How to make a mini drill with your own hands from a motor, brush, blender

To carry out drilling work on miniature workpieces, engraving machines, the so-called “dremels,” are usually used. The name comes from the name of the most popular manufacturer. This is a convenient hand tool, but its cost is usually high (especially for high-quality branded products).

The most common area of application is amateur modeling and production of printed circuit boards. As a rule, an industrial design is redundant for such work: some of its capabilities are not in demand. Therefore, home craftsmen often create instruments with their own hands.

Mini drill attachments

A cutter made from a wheel from a lighter. Ordinary drills may not be enough if you are not a radio amateur, but are engaged in model making or other types of creativity that require the use of a mini drill or drill. Some attachments are easy to make yourself:

Milling cutter. You can use a spinning drum from a lighter. Place it on a suitable size bolt and secure with a nut.
Grinding head. A small nail will do. Place a cork champagne cork on it or wrap a cylinder of electrical tape around it. Cut a rectangle out of sandpaper of the required grit and glue it around the circumference of the head cylinder. To process different materials, you will need several of these heads.
A circular saw. The upper or lower part of a C-size battery – the so-called “barrel” – is suitable for manufacturing. The battery material is strong enough to make a compass disk. To mark, use a compass to mark the hole in the center. The oblique teeth must be the same size to avoid runout during operation. To fix it in the drill chuck, use a bolt and secure the disc to it with nuts. As you can see, it’s not difficult to make a mini drill with your own hands from a motor if you are full of enthusiasm. Many scrap materials that you most often throw away will work. The only thing you will have to spend money on is a collet: making it yourself is extremely difficult.

Do-it-yourself collet chuck: components and manufacturing procedure

The question of how to make a collet clamp with your own hands is relevant for those who are engaged in jewelry making, engraving or printed circuit board manufacturing and use such equipment. It is specialists in these categories who most often encounter breakage of the collet clamp, which can be replaced with a new production model or made with their own hands.

Homemade collet chuck turned on a lathe

There are several options for making a collet chuck with your own hands, each of which has certain nuances. However, no matter what method is used to make a homemade clamp, its price will compare favorably with the cost of a serial model.

Complete analogue of the factory “Dremel”

Drill example

The original housing is also made independently in such a way that the engine is tightly fixed inside, while leaving a gap or an open part in the heating area.

The body of the mini-drill can be any plastic tube.

There are models that used a tube of sealant, a syringe, a plastic tube of toothpaste or children's candy.

A piece of plumbing plastic pipe cut to the required length will also work, but in this case the open ends will need to be sealed with some kind of movable “plug”, for example, acrylic or cut out of plastic.

You can make a mini-drill chuck or clamp yourself, for example, from a regular connecting terminal, or buy it on the market or in a store. For collets, you can contact engraving workshops, as well as modeling departments or sections of components for household power tools.

The resulting tool is a universal option; Depending on the type of repair, various attachments are fixed with such a clamping chuck: drills, cutters, discs with a cutting edge or screwdriver heads.

Make or buy?

An electric drill is a ready-made drive, gear, spindle and chuck in a monoblock. Place it on the carriage of the machine and you can drill. In terms of accuracy, the solution, generally speaking, is not optimal (see below), but in many cases it is acceptable, but eliminates the need to order expensive turned parts of increased accuracy, see below. In view of this, frames for installing drills are now sold only on the street from trays; prices are affordable. When choosing one to make a drilling machine from a drill, be guided primarily by the operating mode of the equipment; The price also depends on it:

Occasional drilling/milling for yourself with the accuracy of what you get - cast plastic bed or stamped steel. The feed mechanism is lever with a cranked lever (see below). Carriage sliding bearings (see below) are steel on steel or with nylon liners. Prices are $20-$30.
Regular drilling for yourself or to order with ordinary machine-building precision. The materials processed are up to the hardness and toughness of ordinary structural steel. Everything is the same, but the sliding bearings are steel on steel (worse) or with bronze bushings, and the frame is cast iron or (more expensive) composite, also vibration-absorbing. Prices: $30-$40.
Regular drilling and milling of any materials that can be tooled with periodic overloads of the tool and/or with increased accuracy - plain bearings are only bronze on steel, cast iron frame. The feed mechanism is rack and pinion (see below); vibration-absorbing console. Prices: $60-$180.

Choosing a bed

The stand for the drill (which sellers for some reason stubbornly call stands) must be chosen not according to - not “China”); Now the market is full of “German China”, not to mention products from post-Soviet states. The design needs to be checked.

First, samples with plastic non-nylon liners for sliding bearings are definitely rejected: runout and drill drift of more than 0.5 mm will appear already on the 10th – 20th “hole” and will further increase. The second is console play. We take it by the far end, swing it up and down and to the sides while holding the latch. There should be no noticeable “chatter” (the tactile sense of an untrained person feels a beat of 0.4-0.5 mm).

Next is an inspection of the structure, see Fig. below. For regular drilling, the one shown in pos. 1. The ideal option is at pos. 2: collet clamp of the drill, shifting the column to the side reduces the vibration of the console by an order of magnitude, and by turning it sideways by 45 degrees, you can mill the part by hand with the precision “as best you can” on a standard fixed table, removing a couple of table fasteners, because in this case, its manual displacement relative to the horizontal working axis of the console will be linear.

How to choose a bed (stand) for a drill

And here is a sample for pos. 3 do not take under any circumstances. Firstly, the collar of its column is low and its fastening is unreliable. Secondly, longitudinal grooves under the table facilitate manual milling “as it happens,” but, unlike diagonal ones, they do not dampen vibrations of the bed. Moreover, they will concentrate where shown by the arrows (the tide under the column is made too narrow) and from there they will go straight into the column and table.

Which is cheaper?

Bench Drill Press Spindle Drawings

Let’s say the price for the machine you like doesn’t suit you. Or a drill, if it’s a “crowbar” one, with an impact mechanism, that was used in work on building structures and the beating of the chuck is visible to the eye. Then the first thing we do is find out if there is a craftsman within reach who owns a lathe with high precision (no rougher than 0.02 mm). Which, by the way, is not a fact - a high-precision machine is very expensive and never pays off with the flow of regular orders. But let's say he was found. We take the drawing in Fig. on the right, we go to him and ask if he can turn it out of steel no worse than 30KhGSA, and how much he will charge for the work. “This” is the drawings of the tabletop drill spindle. The rest of its parts can be turned on a regular machine, or found in ruins at an iron market or in your trash. Most likely, it will turn out that it is cheaper to buy a bed + table, and if you estimate the costs for the rest, then perhaps a drill of increased accuracy will emerge. There are some of these on sale; they can be recognized by the absence of a striking mechanism and a collar specifically for installation in the frame: a turned steel cuff is put on it.

