"What is a pin vise?" Topic

Although I am not going to purchase a pin vise, I'd like to know what is the intended purpose of such an item. Is the pin vise used as a small hand drill? Or is it used, as vises are known to, as a holding device for miniatures? If so, what is the item of choice for making small incisions and drilling on miniatures?

If I am correct in my thinking, is the pin vise used to drill tiny holes into a miniature? What, then, do you use to connect the two drilled holes? I have heard piano wire, paper clips and other things; what do you use?

Thanks,

FF

pretty much yes to the above. A small drill device, usually hand powered rather than electric. The vice part refers to the chuck holding the bit.

I use piano wire, copper wire or paper clips depending on what I'm fixing

Yes,

A pin vice is a small, pen shaped tool for holding pins. It can also be used to hold very small drill bits.

I find this tool is almost indespensable in this hobby.

To connect the holes I use paper clips for larger work, or the various diameters of brass rod available at your local hobby shop for smaller stuff.

Alex

Pin vise (AKA pin vice) is a small hand drill.

Depending on the bit size, you can use any size of wire. Many people use paper clips.

Because pin vises are not available at any nearby hardware store (Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Zellers, Home Hardware, Sears hardware) I have located pin vises from a store called Lee Valley and Legersindustrial.

Legersindustrial offers these: link

And Lee Valley offers these: link

Which would be the best? Again, I am not buying; but in the future I may want to purchase one. Since I cannot order anything online, I like to know where everything is available locally!

Thanks a bunch,

FF

PS. What is a jeweller's pin vise? Are they different from a modeller's pin vise?

I didn't respect so many responses in such a short time! Help really is unparalleled here, and generosity, too, runs deep!

Sorry, I intended to say "expect" instead of respect.

I just finished calling one last place, Busybeetools, and they said they had a master pin vise for $3.00 USD – model b242. All metal.

And I have found the last pin vise: busybeetools.com , under product search "pin vise".

The Lee Valley one looks pretty good. They also sell seperate packs of bits which contain some incredibly small ones. I'm an ex-Torontonian (in Guelph now) and I miss Lee Valley, thank goodness I have a friend who goes there regularly. My pin vise is from GW and the person who got it for me probably paid to much.

David S.

The GW one is $20 USD cdn:

link

I don't think it comes with nearly as many bits as the Lee Valley one does.

David S.

Ok, what did I don wrong on the currency thing? It's Canadian $. USD

David

Hi David,

Did you take a look at the pin vises from Lee Valley and Starrett? Sorry to impose on you, but I am just curious and always need to be on the look out for modelling items.

In respect to the Lee Valley pin vises, are you referring to the jeweller's pin vise or the modelmaker's pin vise?

Thanks a bunch,

FF

PS. What is the difference in price / quality? I mean, I could buy a $3.00 USD busy bee pin vise, but would it mean a great sacrifice in quality?

Widget Supply (www.widgetsupply) carries a number of different designs, as well as vast selection of other hobby tools. I haven't used them myself (yet), but have heard good reviews from other TMPers.

Hey Hyun,

The shipping and handling is a deal breaker for me- I can't afford shipping and handling, literally. I don't drive places to buy stuff either; I walk, as gas is too expensive (if I had a car).

Factoring shipping & handling, if I were to get it at widgetsupply, I would only be getting a $4.00 USD (or less) product for $8.00 USD (when shipping and handling is included). Whereas, if I bought locally, which I intend to do, I could buy an $8.00 USD item for $8.00. Then again, it is retail pricing.

Still, what do you think?

FF

Greetings!

I was refering to the modelmaker's pin vise. It looks the the one on busybee does not come with the all important drill bits, that's why it's so cheap. I'm infering this from the GW web page where the replacement bits are $14, which would make the vise itself worth $6. USD

Lee Valley has alway sold good quality items and I've never had any problems with tools I've gotten from them.

David S.

David & others (who have ordered international items, this includes Americans!),

Have you ever ordered anything online from a store in another country, and been attacked with handling fees? This sounds like a nightmare! I have not yet ordered anything online because of a fear that any item crossing the border will be hit with very expensive importing fees.

FF

PS. Is it important to have that "ball" at the end of the pin vise?

Feudal Fighter,
I'm surprised you couldn't find a pin vice at Home Depot. I see them all the time there. They would be in their small hand tools area. In fact most local hardware stores should have them. You don't need to order them from Starrett or Lee Valley as these places will charge you up the backside almost as badly as GW. Mind you what you'll get from Lee Valley or Sterrett will be high grade, machinist quality tools but you can get excellent quality from local sources as well.

As to a difference between the Jeweller's pin vice and the modelmaker's pin vice there is one. The Jeweller's pin vice is a a vice that is used to hold small parts while the modeller's pin vice is indeed a hand drill for small drill bits.

I bought a Starrett pin vise and am very happy with it.

They're more expensive, but Starrett make quality machine shop tools. That may comfort, or appeal to you. (I enjoyed the touch of nostalgia from my days when I primarily used lead as shielding.)

I bought mine from:

jlindustrial.com

and the service was extremely good. Shipping was $6. USD

I cannot imagine not having a pin vice to put together minatures. That- and a box of paperclips- has opened up a whole now aspect of the hobby for me, conversions, head swaps, etc, and as I have gotten experience using epoxy putty I have carried out some really intricate conversions.

Having a pin vice also meant that when at one time breakages meant throwing away a perfectly good figure, I can now repair most injuries- broken muskets, plumes etc. Kind of like the discovery of penicillin.

Pin vice, I worship and pay homage to thee. Let me never be confounded.

After having a brush up in my pronunciating of "vise", I have since begun finding many more sources of pin "vices".

I think I will go with the $3.00 USD pin vise at busybeetools and buy the drill bit set at Lee Valley for $3.85.

"Is it important to have that "ball" at the end of the pin vise?"

I'd say a swivel head at the (non-drill) end is very desirable. It lets you keep that end stationary against your palm or finger will you use a couple fingers to twirl the drill.

Is also means you don't have to leave the drill bit and handle sticking in the piece and reposition your hand on the pin vise to continue drilling — or constantly back up the bit.

I prefer a ball end because I have large hands and like to position it against my palm. This means I can rotate the pin vise with my thumb and index finger.

If you think you'd position the back end against your index finger (and rotate the pin vise with your thumb and middle finger) the smaller swivel head (such as on a jeweler's screwdriver – frequently hex-shaped) would probably be better.