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The Wonderous Unibit! — Parallax Forums

The Wonderous Unibit!

davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
edited 2011-06-01 14:01 in Robotics
For those not endowed with fancy CNCed vertical millers with stand-em-up drill pressem thingies, the Unibit comes to the rescue!

http://forums.parallax.com/entry.php?238-Of-Things-Panels-and-Holes...

Comments

  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2011-05-20 00:24
    Nice one!!
    I didn't know of such a tool... I like this new forum..

    Massimo
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-05-20 04:03
    I like the Conecut:

    http://www.gjhall.co.uk/category/5
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2011-05-20 07:17
    One thing that is great about the unibit drills is they work well for drilling all sorts of plastic. Normal drills may catch and crack the plastic but I've never had that happen when using a unibit. I even picked up one of the large unibits and I can make a perfect hole that the PIR lens can fit into.

    Robert
  • schillschill Posts: 741
    edited 2011-05-20 07:19
    What are your opinions about using a stepped (unibit) bit handheld vs. in a drill press?
  • RobotWorkshopRobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307
    edited 2011-05-20 07:55
    I'll normally use a small regular drill to make a pilot hole first and a hand held drill with the unibit to expand it to the size I need. It all depends upon what I am trying to do. If the material is thick then a regular drill still makes the most sense to use the unibit hole can only be as deep as each step on the bit. Small holes seem to be best with a regular drill. If I need to make larger holes in materials that aren't too thick or I am drilling in any sort of plastic then the unibit works best for me.

    Robert
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-05-20 09:20
    Use this tool without shame but keep in mind they're good for drilling things that are only about 1/8 of an inch thick. Any thicker and they engage the next drilling step. But, yes, this is an excellent tool, especially if you're trying to drill fairly large holes. It's not easy drilling a 3/4 inch hole in 1/8" aluminum with a regular drill bit, and probably impossible to do so by hand without making a mess of things. But this type of drill makes that task possible.

    Great suggestion!
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-05-20 11:47
    schill wrote: »
    What are your opinions about using a stepped (unibit) bit handheld vs. in a drill press?

    Not having access to a drill press, I can only imagine the level of control would be much, much better over a hand held.
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-05-20 11:53
    ElectricAye wrote: »
    Use this tool without shame but keep in mind they're good for drilling things that are only about 1/8 of an inch thick. Any thicker and they engage the next drilling step. But, yes, this is an excellent tool, especially if you're trying to drill fairly large holes. It's not easy drilling a 3/4 inch hole in 1/8" aluminum with a regular drill bit, and probably impossible to do so by hand without making a mess of things. But this type of drill makes that task possible.

    Great suggestion!

    Yes - limited depth for sure.
    Never thought about using one on plastic - good feedback! Does the type of plastic matter?
    Gratified this post initiated some good discussion.
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-05-20 11:56
    Leon wrote: »
    I like the Conecut:

    http://www.gjhall.co.uk/category/5

    I see the Multicut is pretty much a direct replacement for the Unibit:

    http://www.gjhall.co.uk/product/6/27
  • Jorge PJorge P Posts: 385
    edited 2011-05-20 19:58
    For those not endowed with fancy CNCed vertical millers with stand-em-up drill pressem thingies, the Unibit comes to the rescue!
    http://forums.parallax.com/entry.php...nels-and-Holes...

    I've used these before, believe it or not Radio Shack used to carry these. I imagine they probalble stopped carrying them when they got rid of allot of their electronics components. They used to be called de-burring bits. I don't know what they call them now.
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-05-20 20:12
    ...a de-burring bit has a continuing slope, IIRC. The Unibit and Multicut have discrete steps.

    My main use of de-burring bits was to clean up the mess-of-a-hole made by a regular twist bit. :cool:
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-05-20 20:18
    Jorge P wrote: »
    ...They used to be called de-burring bits. I don't know what they call them now.

    I've heard these unibits called stepper drill bits. Deburring bits are not necessarily stepped.
  • Jorge PJorge P Posts: 385
    edited 2011-05-20 20:59
    ElectricAye wrote: »
    I've heard these unibits called stepper drill bits. Deburring bits are not necessarily stepped.

    I've heard them called a few different names too. also, hole taperers, They work well if you want inset screws that are flush with the surface by not drilling the full depth of step. I never actualy used it to drill any holes, just to deburr and taper them. You cna find the bits at different prices depending on what you call them. Like with Computer Rack Cabinets, which are expensive, but if you call them "Equipment Racks" at a music site you find the same thing for much cheaper, for example http://backstage.musiciansfriend.com/search/search.jsp?question=Rack

    It's realy a multi putpose bit, I wish I could find them a bit smaller, no pun intended...
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    edited 2011-06-01 14:01
    I use them all the time. The generic term is "step drill", but I have also heard them called other names, some of which are trademark names. (kind of like Scotch Tape (the 3M name brand) versus transparent tape (the generic name for the product)). Check out post#5 on this thread for more details. I bought my 3 piece step drill set from harbor freight for $12. On plastic enclosures, they are an absolute necessity to get a professional look in minutes. If the material is thinner than the height of the step, there is never an issue of driving to far with a handheld drill. When the material is thicker, I just come at it from both sides to get the same size step all the way through.

    image_2386.jpg
    image_2386.jpg
    370 x 370 - 19K
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