Method number 3 – Antiperspirant idea

Well, the last version of a homemade mini drill, which we would like to provide to the readers of Sam Electric - using a cassette motor and an antiperspirant container. The advantage of this model is that it is controlled by a separate on/off button and has a convenient housing. Such a homemade product will be powered by a conventional power supply, which must be selected based on the characteristics of the motor.

So, first you will need to prepare the following materials:

motor from a tape recorder;
suitable collet with drill;
used antiperspirant;
RCA socket for connecting power and a mating part for it;
power unit;
switch from an old carrier.

The first step is to make a mini drill according to the instructions provided at the very beginning: place the collet on the shaft and secure it with bolts. Next, the motor housing is installed in the antiperspirant. As you can see from the photo, the dimensions are ideal for installing the part. If the motor has free movement inside the housing, secure it with electrical tape and hot glue.

After this, you need to drill a hole in the top cover for the exit of the collet or the drill itself. At the same time, you need to make a hole in the bottom for the power connector. Using a utility knife, you also need to cut out a window for the switch, then solder all the elements of the circuit in series and install them in a place convenient for you.

The advantage of this version of a homemade mini drill is its convenient operation, small size and stylish appearance. We recommend doing this particular option at home, because it is the most convenient, safe and at the same time affordable.

Review of various creation ideas

Examples for inspiration

Above we have provided the 3 most popular options for a homemade micro drill for drilling printed circuit boards. On the forums we found a few more original ideas that may inspire you to make your own, unique homemade product.

So, here is a photo of spare parts ideas for creating a mini drill with your own hands at home:

Glue gun handle for easy operation. The motor was taken from an old Canon printer. Power is supplied from a conventional charger.
Second life for a hairdryer. According to the inventor, this homemade product is assembled on the basis of a motor from an ordinary household hair dryer, which means it does not require special power supplies and has high power. However, do not forget about the danger of mains voltage, so a reliable housing and insulation of all connections are necessary. In a similar way, you can make a device from an old blender, leaving the handle untouched.
Toothbrush for drilling circuit boards. The next idea is to use a toothbrush as a mini drill. There are already batteries and a motor; you just need to cut off the top part and install the collet attachment.
A plastic bottle can also be successfully used as a housing for a homemade drill, and the collet chuck is perfectly replaced by a special bushing, an analogue of which is found in terminal blocks for wires.
Another option with a toggle switch for convenient control. In this case, to drill holes on the signets, you will not need to constantly connect the power plug to the outlet. In addition, a comfortable handle will make the drilling process more comfortable.

That's all I wanted to tell you about how to make a mini drill from a motor with your own hands. As you can see, there is nothing complicated, and there are a limitless number of ideas for assembly. We hope that our photo examples and video instructions were useful and interesting for you. In addition, you can assemble a micro drill yourself using an old DVD drive, a screwdriver, an electric razor, and even a motor from a washing machine!

Related materials:

How to charge a battery at home
How to become a real electrician
How to make an electrode boiler with your own hands

Toothbrush device

All parts of the brush need to be cut off, leaving only the body. Then you need to connect the shaft of the miniature motor with the drill using a collet mount. The collet clamp is purchased separately, taking into account the diameter of the engine shaft.

The chuck is suitable for shafts with a diameter of 2 mm. The brush motor has a smaller diameter. It is first necessary to grind each fastener to a cone-shaped shape. This will allow you to adjust the diameter of the engine shaft to the size of the cartridge mount.

The drilling machine can be made from a blender, electric manicure tool and other devices.

A mini-drill is sometimes equipped with a speed controller and other options.

The video shows how to make the equipment.

Installing the motor on a homemade drilling machine

Let's move on to the most crucial moment - installing an electric motor on the machine. If we do something wrong here, then we may not succeed. It is necessary to maintain maximum perpendicularity and alignment of all components and assemblies. Let's start by attaching the engine to the machine. We continue with our step-by-step instructions on how to make a drilling machine with your own hands.

STEP 1: Mounting the motor. We cut out a metal plate to mount the engine to the profile pipe. Our engine already has a full-fledged mounting location. We make a plate of the same size, drill mounting holes so that they coincide with the holes on the engine. We weld the plate to the profile pipe strictly at a right angle. We install the electric motor and screw it tightly to the plate with bolts.

STEP 2: making the adapter coupling. In order to somehow make friends between the motor shaft and the cartridge, you need to make an adapter. It must be done on a lathe because it must be perfect in all respects. If you do anything wrong, then when the motor shaft rotates there will be a terrible beating on the drill, which will not allow you to work normally. It is better to order an adapter for a homemade drilling machine from an experienced turner. Take all the necessary dimensions for making the adapter coupling, and take everything to the turner, let him do it.

STEP 3: Attaching the chuck. When we already have the adapter coupling, we can begin to attach the cartridge. We fix the cartridge on the coupling, and the coupling on the motor shaft. We check for alignment. If everything spins without any beats, then you can start connecting and painting the homemade drilling machine with your own hands.

STEP 4: connection. Since we have a three-phase motor, we need to connect all three phases into one, and connect them through two capacitors. We connect the button to turn the mechanism on and off. Also, it is necessary to introduce a switch into this system that changes the direction of rotation of the electric motor.

STEP 5: painting. The final stage of the instructions on how to make a drilling machine is painting. We clean all the welds, wrap all threaded elements and cables with masking tape, and begin painting. Before doing this, it is worth degreasing all surfaces so that the primer and paint adhere as expected.

To securely fix various parts on the tabletop, you can make a homemade vice for a homemade drilling machine with your own hands. They will help hold absolutely any parts, which facilitates correct and accurate drilling of holes.

That's all for us. Our instructions once again confirm that, if desired, you can make absolutely any device. It saves you hard-earned money, and promotes the right technological thinking

Thank you for your attention!

