cutting because it is detailed(at least for me it is).  thanks, again, gang!!!  Ray

Dremil has a mini chuck that screws on the Dremil it's self.I would venture to say it will hold a hair drill bit