DB-01 0.3mm Tungsten Steel Drill Bit

A drill bit 0.3 mm in diameter

The finest of the three sizes. It is used where a hole should barely show: the muzzles of small gun barrels, holes for drawn wire antennas and tubing, pins for joining photo-etched parts or holes for figure pins. At this diameter a drill is no longer a tool for removing material but rather one for placing a hole precisely.

How it is used

• Chuck it in a pin vise or in a micro drill at low speed
• Mark the spot with a needle so that the bit does not slip on a curved surface
• Drill without pressure; the bit will make its own way
• Pull it out from time to time so that swarf does not build up in the flute

What to watch out for

Tungsten-based sintered material holds its edge considerably longer than high-speed steel, but it is brittle. At this diameter even a slight wobble of the hand will snap the tool, so hold the drill square and never lever with it. A broken tip inside a part is very hard indeed to get out. When drilling into resin or filler, work at reduced speed, do not breathe the dust and wipe the workplace down with a damp cloth afterwards.

Who the drill bit is for

For modelers who add detail to finished parts, and for anyone who builds in small scales where an ordinary drill will not fit into the space.

It pays to keep several pieces of the same diameter in stock. Fine drills break even for experienced modelers, and hunting for a single piece in the middle of a job is a delay. Store them separately, ideally in the original packaging or in a tube, so that the tips do not rub against each other.

The package holds the drill bit only. Neither a drill nor a holder is included.