Drill with fishing reel

This do-it-yourself manual micro-drill can be called the simplest and most effective. If you do it, then you won't have any problems making a hole. A do-it-yourself drill of this type can easily be called the best; if something goes wrong, you can easily fix it.

What do we need:

The reel is inertialess.
A collet or an old drill chuck.
Hot melt adhesive.
Small drill.

The process of assembling a homemade drill from a coil can be divided into two main stages?

First of all, we must dismantle the spool with fishing line, and cut off the axis that we do not need. This is what it looks like in the photo.
Glue the cartridge or scurvy onto the remaining rod. You can use hot glue, but it will be more effective to do everything using cold welding.

When everything dries, we check how our mini drill works with our own hands. We found this video for you on the Internet, here each stage is described in more detail.

DIY mini drill examples and videos

Method No. 2 – Use the reel!

Another original way to make a mini drill at home is using a fishing rod reel. In this case, the assembly technology is quite simple, but the principle of operation itself will be based on mechanical rotation, you will get a mini-hand drill

To make a device with your own hands you will need:

spinning reel;
a chuck from an old drill or a collet clamp of a suitable size;
hot glue or cold welding;
drill.

The assembly process is quite simple and consists of only two steps. The first step is to dismantle the spool with fishing line and cut off the remaining extra axis. After this, the cartridge is glued to the remaining rod. You can do without a chuck and install a collet instead.

When the glue has hardened, you can check the finished mini drill. You can see all the assembly details in this video example:

How to make your own micro drill from a coil

Complete analogue of the factory “Dremel”

To make it, you will need a motor with a 5V or 12V power supply, which can be removed from a broken children's toy, a miniature fan, a printer, a tape recorder, or simply bought on Aliexpress. If you plan to use the drill for more than just drilling printed circuit boards, you can make a convenient housing from a polypropylene water pipe. We select the diameter so that the motor holds tightly to the walls. Ventilation usually runs along the shaft. You can use an empty tube of construction sealant.

End caps can be cut from any material: for example, PVC or acrylic. If the engine is powerful enough, a charger from an old mobile phone will not work. You need a current reserve of at least 3A (for 5 volts). A good option is an old computer power supply (you can buy it for pennies on the radio market).

The collet chuck can be purchased in the store: the department of components for engravers and Dremels. If there is a need to adjust the speed, you can make the circuit yourself, or purchase a ready-made unit.

The illustration shows a Chinese regulator and a power supply from an Internet router (12V, 1.2A).

With this homemade “Dremel” you can not only drill miniature holes. By installing the appropriate attachment, you can work with a milling cutter, cutter, or cutting disc.

Design

Inside any mini drill there is a grinding machine, that is, a device for direct grinding. All of the above functions are performed thanks to attachments and cutting tools installed in the chuck.

A significant difference between the design and a standard size drill is the rotation speed of the spindle sleeve. Popular models of mini hand drills maintain speeds from 10 to 30 thousand per minute. Due to the high speeds, there is no need to secure the workpiece being processed, because it will not be pulled out of your hands. This feature is very convenient when working with engraving and grinding.

Interestingly, the Hammer mini drill is equipped with a flexible shaft, which allows you to use attachments in the most difficult to reach places without unnecessary discomfort. It is very convenient to use a flexible shaft when you do not need to hold the drill in your hand. To do this, the electrical appliance is suspended on a special stand. This approach will free your hands, reduce vibration and overall noise levels.

Engraver attachments

There are simply a huge number of different tools on sale that can be used for machining parts. An example would be an engraver.

In many ways, this tool is similar in principle to a drill or grinder, but is designed for working with small-sized workpieces. By purchasing and installing various attachments for the engraver, you can carry out grinding, milling or engraving, as well as drilling.

It is important to choose the most suitable versions of nozzles, since they are characterized by different performance qualities and areas of application.

Engraver attachments

Features of nozzles

Attachments for wood drills can be classified according to a fairly large number of different characteristics. There is a wide variety on the market. Almost all equipment for an engraver is characterized by the presence of two structural elements:

The shank is a part of the engraver attachment, due to which it is mounted in the chuck of the equipment used.
The working part is responsible for directly removing the metal layer at the time of processing.

Examples of attachments

Metal engraving paste is used to significantly increase the efficiency of the processing, especially if the engraving tool is intended for surface grinding. Descriptions of attachments may be provided by manufacturers, since the cutting edge of some versions may have complex geometry.

Types of attachments for engravers

Equipment for an engraver can have simply a huge number of distinctive features. Drill burs and other types of equipment can be classified according to the following criteria:

Type of material being processed.
Purpose of the drill and the engraver attachment used.
Areas of use.

Method number 3 – Antiperspirant idea

So, first you will need to prepare the following materials:

motor from a tape recorder;
suitable collet with drill;
used antiperspirant;
RCA socket for connecting power and a mating part for it;
power unit;
switch from an old carrier.

Review of various creation ideas

Safety precautions and selection rules

One of the key conditions that every owner of a hand drill should observe is the safe operation of this tool. The latter involves taking into account simple rules.

Drilling a part can only be done after it is securely fixed. Ignoring this condition may result in damage to the item being processed or injury to the performer.
Do not touch drills and attachments - both while the drill is running and after a short period of time has passed since its completion. This is explained by the fact that the processing of hard materials with a rapidly rotating cutting tool involves strong friction, the natural consequence of which is heating.
After the drill is securely fixed, the performer should remove the key from the chuck.
To prevent the cutting tool from becoming dull, it must be cooled periodically, taking breaks in work or applying a special suspension. In this way, you can not only extend the service life of the drill, but also make the holes more accurate.

In addition, to avoid eye damage from chips and other small drilling debris, you must wear safety glasses.

To ensure that the purchased hand drill does not disappoint its owner, it must meet the following conditions:

high quality manufacturing of all visible structural elements (if there are burrs, sharp edges and other defects, it is advisable to refuse to purchase the tool);
comfortable handle shape (the presence of a protective coating is also welcome);
smooth rotation of the cartridge;
absence of extraneous noise during operation.

Special attention should be paid to the material of the handle, which can be wood or plastic. As for the type of hand drill, the optimal solution is a two-speed tool with a large number of functions

This is especially true for performing complex work - tasks that are almost impossible to solve without changing the rotation speed.

