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For those who would be interested in a more flexible hole punching option...
ReplyDeleteI had been using Hang/Nagel paper drills in a regular drill press. But because I do not have a dedicated workshop, I had to carry the drill press from its storage spot to a table, set up the belts, baseplate, paper stops etc., so I rarely used that option.
Some days ago I received the order with the T-30 (or T30) hole punch. You'll find the model at Asian sources at different item and shipping price. Mine was 100 Euro total with one drill bit included. The punch arrived completely dry, so it is recommended to grease the internal gear properly before regular use.
The T-30 is a manual single-hole punch with changeable paper drill bits. The drill bits have a fitting similar to Hang/Nagel, but the drill bits and fitting area are much shorter. You can insert drill bits up to about 65mm length, but the depth stop range only works for T-30 drill bit lenghts of about 52mm.
I did some tests with a 5mm TV magazine: After the included drill bit, I tried a high-quality regular length 3.0mm paper drill, one of the few ones short enough to fit. Without the depth stop working, the spot where I thought I had hit the plastic backing was the spot where I was through the 3.9mm solid plastic backing, and hit the paint of the baseplate. I take this as proof that manual punching without rotating drill bits works fine, but only with dedicated drill bits and properly adjusted depth stop. Else you will get too shallow or too deep most of the time.
Now I have some more T-30 drill bits on order. The full millimeter steps are easy to find, but the important 3.5mm and 4.5mm diameters are harder to find. For my initial order I already chose 3.5mm as included size. The order for the 4.5mm drill bit was 23 Euro total, almost as much as 3+4+5mm from a cheaper source. This means that you have to carefully plan your purchase in advance. After those two additional orders arrive, I will have spent 153 Euro total for being able to punch 3-5mm diameters in 0.5mm steps.
Hans
Guten Tag Hans
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the information you have provided regarding hole punching/drilling and associated equipment. I have read the content on your website with interest.
My set-up utilises an old cabled Bosch power drill held in a pillar bench press. I am in the process of building a baseboard that will facilitate drilling the standard 3-hole 0.75inch/19mm spaced configuration in all the common page size combinations.
My Nagel-style drill bits cover 4mm to 6mm in 0.5mm increments and have been purchased from various sources at widely varying price. However the latest have been bought from China and despite costing much less than UK suppliers (£3.40/€4 ea.) appear identical and (with my admittedly limited experience) perform equally well. I have smaller diameter bits on order but wouldn't have thought them useful for Filofax use - how do you utilise them?
Being still a newcomer to the world of holes, I am reluctant to offer any advice to others at this stage - the only tip worth mention is that using wax paper every time seems to facilitate the boring, as does the meerest hint of silicone grease inside the barrel. This also makes chad removal easier.
What I would like to know is firstly, how do you sharpen your bits? The answer I have been given is to use a sharpening stone but I have variously-shaped grinding heads, including triangular, none of which could fit into the smaller bits. A needle file seems too brutal.
Also €153 seems an expensive way to punch holes - I assume you are not just producing pages for personal use and would be interested to hear any problems associated with bulk processing.
Best regards
Dave
Hi Dave,
DeleteThanks for the kind words and the interest in my website.
Actually, I am known for my constantly far-over-the-edge solutions, that I only use for occasional DIY. Some of the gear is even for exploration purposes only, some of that can get sudden use years later. But I am always happy to share my experience.
I did not have the need to sharpen my drills, yet. The punch-through accident might be the first occasion. Some time ago I bought a dedicated paper drill bit sharpener from ebay. That's some kind of handle with a two- or three-blade triangle that you put underneath the rotating drill bit, and carefully lower the drill. I did a quick google search for "paper drill bit sharpener", it looks like you can get such a sharpener tip as spare part as well. This is the right time for the mandatory warnings: Such hardened tools can easily shatter, so always protect yourself, especially eyes and hands.
There are also external drill sharpeners that look a bit like the crank lever pencil sharpeners.
For drill waste removal, there are tools with a flat base and a pin in the middle. Then you lower the drill bit over the pin. For home use, a plain (blunt) nail of appropriate diameter will do the job. Just make sure it fits inside the drill bit.
The T30 has a drill waste box attached, to automatically collect waste from the end of the drill bit, allowing hassle-free operation. A drill-waste pin is included as well.
Hans
Oh, I forgot: The smaller diameters are for the tiny rings of Filofax Miniature, M2, Mulberry Mini and Rhodia Mini.
DeleteBy default, Mulberry Mini uses 3.0mm holes, where 3.5mm is the appropriate diameter for the formats mentioned above.
Hey Hans
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comprehensive reply.
I can relate to your over-the-top enthusiasm - when I started collecting Filofax I was expecting to acquire 70 or 80 - after 3 or so years I have many multiples of that. I haven't got the courage to add up how much I've spent (and I've been fairly parsimonious) but my wife would be well on the way to a Birkin handbag by now (don't tell her)!
Although cost vs value is one of the reasons (not the main one 😉) that keep me off the golf course.
Regarding sharpeners, I have the type you mention (I've heard of Google 😄) but I think they are only applicable to the larger bits. External sharpeners would bring their own problems.
Please keep us in touch with your 'hole' research - I for one find it fascinating!
Cheers
Dave
I did some more research. Most sharpeners are specified down to 2mm, some only down to 3mm.
DeleteThe care you take with wax and silicone should be fine if you start from a factory new drill. Only used ones may need sharpening. I found this information:
"Keep drill bits sharp, a dull drill bit is the major cause of breakage, usually after about 8.000 – 10.000 holes, drill bit should be resharpened"
This looks like a great resource regarding fittings, material and coatings.
https://rehfuss.de/en/products/paper-drill-bits
Hans