As for the type of hand drill, the optimal solution is a two-speed tool with a large number of functions. This is especially true for performing complex work - tasks that are almost impossible to solve without changing the rotation speed.

From a ballpoint pen

To make a drilling device from a ballpoint pen, no electrical elements are needed, and no skills in working with power tools are required.

You will need a ballpoint pen with an automatic mechanism, hot-melt adhesive, a stick with jumpers at the end that rotates the drill, and a drill of the required size. The main load falls on the body, so you need to choose samples made of metal or thick plastic.

Build process

The ballpoint pen is completely disassembled. A drill is inserted into the lower part of the body, from which the rod usually comes out. The shank is fixed into the hole on the stick. To ensure that the entire working structure of the tool becomes a single mechanism, the parts are fixed to the inner walls of the body with hot-melt adhesive. The drilling process will be performed through mechanical action on the stick, which serves as the handle of the device.

Structural elements

By studying photographs and drawings of stands for drills (homemade or factory-made), we can identify the main structural elements inherent in all machines without exception:

Tabletop base;
Vertical guide;
Drill mount;
Lifting and lowering mechanism;
Handle.

The underlying base provides stability to the structure and dampens vibration from a working tool. It houses fasteners for the remaining elements of the rack, a vice and clamps for parts. It is allowed to leave holes in the base for through drilling of parts.

Metal or wood (solid wood, plywood) is suitable as a tabletop material. To combat vibration, it would be a good idea to add a layer of dense rubber under the base. The base must be massive, the minimum size in terms of 600 x 600 x 30 millimeters. You can make holes in it for attaching to a workbench - this will give additional stability when working.

The guide is a vertical rail that is installed on the base and holds the drill mount. The slats can be metal (pipe, channel) or wood (block, plywood). In some models (usually metal), the guide is combined with a lifting and lowering mechanism. Removable slats are installed on a bolted connection, the rigid connection is made by welding. The donor of the finished base with a guide will be the tripod of a failed photo enlarger or microscope.

The drill is mounted on clamps or brackets with a hole in the center. As with the rack, the mounts can be designed to be removable for different types of drills. The handle is placed on the side or on top of the structure, with its help the position of the cutter relative to the bed is adjusted.

Homemade collet coupling of the simplest design

The simplest collet, operating on the principle of a coupling, can be made of steel wire with a diameter of 1 mm. It should be borne in mind that the collet of the proposed design is not a universal clamping device and can only be used for drills of the same diameter

It is important that the transverse size of the drills used corresponds as closely as possible to the diameter of the output shaft of the drive motor. In addition, it is important to consider that such a collet can only be used when drilling materials with low viscosity

Homemade wire clamp

To manufacture a collet coupling of the proposed design, the following consumables, fixtures and tools will be required:

a cylindrical metal blank, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameters of the output shaft of the electric motor and drill;
steel wire;
electric soldering iron;
soldering flux.

How to insert a drill correctly?

To correctly insert the drill into the chuck, you need to know the following. The hole intended for clamping the tool is no more than 2 cm deep. The deeper the drill is set, the more securely it will hold in the chuck. There are two types of chuck clamping mechanisms:

manual, tightened by hand;
key, wrapped with a key.

In recent years, household drill models have been equipped with a manual (quick-release) chuck - it is simpler in design and quicker to operate.

To install the drill in the chuck you need to follow these steps:

Turn the cartridge counterclockwise. The jaws should move apart to a distance slightly larger than the diameter of the drill.
Insert the drill bit between the jaws until it stops.
Smoothly turn the chuck clockwise, making sure that the drill is clamped evenly on all sides.
Tighten the jaws by hand or with a wrench.

Video: how to insert a drill and secure it

When fixing the drill in the chuck, considerable force can be applied, especially if the drill has a large diameter. It should be remembered that you will then have to do the reverse operation to remove the drill or replace it with another one. When clamping the drill, look for the “golden mean”: fasten the drill securely, but so that it can be removed from the chuck without any problems. The required effort is easily determined after a little practice - muscle memory kicks in.

Manufacturing process

When you have prepared the body and core, you can begin directly assembling the drill with your own hands:

Place the cartridge with the motor connected to each other in the jar. This must be done so that the wires that stick out from the socket are then placed in the lid of the jar.
When the cartridge fits completely into the jar, lock it. To do this, fill the voids on the sides with hot glue and wait until it sets completely.
Attach the switch to the cover and connect the power wires to it. It can also be placed on glue.
We connect all the wires to the switch; the connection diagram is standard. You can use an ammeter for accuracy.
After connecting the wires, they need to be insulated using electrical tape or hot melt adhesive.
Screw the lid onto the jar and attach the drill to the other side.

The good thing about a ready-made mini-drill is that it can run on both batteries and electric power. We considered the option of assembling a universal model.

Naturally, without having the skills to work with electricity, it will be extremely difficult to assemble such a drill with your own hands. Below we suggest you consider options for assembling simpler drills for small household needs.

How to assemble a drill with your own hands based on the handle body

To make it you will need the following materials: ballpoint pen; drill with the required diameter; hot glue; a durable stick with handles at the end that can be used to rotate it.

Pay special attention to the choice of handle for the manufacture of a future drill, and specifically to its body, since during operation the main load will fall on the body. The requirements for the handle body are:

The requirements for the handle body are:

it must be as strong as possible to withstand loads;
the best option is a body made of high-quality metals;
If there is no pen with a metal body, choose a pen with a thick plastic base.

The build process looks like this:

Disassemble the handle until only one body remains.
The lower part of the body, where the writing rod usually sticks out, needs to be unscrewed.
Instead of this part, insert a drill into the body in such a way that its working part sticks out from under the lower part, and the second part is inserted into the hole that is in the stick.
The stick is inserted into the body at the same time as the drill.
To ensure that the structure of the drill is complete, it is fixed to the wall of the housing using hot-melt adhesive.
When you twist the mechanism using the special handles, the drill will rotate, providing the desired work by pressing the handle body.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kKLL_tvTc94

Alternative options

A mini-drill in the body of a ballpoint pen is a model whose assembly does not require large expenses. For construction you will need:

ball pen;

miniature drill with the required diameter;
hot glue;
a strong pin-shaped stick along the diameter of the hole in the handle body. At the end of the pin there should be a cross, crossbar or “drum” that will ensure rotation of the stick in the body.

It is advisable that the body be made of metal or durable plastic, since it will bear the load when the pin-stick rotates inside the structure.

In order to make a dremmel, all elements are removed from the body and a drill is attached to the “writing” end instead of a rod. This is done so that part of the drill goes inside the body and is fixed with glue on a pin, which is inserted into the body from the bottom side until the rotary part stops. For greater reliability, the drum can be mounted on the body so that only the pin and the drill mounted on it rotate.

Another original option is an old hair dryer. Removing the heating element from it will not be difficult for the master, and the power of its motor, at 1500 - 1800 rpm, is enough to perform the main rotational operation.

Finally, in another mini-drill model, which can be made in a home workshop, the body is a socket from a regular incandescent lamp. Its size is just enough to mount an electric motor inside. Hot melt glue or “cold” welding are suitable for this. The power supply is placed separately, for example, in a thick plastic jar for medicine or even soap bubbles.

The wires or cord are brought out through the cover and fixed to the cartridge using a soldering iron. There may also be a switch on the cover, then the wiring wires are first connected to it.

Thus, both an experienced craftsman and a beginner who has minimal skills in working with wires and electrical equipment can use the methods presented above to make a mini-drill on their own at home.

A compact tool created with your own hands will replace an expensive industrial analogue and, if handled correctly, will cope with the tasks assigned to it and will last for a long time.

Second option - Self-assembly + (2 videos)

If the task is to make a miniature instrument with your own hands, then you must initially select an electric drive. A motor from various devices - a printer, an old cassette recorder, or from an ordinary children's electrified toy - can be used as an electric drive.

Depending on the power of the electric motor, you can build a mini grinder in two directions. The first direction is to use a network power source. For example, from an old mobile phone. The second direction provides for a completely autonomous model consisting of a motor that will be powered by batteries or accumulators.

The difference between the two directions is in the design of the case. In the first case, space will only be required for the electric motor, and in the second, a battery compartment will need to be installed.

It is very convenient to use a piece of PVC pipe for the body. If its diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the electric motor, then electrical tape can be wound onto the motor. You can secure the engine using a glue gun.

As plugs, you can use plugs that are placed on PVC pipes during transportation and storage. It is necessary to make a hole in the front plug for the motor shaft, and in the rear plug for the power wire. The power connector and switch must be secured to the housing.

The ideal option would be to attach some kind of collet clamp to the shaft. This will allow you to use standard burs, drills and non-standard mini cutters and discs. If installing a collet clamp does not work, you can connect the shaft and cutting tool using a double contact from an electrical block.

In a similar way, you can make a case for a mini angle grinder with autonomous power supply. Only after installing the engine in it, it is necessary to install the battery pack. The battery wires will be connected through a switch mounted on the case.

In both cases, on mini grinders you can use both homemade tools and standard industrial ones - burs and drills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wihkqVEz1k

DIY collet for a router

A collet chuck is a clamping device for fastening workpieces and parts with a smooth shank surface. The clamp is designed for all types of machines, including those with computer numerical control (CNC).

The main element of the part is a sleeve with longitudinal cuts, between which there are locking petals. They securely hold the workpiece during compression. The cartridges are sold with a set of collets of the most common diameters.

Device, types

Collet clamping equipment for a milling machine includes three main elements in its design:

frame;
collet or replaceable sleeve;
clamping nut.

Longitudinal axial slots on the bushing form movable petals. Their number depends on the diameter of the part. The elements are connected to each other by a lock nut, which transmits pressure to the cone formed by the petals - the device is tightened by radial force.

On the construction equipment market, there are replaceable collets with which cylindrical tools are secured . There are blanks in the shape of a polyhedron.

The collet clamp is installed on the machine shaft, after which the master performs milling, sharpening or straightening of the parts.

Depending on the function, collets are divided into three types:

Serving. The sleeve, made of hardened steel, is equipped with three partial cuts with spring tabs directed towards the center of the cartridge. The diameter of the hole in such a clamp is selected with the following condition: the workpiece must be tightly fixed in a stationary position, because in such a case every millimeter is important. The feed collet is equipped with replaceable inserts of different diameters . Then you can work with different-sized workpieces of any configuration.
Clamping. It differs from the previous sample in that it has a through technological hole with two seats along the axis of the bushing. During processing, the workpiece is tightly clamped in the collet without the risk of falling out. If the master plans to process square parts, he will need a clamp with four slots, and for round and multi-faceted parts, he will need a chuck with three slots. A set of collets for any workpiece will ensure the processing of parts of any shape . The advantage of such a tool is low radial runout.
Detachable (unclosing) secures parts of small diameter. The design of the expanding collet has springs for spreading the petals.

Each collet is designed for only one diameter, so they are suitable for working with long metal rods mounted on the router.

Read also: Gear housing for an angle grinder

Thanks to the high precision of fasteners, taps, a turning cutter or replaceable tips for screwing nuts can be attached to the collet.

The chuck is indispensable if you need to secure a drill in a manual hammer drill or drilling machine. The clamp has a polished inner surface; at the moment of fixation, deformation of the workpiece is eliminated.

In addition to machine tools, collets are used to secure replaceable parts on hand tools. Along with standard devices, there are analogues for installation on mini-drills. In carpentry workshops you can find mechanical tools with collets connecting the working part to the handle.

The miniature chuck allows, if necessary, to change the shafts of files or screwdrivers . This principle is inherent in the manufacture of mechanical pencils with replaceable graphite rods.

By pressing a button, the user extends a small collet, the petals open, and the rod extends to the specified length.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of the device are:

ease of fixation of the workpiece and its equally easy dismantling;
possibility of securing miniature workpieces;
long service life, which depends on the material (hardened or cementitious steel);
no scrolling of the workpiece due to the large contact area;
zero radial runout, ensured by good alignment of the part in the bushing. In this way, it is possible to achieve high precision of the process.
Its versatility makes it possible to use the collet mount on all types of machines.

The only drawback of the collet is that each individual sample fixes a part of the same diameter . For example, a 12 mm collet will only fit a drill of the same size. This problem can be solved by purchasing a set of replacement clamps to match them to workpieces of all diameters and configurations.

There is an adapter cylindrical sleeve that is installed in a chuck of the required size, and the workpiece is inserted into it. The clamping nut secures the collet, and it clamps the adapter sleeve to the part.

A self-clamping chuck with a set of replaceable clamps or adapter sleeves guarantees high-quality and safe operation on any machine.

Self-production

When using a clamping chuck, you cannot do without a milling machine: you will have to grind out the body, collet and clamping locknut. The best material to use is steel 50 HFGA.

The body is made from a steel blank of the required size, in the center of which a hole with internal thread is made for installation on the machine spindle.

The housing is mounted on a turning shaft to turn the internal cavity for the collet and form an external thread for the clamping nut.

Read also: Gates made of forged elements

The locknut is made from a suitable blank, in which a through hole is drilled, bored and threaded with the same diameter as on the body.

The workpiece for the collet is ground, a hole is drilled, then a cone is made and cuts are made along it. To ensure that the part meets quality requirements, its internal surfaces are carefully polished . To extend the service life of the homemade product, the metal parts are hardened.

Brass or bronze collets have proven themselves to be quite good, but the price of the starting material is higher.

Homemade collet chuck turned on a lathe

Jaw chuck for micro drills as an alternative to collet chucks

In order not to think about how to make a collet chuck or clamp with your own hands, you can purchase a jaw chuck to equip your microdrill.

This clamp is an analogue of the jaw chucks used to complete conventional electric drills, and works on a similar principle.

When the movable holder on the body of such a device rotates, the cams with which it is equipped move and thereby ensure reliable fixation of the tool.

Miniature jaw chuck ensures rigid fixation of working attachments

A wide variety of inexpensive jaw clamps are available today to equip micro drills.

The vast majority of their models are fixed on the drive motor shaft using a threaded hole on the side of the mounting part, into which a screw is screwed.

Rotation of the cam clamp cage, depending on the specific model, can be done either manually or using a special key, which is necessarily included in the factory kit of this device.

Purchasing a jaw chuck is a good opportunity for little money to equip your power tool with a universal clamping device that is easy to use and provides reliable fixation of working attachments.

The main thing you should pay attention to when choosing is the material from which the main working elements of the clamp are made.

If you choose a chuck whose jaws are made of durable high-carbon steel, it will last much longer and will provide precise fixation of the tool being used.

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Simple mini drills

Many people who do not want to shell out a significant amount of money for a ready-made tool often ask how to make a mini drill with their own hands.

You can make your own small mechanical drill using an old fishing rod reel.

To do this, you need to remove the spool from the reel (the core in the form of a cylinder on which the fishing line is wound) and cut the protruding metal axle to the desired size. Then you need to glue an old cartridge from a conventional drill or collet to the protruding rod.

Video:

A collet is a device for clamping round-shaped parts in a small chuck; in this case, you will need to clamp a drill.

You can attach the collet to the spool axis using cold welding or hot glue. After the glue or weld has dried, you can insert a small drill into the collet and get to work.

By twisting the reel handle, the mechanism rotates the collet with the drill, thereby creating holes in the desired material.

It is necessary to take into account that the resulting mini-drill must be held strictly perpendicular to the surface being drilled, otherwise there is a risk of breaking the drill. It is also not recommended to press hard on the instrument.

You can also make a mini drill with your own hands using an old motor from a CD player.

To start the engine, you need either a suitable power supply or a battery (or several smaller ones). The collet must be attached to the motor shaft using cold welding or glue.

It should be noted that the diameter of the motor shaft is usually 1.5 millimeters. Sometimes there are motors with a shaft diameter of 2.3 millimeters.

This size must be taken into account when choosing a collet, since the shaft must fit into the hole tightly, without gaps. Otherwise, there will be vibrations during drilling, which will sooner or later damage the mechanism.

After the collet is placed on the shaft, you need to attach the wires to the motor that will go to the voltage source. It is best to solder the wires, which will improve the strength of the fastening.

Then you can insert the drill into the collet and start working. The motor may start to spin in the opposite direction (not the one needed), in this case it is necessary to swap the wires, otherwise there will be no drilling.

Using the same principle, you can assemble a mini-drill with your own hands, using motors from other electrical appliances.

When using a motor from a small washing machine, the mini-drill will be more powerful, and drills of larger diameter can be inserted into it.

Another good option would be a motor from an electric razor, faulty screwdriver, printer or fan.

You can leave the mini-drill as is, and it will cope with its functions, or you can place the motor and collet in a plastic case, this way it will be much more convenient to hold the tool.

Clamping mechanism

The next important component of the device is the chuck used to hold the drill. To make a clamping device, you must purchase a collet chuck in advance. It is a clamping device capable of firmly holding cylindrical objects. Having secured the drill in the collet chuck and firmly clamped it on the motor axis, you just need to connect the power supply or batteries to the motor.

This simplified version of a mini-drill is already capable of drilling holes.

If you do not want to burden yourself further, and you will not use the tool very often, you can leave it as is.

However, holding the “naked” motor in your hands is uncomfortable, and the mini-drill looks unattractive. To bring what you started to the finish line, you will need a shell and separate control components.

Scope of application

The mini drill is widely used to perform various tasks.

Creating holes in plastic, circuit boards and other objects. Of course, the device will not be able to drill through thick iron, but it will be strong enough to make a hole in a sheet up to one millimeter thick.
Screwing and unscrewing small head and thread screws. Such fasteners are found mainly on automatic machines (switches), electrical wiring panels, office equipment, as well as in small, low-power electric motors.
Equipped with special attachments, it can be used as an engraver or grinder; for this purpose, spherical attachments with a rough working surface are placed in its cartridge. During rotation, the nozzle processes the part or applies the required pattern.

These are the main areas where a mini-drill is used, but, in addition to them, it has found extensive use in everyday life, for example, for processing (cleaning) two objects made of plastic or glass that are being glued together. When preparing the joints, both products are cleaned, after which the surfaces are adjusted so that the pieces are closely adjacent to each other.

Types and principles of operation of chucks

Collet chucks are used mainly when processing cold-rolled rods or other metal products that have an already machined surface.

Structurally, cartridges can be classified according to functionality:

with a fixed mechanism;
with retractable mechanism;
with retractable mechanism.

Each design has its own characteristics. The feeding type is made in the form of a steel sleeve with 3 cuts forming petals that have a springing effect.

Drawing No. 1 of the main spindle collet

Collets type F - clamping the main spindle are used to secure the workpiece.

Drawing No. 2 of the counter-spindle collet

Collets type LN - counter spindle are produced elongated, size E depends on the standard size.

Drawing No. 3 collet type R

Type R – are pull-type collets.

Drawing No. 4 collet type T

Type T - clamping.

Drawing No. 5 collet BF

BF type feed collet - designed for bar feeding.

When installed on the machine, the feed collet is threaded onto the pipe with the help of which it is fed into the working area. It is necessary to take into account the design feature - the size and shape of the collet, which must necessarily correspond to the profile of the bar being processed.

In preparation for processing, the rod moves through the petals, which, due to their design features, tightly hold the workpiece. During processing, when feeding the workpiece, the adhesion force between the petals and the product increases due to rotation. The principle of operation of the clamping elements is based on strengthening the adhesion of the petals to the workpiece during rotation of the working mechanism. Bushings with 3 petals are used for processing products up to 3 mm, four – up to 80 mm, six – over 80 mm. Typically, collets have an angle at the apex of the cone equal to 30º.

Collets for shaft 2 mm (0.1-3 mm) for micro drill

When processing thin rods, collets equipped with springs are used to increase the clamping force of the jaws. When increasing the diameter of the workpiece being processed, designs are used that are equipped with special inserts selected according to the dimensions of the product. Collet clamps are also used when machining with a drill, cutter or tap. The sleeve is fixed in the chuck with a nut, and the cutting tool is fixed directly in the collet. When fixed with a nut, the internal volume of the hole where the workpiece is installed is reduced, thereby increasing the force holding the rod stationary.

Cartridges of this design also have their drawbacks. First of all, the requirement that the shanks of the tool used must match the characteristics of the collets used. At enterprises, the most widely used collets are the ER type, which constitute the largest number in the total volume of tools used.

When performing complex work on the manufacture of products, various collets are used, indicating all sizes and technology for performing work operations, but often it is necessary to combine equipment or make the necessary collet chuck with the required characteristics with your own hands.

Video review of a lathe collet chuck

From an old tape recorder

Another basis for a mini-drill can be the electric motor of a well-worn player or tape recorder that rotates a CD disc. The standard motor of such devices runs on 6V voltage, so you may need to additionally purchase a portable power supply or build a mount for a battery or battery.

Using two soldered wires, the power unit (via a switch button or without it) is attached to the motor and fixed with tape or glue in a homemade tube-shaped housing. After this, the same collet chuck is attached to the shaft, which holds the drill.

What to make it from

On the Internet you can find a lot of video materials on making homemade models of mini devices. The most popular designs of mini drills are represented by the following list:

MD from an electric cartridge.
A complete analogue of the factory “Dremel”.
Drill made from a toothbrush.
MD from the printer drive.
Economical option without housing.
Second life for an old tape recorder.
Antiperspirant idea.

MD from an electric cartridge

Every home has an electric light bulb socket. The body can be made from it. There are standard sockets and housings for minion bulbs. Both of them are suitable for homemade products. It all depends on the outer diameter of the electric motor.

Manufacturing proceeds as follows:

The core of the fittings is removed.
Unscrew the back cover.
A motor is inserted inside the housing, the side surface of which is covered with hot glue or cold welding.
Adjust the shaft thickness to the size of the collet clamp hole.
A polymer lid from a plastic container is glued to the front of the case. A hole is first cut in the cover to allow the motor rod to pass through.
The cartridge is secured to the shaft with a transverse locking screw.
The motor wires are threaded through a hole in the screwed cover, which are then connected to the output terminals of the rectifier.
If you can place a microswitch in the back cover of the electric chuck, then using the drill will be convenient.

Note! The rectifier regulator changes the current and voltage, thereby increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the functional attachment. At the same time, we must not forget that if the permissible current is exceeded, there is a risk of “burning” the motor

Complete analogue of the factory “Dremel”

A mini drill is often called a Dremel by name - the leading manufacturer of this type of power tool. It is almost impossible to make a homemade product completely similar to the Dremel model.

It all depends on the master in terms of selecting spare parts. Making homemade products in a home workshop can never compare with professional MD production. Although, with some effort, you can achieve some success in this direction.

Advice. There is no need to blindly copy an industrial production model. It is better to purchase a ready-made tool.

Drill made from a toothbrush

Those who have used electric toothbrushes know how quickly the cleaning heads become unusable, and new brushes are impossible to find on sale. If you have one lying around the household, then this is a suitable option to make a mini drill.

The difficulty of manufacturing is to remove the vibrator and install the cartridge on the engine shaft. The device is powered by a battery or an 18650 battery. Such a device will not have a large number of motor shaft revolutions. But the MD will serve well as an engraving tool.

Dynamo from printer drive

An old printer is an excellent “supplier” of parts for making a mini drill. The electric motor and power supply are removed from the device. If the electric motor shaft is too thick, it is ground on a grinder. The engine is turned on and brought to the abrasive. Regularly measuring the diameter, the turned rod is adjusted to fit the opening of the collet chuck. After completing all the work on installing the housing, attaching the cartridge, and installing the limit switch, the device is connected to the power supply. After this, all that remains is to install the desired functional attachment and get to work.

Engine from an old printer

Economical option without housing

In order not to search for a suitable product for the drill body, the motor is wrapped in 2 layers of shrink film. The heated coating tightly covers the side surface of the motor, thereby creating reliable insulation of the power tool.

Mini drill without housing

Second life for an old tape recorder

A thrifty owner can find an old tape recorder or player. If the sound reproducing device is made in a stationary form, then use a power supply, as in the previous case.

The engine from the player is also adapted to rotate the cartridge with the nozzle. The device will be mobile, since powerful AA batteries are placed in the power supply instead of batteries.

Electric motor from a tape recorder

Antiperspirant idea

The body of a used roll-on deodorant is quite suitable for making a mini drill. The advantage of this option is the shape of the plastic bottle. It is made so that it is comfortable and firmly held in your hand.

Roll-on deodorant body

Additional Information. When manufacturing the MD case, you should try to install the power button within the reach of the worker’s thumb. This will create an additional comfortable option for controlling the device.

Do-it-yourself collet for a microdrill - Metals, equipment, instructions

Among the advantages of a mini-drill, it is worth noting its compactness and low cost. In order to save money and not doubt the efficiency and reliability of electrical equipment, modern craftsmen have become adept at making power tools at home.
With your own hands, today you can assemble a hand-held micro-electric drill, a high-frequency drill and more. How to make rotary instruments and components for them - read below. A small electric drill is a must-have for anyone who makes electronic crafts or does delicate decorative work. This machine is ideal for performing small work on wood, plastic and metal, and drilling printed circuit boards.

You can assemble a mini-drill at home from a chuck, a jar of soap bubbles, a motor for rotating the chuck, and a battery.

The motor can be taken from a hair dryer or grinder. An electric motor from a VCR or a motor from an old cassette recorder are also suitable for making crafts.

To make an electric mini drill you need:

Connect the cartridge to the motor. This is best done using cold welding. But you need to work quickly and carefully: the weld quickly hardens and becomes as strong as iron. If it fails, it will not be possible to redo the connection.
Place the cartridge in the jar. For better fixation, the cartridge must be treated with hot glue.
Make a hole in the second base for the switch. It’s better if the switch is small and keyboard-based.

To make a drill with your own hands, you should study the theory and watch a training video

The hand micro drill is ready! All that remains is to solder the wires from the motor and power to the switch, observing the polarity. To power the mini-drill, 9-12v batteries will be enough. Additionally, you can do reverse on a six-pin switch.

DIY collet chuck

A collet (or clamping) chuck for a mini-drill is an adapter device used to clamp drills, which is attached to the output shaft of the motor. The mini-chuck allows you to use drills with a diameter of up to 3 mm. The smallest homemade drill can work with drills with a diameter of 0.7 mm.

The quality of the drill’s operation depends on the quality of the chuck and the attachment of the drill to the motor.

Therefore, the choice of clamp should be approached with all responsibility. And if a high-quality device cannot be found, it can be manufactured quite simply. In this case, you will not need to use a lathe. To make the clamp you only need an M8 screw and a closed M8 nut.

Making a collet clamp for a mini drill:

We drill a hole with a diameter of 2 mm in the screw head;
We take a hacksaw and apply two axial cuts to the screw body;
In the closed nut, drill a hole with a diameter of 2 mm exactly in the middle;
Using a larger drill, expand the hole in the closed nut to 3.5 mm;
We make a cone out of the nut by connecting it to a regular drill and grinding it using sandpaper.

The collet is ready! Now you can insert a drill of a suitable size into the bolt and screw on the nut. To make using the drill convenient, you can make a collet for each micro-drill. A special drill stand will also help you do quality work.

Do-it-yourself drill for small jobs

The drill has long ceased to be an exclusively professional dental instrument. Today, a drill with a flexible shaft is actively used to perform small decorative work, grinding, polishing, and cutting various products.

You can make a rotary drill with your own hands, similar to a mini-drill.

At the same time, it should be taken into account that for high-quality work of the homemade product you will need a fairly powerful motor. So, an 18V motor from a screwdriver is perfect for powering drills. The easiest way would be to make an engraver from an old blender.

To make a drill you will need:

Disconnect the top part of the blender from the working part;
Using a utility knife, remove the rubber cover on the button and use a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts located under it;
Using a screwdriver, from the side of the power cable, pry up the top cover of the case and carefully remove it;
Remove the circuit connected to the power cable from the blender body;
Remove the plastic part located above the rotator from the housing;
Remove the plastic tip from the electric motor shaft;
Measure the diameter of the shaft with a caliper (if you don’t have one, a ruler will also work for this purpose);
Clean the electric motor housing from oil and degrease its surface using an alcohol wipe;
Place a collet chuck of the appropriate size onto the shaft;
Replace the power button with a push mechanism that controls both turning the device on and off;
Assemble the blender.

Parts for making a drill can be found at a flea market

The hand drill is ready! Such a tool will be powered via a power cable with a plug. You can power the tool with batteries, but then the batteries will have to be changed or charged from time to time.

Do-it-yourself flexible shaft for a drill

If you need to transfer the rotation of the motor of an engraver, drill or bur to an attachment, then you will need a flexible shaft. This device consists of a wire enclosed in flexible armor, twisted in several layers, and

can significantly expand the functionality of a rotary instrument. You can assemble the flexible shaft yourself.

For this you will need:

Brass tube;
Two M4 threaded bushings;
Electrode shaft (diameter 5 mm) with M5 thread;
Adapter from internal thread M5 and external thread M8 to 0.75;
Mini quick-release chuck;
Clamp made from an M12 bolt drilled along the axis;
Protection for connection.

Assembling the flexible shaft. To do this, insert an electrode shaft into the brass tube and put M4 bushings on both sides of the tube. On one side of the tube we screw an adapter onto the sleeve, and onto it a mini-cartridge.

On the back side of the tube we place a clamp, with which we connect the shaft from the electrode to the flexible one. For convenience, you can sand down the heads of the screws on the clamp. We put a special brass protection on the clamp and secure it with fasteners. We isolate the connection.

The flexible shaft is ready! For convenience, a clamp with a plastic handle can be placed on the cartridge side.

How to make a dynamo from an old printer motor

A dynamo is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. The operation of the dynamo is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. That is, an electric current arises in a closed circuit of a device when the flux of the magnetic induction vector penetrating the circuit changes over time.

In other words, a dynamo is the simplest direct current generator.

In everyday life, a dynamo can be used to charge audio and video equipment, a smartphone and other low-power gadgets (for example, fitness bracelets, tablets, a toy robot, etc.). In addition, the device is perfect for powering bicycle headlights, LED strips, hand-held flashlights and other devices powered by single-phase networks.

Tools and materials

Required:

electric cartridge,
engine,
plastic container for soap bubbles,
sharp knife,
hot glue,
insulating tape,
soldering device,
toggle switch

Preparatory work

To make a housing in the lid of a jar of soap bubbles, use a heated soldering iron to make a hole with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the base of the drill. The bottom of the container must be removed. The core of the tool is made from a motor and a cartridge. An engine of suitable power can be taken from old equipment. Before attaching the engine and cartridge, they are degreased with acetone. Fastened by cold welding or hot glue.